It was a low point for relations between the Fab Four and OasisDan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
13:26, 23 Aug 2025
Liam Gallagher on stage in Manchester in 2022(Image: Getty Images)
Oasis’ Liam Gallagher has never been afraid to rub people up the wrong way. The Mancunian band’s frontman, 52, is beloved by fans for his creative insults and outspoken personality – central to his ‘rock and roll’ image.
However, this has seen him fall out with his brother Noel Gallagher many a time, ultimately leading to Oasis’ 2009 split. Other targets for Liam’s sharp tongue have included Britpop rivals Blur (their leader Damon Albarn in particular), Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who he described as “looking like a geography teacher”.
Liam didn’t mince his words when it came to his heroes either. Both Liam and Noel idolise The Beatles – the Fab Four have influenced Oasis’ music and style hugely and their songs are littered with references to Liverpool’s favourite sons.
That included using similar piano chords to John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ at the beginning of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’, the song ‘Wonderwall’ coming from George Harrison’s track ‘Wonderwall Music’ or the mention of a yellow submarine in ‘Supersonic’.
Despite the Manchester band’s admiration for The Beatles, they have not always enjoyed a good relationship with their icons. Last week, the ECHO looked at Sir Paul McCartney’s unimpressed response to Noel Gallagher’s declaration in the 1990s that Oasis were bigger than The Beatles.
Sir Paul said he wished Oasis well as a young band but said their style was “derivative”. All has been made up now – Noel said he regretted making the comment and he and Sir Paul are good friends, having played a duet together at Stella McCartney’s 50th birthday party in 2021.
But Noel’s brother has also had a run-in with a Beatle. After the release of their first two albums –‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’ in 1994 and 1995 respectively, Oasis became one of the biggest bands on the planet.
Not everyone was taken by them, however. George Harrison was among them – specifically he shared his reservations about Liam .
In an interview in 1996, George said of the Oasis frontman: “He’s a bit out of date. He’s a bit of a – he’s just silly. I feel a bit sorry for him, really, because I think he’s totally missed the bus.”
George added: “I think it was proven when you see the band without him singing, you know, they’re more in tune. He’s just excess baggage. All he does is make people think ‘what a bunch of prannies they are.”
George Harrison pours himself a cup of tea in his carriage as The Beatles arrive at Bangor Station in North Wales, from London Euston, to embark upon a 10-day conference on Transcendental Meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1967(Image: Mirrorpix)
George saved some faint praise for Noel but still wasn’t impressed by the band. He continued: “The one who writes the songs, Noel, he’s okay. But they don’t have that much depth, and the other bloke, I don’t think they need him.
“The one who writes the songs, he can sing just as well, but maybe because it’s his brother he’s got to keep him in the band.”
Liam didn’t hold back with his response. He told MTV: “If any of them old farts have got a problem with me, then they should leave their Zimmer Frames at home and I’ll hold them up with a good right hook.”
He did, however, share his appreciation for The Beatles but continued into a rather bizarre insult aimed at George.
Liam continued: “I still love the Beatles and I still love George Harrison as a songwriter in the Beatles, but as a person, I think he’s a f***ing nipple. And if I ever meet him I’ll f***ing tell him. And if you’re watching, nipple.”
Noel also went into bat for his brother, saying that George formed his opinion on Liam based on reports in the media.
The singer – songwriter said: “George Harrison doesn’t know Liam. If you didn’t know Liam and you read about him in the papers, then I suppose you wouldn’t like him, but unless you get to know him, you shouldn’t be making statements like that. We all love you, George. We think you’re top.”
Oasis’ Live 25 reunion tour continues. Having played shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin over the past two months, the is making its way to North America.
They begin with two gigs in Toronto on August 24 and August 25. The tour will then move to Chicago, East Rutherford, Pasadena and Mexico City before returning for two more concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium at the end of September.
After that, October and November will see Oasis play in Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo.