Noel Gallagher shares regrets about meeting David Bowie while "high and p*ssed": "I have no recollection of it whatsoever"

Noel Gallagher and David Bowie
(Image credit: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images, Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

For most musicians and fans lucky enough to meet David Bowie, their memory of the occasion would likely be one that they will cherish until their final days. To his regret, however, Noel Gallagher barely remembers meeting the music legend at all, despite doing so in the 90's.

In a new interview with The Big Issue, the former Oasis guitarist recalls the experience, admitting that the encounter wasn't as special as it could have been, which was entirely his own fault.

"I went to see David Bowie and Morrissey at Wembley Arena in the 90s", Gallagher begins. "I was high and pissed. Then, before Bowie came on, somebody came up to me and said, would you like to come and meet David? [So] I was taken to see David Bowie in his dressing room.”

He continues, “I have no recollection of it whatsoever… I remember walking in and he was putting on make-up in a mirror and that’s it. He’s up there with John Lennon for me and I have no idea what we said when I met him."

Wishing how he could re-do the important moment so that he could actually strike up a memorable conversation with Bowie, the musician adds: “If I could go back I would appreciate it so much more. I’d tell him what he meant to me growing up and how much he means to me now, and I’d tell him, ‘I’m gonna rip you off to fuck when you’re dead, you know.”

Elsewhere, Gallagher reflects on his time working with Blur frontman, and former Britpop rival, Damon Albarn on Gorillaz‘s 2017 track We Got The Power, acknowledging that he doesn't think that his younger self would have been too thrilled about the collaboration.

"What would my younger self think of me working with Damon Albarn,” he muses. “It would depend entirely on what side of the bed I got out of on that day. If you caught me on a good day I’d be like, yeah, I could see that happening… On a bad day, I’d fucking knife myself in the bollocks.”

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds will release their forthcoming album Council Skies on June 2.

Liz Scarlett

Liz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.