It's a serious business.

So we sat down to talk abusive parents, Manchester, and music.

Liam, I'm Marc.

- Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you.

Thanks so much for your time.

So what's the dumbest question you've ever been asked?

The dumbest question?

Yeah.

I guess, the Oasis thing - when's Oasis getting back together?

It's nothing to do with me, it's not in my hands.

It's all in Noel's hands, I mean he's the one not playing ball.

People sort of think that I'm the one who's stopping it, you know what I mean?

It's totally not that.

So if it's all in his court -

It's all in his court.

Why is he a no -

Because for one, I don't think he's got it in him anymore to play the songs

I don't think he's as rock and roll as he likes to make out.

I think he wants to be a different artist, do you know what I mean?

Which is fine, he doesn't owe me anything.

I don't owe him anything, he don't owe the fans anything

If you're not feeling it, you're not feeling it, you know what I mean?

Does sound like you actually really understand his reasons for why.

I get it, I get it man. But the reasons that he says to the press

is because he can't work with me, because I'm a bit of a dickhead, well I'm not.

He's more of dickhead, you know what I mean?

Liam can't do it anymore, I've just fucking proved it. I could do it standing on me head mate.

He likes all the attention, and he knows when he comes and stands next to me he's like a wallflower.

It's a complicated dynamic, isn't it?

Very complicated.

I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But it's fun as well.

Do you have to be a little bit angry to be a good rockstar?

Is there some element to that?

Completely man, don't know where it comes from.

Listen, me dad was a bit of a dickhead and that.

He was pretty abusive though, wasn't he?

Yeah, yeah. It was pretty hard, but you get over it.

I mean, that was when I was about eight or nine, so I've been here 45 years so.

You learn to get over it.

Your brothers are a fair bit older than you though. They copped the brunt of it, didn't they?

Oh yeah, they're a lot older than me.

So what do you reckon the difference in impact for you and for them was?

Because if they copped the brunt of it, and you were kinda at the tail end of it...

I didn't cop anything.

But see even if like...

People go, listen it's terrible what happened with abusive families, and all that stuff but

watching it can just be as bad as copping it, you know what I mean?

How do you mean?

Well, if you're seeing something abusive, you know what I mean.

Alright, the abuse is getting done to someone else, and obviously it's terrible for that person

but watching it is equally as mad, it's mental.

It can be just as bad.

Even though you're not physically getting a dig, you're seeing it.

So yeah, it was shit times growing up.

But, truth hurts don't it sometimes.

You're a parent now.

They don't listen to a word I say. I haven't got a leg to stand on, have I?

Well actually I was going to ask -

Don't be doing that, treat that girl like that.

I'm like, don't be treating her like a dickhead.

"Well you can't talk."

Don't be doing them drugs.

"You can't talk!"

Don't be fighting that geezer.

"You can't -" I'm just like, right get on with it.

So how do you find your way through it, though

because you've got a few of them.

I go on tour and leave them to it.

That's the solution?

Nah, nah. I just, I don't know man. Listen, 'cause I have done pretty much a lot of things

I've had a colourful life, I think that's a good thing

so you can turn around and say listen, if you do get into any of that kind of shit

come and have a word and that.

And what would say?

I don't know man, I'd just say look.

Common sense, innit?

What do you reckon you've taken from it?

I mean there has been a lot of, you know there was assaults

and I think you were banned from an airline or two

like, what do you take away?

The assault was like, I think it was justice. I know the law doesn't say that.

The geezer put a camera in my face and I told him not to.

You know what I mean, it's personal fucking space.

And I asked him, I said "look, don't put the camera" and he kept doing it.

He'd been drinking, I'd been drinking, so we copped for it.

So you know I know it's not allowed in law and that in England and in Australia

but I was in my rights, mate so I'd do it all over again.

You performed at that incredible concert in Manchester, the One Love concert

why was it important for you to do that?

'Cause it's my hometown and I think obviously you want to show people that you cared.

You're not in it for the money, and it's not all about hits and big houses and flash cars and drugs.

You know you gotta put it back.

On stage is where I'm completely 100% in control of me.

You only get one chance to do the song justice and everyone's just in the moment.

What's for you the song that you have sung that you reckon the audience misunderstand?

I mean I don't even know what they're about, to be fair.

And I don't.

That's the beauty of music, I think everything a lot of people, I hate it when people turn around and go

"Oh, it's about this, and it's about that."

Not everything has to have a meaning.

Yeah.

I think that as soon as you tell someone it's about that, they stop exploring.

That's interesting.

And I think that's a bit of a shame so.

I don't know what they're about, I don't know what Wonderwall is about

I don't know what any of it is about. I don't wanna know what they're about.

This new album has been, it's funny when you call it your first solo album

because it seems weird to say it's your first solo album

because you've been performing for a quarter of a century.

The day it came out, were you nervous?

Because it's all on you at that moment.

I'm nervous in the fact that maybe this was kinda the last roll of the dice kinda thing

'cause I don't know whether people are tuning in or not.

So, it depends on whether the people are there at the right time, and they're listening.

There's been a lot of good albums that come out, by great people and it just doesn't happen.

Were you prepared for that to happen, if it had?

Was I prepared? I would've knocked it on the head man, I wouldn't have gone -

You can't flog a dead horse, I'm certainly not going to put myself through it again and go do another one

I'll just quietly, or maybe not quietly but sorta just trickle off in the corner

and go and do something else maybe.

You know what, I feel like I've got another crack at the whip, another chance

So you just want to, you don't want to abuse it, you know what I mean?

Whereas with Oasis when we first started, we weren't really, we sort of just, we didn't really...

We just wanted to have a good time and before you know it we'd gotten really big quick

you know, and I guess we did a lot of stupid things and that.

But once that's gone, you kinda go "Fucking hell, I wish I'd enjoyed it a bit more."

So the main thing is to just live in the moment and be here now

you know what I mean, just living in it.

Don't be thinking about the second album or the third, enjoy what you're doing now

and live it and feel it, and cross that bridge when you come to it.

- Liam, what a legend. - Thank you.

Thanks so much for talking to us.

You're welcome.