Noel Gallagher Would Reunite Oasis for 'Half a Billion'

In a recent interview with Vulture, Noel Gallagher covered a lot of ground, from his new album with the High Flying Birds to Sam Smith and Tom Petty’s songwriting credits. Perhaps most interestingly, though, is Gallagher’s perspective on the future of Oasis.

When asked how much money it would take to reunite the band, Noel seems to answer matter-of-factly with “half a billion” (no word on whether he means dollars or pounds).

He goes on, “If somebody puts that on the table, I’ll pack my bags in the morning and say, ‘How many gigs do you want?’ The thing that slightly annoys me is -- and I know I’m the only one doing interviews -- people assume it’s up to me. Let’s say I get up tomorrow morning, have a stretch, and say to my wife, ‘How about this Oasis thing?’ It’s not up to me. Who knows if Liam wants to do it? He probably does, but I don’t know. It’s not on my radar at all. I’m very happy with what I’m doing.”

Vulture’s Lane Brown pushed back, saying Noel probably doesn’t even need Liam to get Oasis back on the road: "You wrote all the best Oasis songs, and you’ve got a great voice."

“He provided the rock, you know,” he responds. “To be in a band is the most powerful thing in the world, and he was f---ing great. Oasis was equally the five of us, and no one should underestimate his part in it, but he never helped me write a single f---ing song. So, artistically speaking, I don’t need any of them. And once you’ve been in a band for 20 years and then you leave, why would you go back?”

Noel even addresses the Kanye-Beck situation that evolved from this year’s Grammy awards show. “If I were Beck, I’d have handed Kanye the award and a dictionary and said, ‘Have a look at the word artistry and see if it applies to Beyonce,’” he tells Vulture. “If artistry is shaking your ass onstage, she’s f---ing great.”

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds’ sophomore effort, Chasing Yesterday, is set for release on March 3 via Sour Mash Records. You can pre-order you copy here.