“Mind-blowing”: the artist Liam Gallagher was too scared to talk to
The thought of Liam Gallagher being scared of anything or anyone is almost paradoxical. He just couldn’t be – he’s a bona fide rock and roll star, and most people who fall under his wrath when he’s not their biggest fan will leave feeling sorry they ever crossed paths. That’s not a criticism – after all, he’s made an entire career out of it – but the point remains, you can’t ever imagine Gallagher getting in a flap.
But put him in front of The Beatles and, well, it’s a bit of a different story. Amid over 30 years of lambasting pretty much any artist who doesn’t quite fit in his orbit, Gallagher has made no secret of his reverence for the Fab Four, whether in his own solo sonic capacity or in the seismic imprint they made on the music of Oasis. But worshipping the bad was one thing; actually meeting them in person was another.
When previously asked about his most prolific celebrity encounters by Cosmic, Gallagher said that: “The person I couldn’t handle meeting one day, I had to leave the room with, was Ringo Starr. Paul McCartney I was alright with,” he conceded, “but Ringo Starr I actually got off.”
No offence to Starr, but of all the Beatles he could’ve picked, no one likely expected Gallagher to say that one. After all, Starr is the drummer, Gallagher the frontman – the comparisons between the two aren’t exactly easy to make. It seemed the Oasis singer was also stumped by his reaction, as when asked why he became so starstruck, he mused: “I don’t know, Ringo just freaked me out.”
“[I was] like, ‘Fucking Ringo man!’,” Gallagher continued. “His voice and everything, it was just like, I thought I was tripping… Even his name, ‘Ringo’ was just fucking mind-blowing.” It is really quite a humbling thought – imagine the droves of young wannabe rock stars in the 1990s and 2000s who would have acted the same way if Oasis walked in the room. But as it turns out, they were once the exact same with their own heroes.
In a funny way, if there was anyone that Gallagher would potentially give his life for, Noel wouldn’t be at the top of that list – it might well be Starr. It’s only said with a slight tongue in cheek as it’s clear the drummer’s eminent power had Gallagher bolting for the door before he could even say a word, his mind blown as much as his mouth, not being able to move.
They do say to never meet your heroes, but you can’t see Gallagher agreeing much with that statement. Not that he actually met Starr for long, given that he couldn’t pluck up the courage to talk to him, but the sentiment remains the same nonetheless. If nothing else, it’s a nice bit of pedigree – because no matter how big for his boots Gallagher gets, just remind him of crossing paths with Starr, and guaranteed he’ll be running for the door.
