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Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis
Description Between 1994 and 1996, music writer Paolo Hewitt spent the greater part of his life on the road with Oasis, in the U.K., Europe and America. He came back with tales that would cement the legend of the brawling, effing, hedonistic, charismatic, confessional and extraordinarily talented Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, and their group. Hewitt is a rare and perceptive fly-on-the-wall during the band's hectic rise to the height of their powers, as their first two albums are released to the kind of excitement scarcely seen in British rock music since the sixties. Hewitt takes the Gallaghers' story right back to their parents' roots in Ireland, and the descriptions of Noel and Liam's childhoods in working-class Manchester reveal the seeds of their determination to make Oasis the force it became. Getting High is an illuminating, funny, sometimes shocking reminder of how big a band can get, and how quickly the insanity sets in. Oasis have today sold in excess of 70 million records worldwide. Hewitt's intimate account of this explosive and beloved band, in their prime, is a rock classic and a riveting narrative. Praise for Getting 'Paolo is the only person to speak about what it was like on the road with us because he's been there. He's been there, he's seen it, he's done it.' Noel Gallagher 'Top read.' Melody Maker 'Unlimited access to all areas of the Oasis bandwagon is the ace up this biography's sleeve.' Q '10/10 - sometimes you get what you pay for.' Esquire 'By adopting a fly-on-the-wall approach and writing Oasis's story as though it were a novel rather than a straight biography, he succeeds in entertaining, informing and occasionally putting you inside the head of the Gallagher brothers.' Hot Press 'In Getting High we get closer to the real Oasis, not the tabloid fancies, the music press stereotypes of Noel the genius, Liam the wanker and three other blokes who don't count. Hewitt paints an engrossing and uplifting portrait of one of the most important bands of the decade.' The Word and Issue 'Getting High is refreshingly well written' Total Guitar 'Compelling drama' Manchester Evening News 'If you only buy one book about Oasis, then make sure it's this one.' FHM 'This well-researched tome chronicles many a pivotal moment in Oasis's history and is filled with plenty of ribald anecdotes.' NME 'Head and shoulders above every other Oasis book. I hated finishing it so much I read it again.' Irvine Welsh
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
93 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Paolo Hewitt
42 books31 followersPaolo Hewitt was born on July 11, 1958 in Redhill, Surrey, England.
Paolo Hewitt is a former NME journalist and author of over 20 books, including, with Mark Baxter, The Fashion of Football (Mainstream), Oasis... There and Then (1996), Outside Bet (2012) and Casuals: The Story of the Legendary Terrace Fashion (2011)
Paolo Hewitt is a former NME journalist and author of over 20 books, including, with Mark Baxter, The Fashion of Football (Mainstream), Oasis... There and Then (1996), Outside Bet (2012) and Casuals: The Story of the Legendary Terrace Fashion (2011)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 20, 2020
Excellent. Really in depth study of the early days of Oasis. Hewitt’s access to the band and those immediately around them has given him the kind of insight to the direct story of how they came to be, that most writers could only dream of.
July 30, 2015
A book about Oasis' early years, where it all began etc. Being a huge Oasis fan, of course I enjoyed finding out more about "how they got there", but to be honest the book just isn't that well written. It's kinda just like a long recital about people, places and events without much life or colour in it, which is kind of a shame, because I'd have thought you'd get a bit more substance out of the Gallagher brothers!
February 13, 2020
There is an epic waiting to be written about the troublesome twosome’s rise and fall - the prose equivalent of the ‘Supersonic’ documentary. This is not it.
May 10, 2021
An absolute bastard to review, this one. A fly-on-the wall look at the formative and explosive years of my favorite band, bar none. The monkey's paw catch is it's written by a guy who, in my mind, has written a few stinkers of the try-hard British Music Guy style. It's extremely good, but somehow seemed to have missed a copy editor? Misspellings. Song titles and lyrics go wrong. Utrecht is placed in Germany, multiple times. Normally, that's enough to bump down to a four. Furthermore, the weirdly maudlin stupid final paragraph would do the same. But I just can't do it. Too much detail, too many stories, too good. Five stars. Paolo, if you haven't already in the intervening decades, get a new editor. Live forever.
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August 24, 2025Yeah of course I read this. It’s a fun Oasis read. Absolutely nothing essential about it and by now much of the best stuff has been put into other books, videos etc.
The kindle version of this book is atrocious. Easily the worst ebook I’ve ever encountered. Don’t buy it.
The kindle version of this book is atrocious. Easily the worst ebook I’ve ever encountered. Don’t buy it.
October 2, 2024
Fun read if you’re a fan of the band and already familiar with their personalities. Otherwise, the book reads too often like a textbook rather than an exciting narrative about the unique and unlikely rise to fame of the pugnacious singer + songwriter brothers from Manchester. Still offers cool behind the scenes stories that made it worth reading but its potential to be written better is glaring.
January 16, 2026
Long live Oasis! Best band in the world! Took me a while to finish this one but glad I came back to it to see it through. Not a new story to me but a comprehensive view of what it was like for the band in 94-96. Liam is such a shit disturber, Noel is a genius, and the story of the brothers turbulent relationship is so good. Their relationship was very complicated and you come away from the book not really knowing which side to take, but I don’t think there is a side. I hope there’s a follow up book about the band breaking up and their reunion 16 years later. Also, why wasn’t I a teenager in the 90s? Liam Gallagher would’ve been postered up all over my walls.
August 18, 2013
This would be the 1st book I'd recommend if someone was looking for a book about Oasis. There's a huge difference between music books that fill their pages with gathered bits and bobs from magazines, other books, maybe a few interviews with people who were part of that world... and there is nothing wrong with that if it's done well. It can be very interesting and informative read for those who are not very familiar with the subject yet.
This book is written by a person who had a close access to the band. It is not so much a story about their history, but a description of the times and a portrayal of the band members. At times the style gets very fiction like, which seems to be a bit of a opinions divider, but I'm loving it. With Oasis fact and fiction has always been a bit of a blurred line, and the brothers haven't really minded that themselves. Anyhow, it is not like Hewitt is pulling this stuff out of his imagination, he is only dressing up what already existed.
This book is written by a person who had a close access to the band. It is not so much a story about their history, but a description of the times and a portrayal of the band members. At times the style gets very fiction like, which seems to be a bit of a opinions divider, but I'm loving it. With Oasis fact and fiction has always been a bit of a blurred line, and the brothers haven't really minded that themselves. Anyhow, it is not like Hewitt is pulling this stuff out of his imagination, he is only dressing up what already existed.
December 13, 2024
An in-depth look into Oasis, from Peggy Gallagher's emigration to Manchester through the successful release of (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis is a must read for any true Oasis fan. From the formation of the band, through the early years, and as they quickly rocketed to international stardom, the book captures many of the band's triumphs and squabbles in great detail. Though primarily focused on Noel and Liam Gallagher and their notorious relationship, Bonehead, Guigsy, and Alan White are covered in detail. I've been a fan of the band since the mid-90's and ultimately found this book to be a nice stroll down memory lane.
December 7, 2017
Funny book, full of interesting facts on the band and paints a big, unifying picture of Oasis' success. It has its faults though: bad check on the spelling, it relies too much on Noel's version of the facts and towards the end it focuses too much on selling figures (it felt kind of rushed at some point, just listing so many things at once) and the only personality that is explored is Noel's. BUT I loved the telling of Manchester and Peggy's background. Those chapters are definitely a very interesting read!
April 16, 2017
I chose this book as I liked the author's work on Paul Weller. Interesting and a must for die-hard fans although towards the end it just seemed to go on a lot more about studio time, tour dates, album releases without the personable part the first half of the book has. Gives us a insight into both Liam and Noel's taut relationship.
November 10, 2014
This does emphasise that we lived through something special in the rise and fall of Oasis. There is a bit of me that never wants them to reform and leave well enough alone. It is great to see guys come off the estate and make it happen.
August 20, 2012
Great book on the early years of the Gallagher brothers.
February 11, 2017
Indispensable material for an Oasis fanatic. Fascinating stuff.
April 22, 2018
Essential reading for any Oasis fan--casual or massive.
Mad for it.
Mad for it.
January 27, 2025
fave quotes here goes
"Liam’s, who one minute can look like a football hooligan, and the next boyishly desirable."
"Once again the music has healed the Gallagher brothers."
"Of Blur, Liam said, ‘I won’t play the game with students. They’ re not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as us."
"Listen mate,’ Bonehead said, adopting the tone of a sergeant major advising a private, ‘in this band you’re either shagging or having a wank. Got to be done, innit?"
"Paul and the bouncer looked at Liam. Particles of cocaine were falling out of his nostril. Paul knew then that it was use less to argue.
‘I don’t believe you,’ the bouncer said.
‘Okay, then mate, here’s the crack,’ Liam said. ‘Me and him are gay and we were in there doing it."
"Noel also had a leaning towards books that featured colourful, funny characters such as Tin Tin, Asterix and Doctor Seuss."
"Liam would come down the road to meet me, crying and looking to see where I was because there was nobody in the house."
"As Liam’s nature dictates that he never backs away from anything, even in the face of huge odds, this was his way of psyching out the opponent and killing his own nerves."
"Tommy acted like a dad to Noel. He would often take Noel aside and say in all seriousness, ‘Now listen, son, take my advice. Don’t marry a woman, marry a man."
"Then Liam appeared and the band went into ‘Round Are Way’. But the pacing of the song was too hectic. A minute into it and Liam was shouting, ‘Slow down, slow down, it sounds like fucking Blur."
"I was a cunt,’ he says of his primary school days. ‘I was a cunt,’ he says of his secondary school."
"It was well known that Blur often frequented these premises so Liam had insisted on visiting the pub. Much to his delight, he spotted Graham straightaway and the brothers Gallagher went straight over to him. After roughly introducing themselves, they then started insulting his clothes and then his band. Then they started singing, to the tune of ‘Lazy Sunday’ by The Small Faces, ‘Blu-uur are cocknee, cocknee cunts.’ At which point the fuming guitarist complained to the landlord. The brothers were swiftly ejected and informed they were banned for life from the pub."
"On 9 August, more chaos, more headlines. Would it ever be possible for them to play a show smoothly? It didn’t look likely."
"Guigsy couldn’t help it. If only McCarroll would keep his gob shut. But he didn’t and when he didn’t he came out with lines like, how he loved that Beatles song ‘Ringo In The Sky With Diamonds’, or, check this one, Europe was an island. That killed Liam, that one. ‘I’m fucking thick,’ he shouted at the drummer, ‘I ain’t been educated but even I know that Europe isn’t a fucking island, you great big fucking dickhead."
"Then there were the others, like the record company people, who would come up and say, ‘Hi there, Loam, where’s your brother, Nile?’
"Blur walked in, Damon said, ‘Hello,’ and Liam called him a wanker."
"Liam came on wired-up to the eyes and spoiling for a fight. Behind the amps he had racked out lines of crystal meth and every now and then he would disappear for a hit."
"Noel thought about this for a few seconds. Then he said, ‘Liam, I have no idea how your brain comes up with this complete and utter shit, and nor do I want to know, but I tell ya, I have to hand it to you."
"He threw insults at Blur by telling Damon his band were full of shit, and was then kissed on the cheek by Graham, Blur’s guitarist."
"(A salient point in Liam’s case is that when he was smoking spliff he was far less inclined to furious outbursts than when he was ingesting large doses of cocaine.)"
"And who were all the boys modelling themselves on? And who were all the girls rolling over for in early-morning hotel rooms? Me, Liam. Li-Am the walrus, koo koo ka choo. That’s who."
"Noel, who promptly picked up the small cricket bat that Guigsy had bought and started viciously smashing his brother with it."
"The band plus followers returned to the hotel and partied all night in the swimming-pool, managing by five o’ dock in the morning to have an irate manager informing them that they were banned forever from his hotel. Liam had removed every emergency exit sign he came across; sixteen of them were discovered in his room."
"Liam’s, who one minute can look like a football hooligan, and the next boyishly desirable."
"Once again the music has healed the Gallagher brothers."
"Of Blur, Liam said, ‘I won’t play the game with students. They’ re not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as us."
"Listen mate,’ Bonehead said, adopting the tone of a sergeant major advising a private, ‘in this band you’re either shagging or having a wank. Got to be done, innit?"
"Paul and the bouncer looked at Liam. Particles of cocaine were falling out of his nostril. Paul knew then that it was use less to argue.
‘I don’t believe you,’ the bouncer said.
‘Okay, then mate, here’s the crack,’ Liam said. ‘Me and him are gay and we were in there doing it."
"Noel also had a leaning towards books that featured colourful, funny characters such as Tin Tin, Asterix and Doctor Seuss."
"Liam would come down the road to meet me, crying and looking to see where I was because there was nobody in the house."
"As Liam’s nature dictates that he never backs away from anything, even in the face of huge odds, this was his way of psyching out the opponent and killing his own nerves."
"Tommy acted like a dad to Noel. He would often take Noel aside and say in all seriousness, ‘Now listen, son, take my advice. Don’t marry a woman, marry a man."
"Then Liam appeared and the band went into ‘Round Are Way’. But the pacing of the song was too hectic. A minute into it and Liam was shouting, ‘Slow down, slow down, it sounds like fucking Blur."
"I was a cunt,’ he says of his primary school days. ‘I was a cunt,’ he says of his secondary school."
"It was well known that Blur often frequented these premises so Liam had insisted on visiting the pub. Much to his delight, he spotted Graham straightaway and the brothers Gallagher went straight over to him. After roughly introducing themselves, they then started insulting his clothes and then his band. Then they started singing, to the tune of ‘Lazy Sunday’ by The Small Faces, ‘Blu-uur are cocknee, cocknee cunts.’ At which point the fuming guitarist complained to the landlord. The brothers were swiftly ejected and informed they were banned for life from the pub."
"On 9 August, more chaos, more headlines. Would it ever be possible for them to play a show smoothly? It didn’t look likely."
"Guigsy couldn’t help it. If only McCarroll would keep his gob shut. But he didn’t and when he didn’t he came out with lines like, how he loved that Beatles song ‘Ringo In The Sky With Diamonds’, or, check this one, Europe was an island. That killed Liam, that one. ‘I’m fucking thick,’ he shouted at the drummer, ‘I ain’t been educated but even I know that Europe isn’t a fucking island, you great big fucking dickhead."
"Then there were the others, like the record company people, who would come up and say, ‘Hi there, Loam, where’s your brother, Nile?’
"Blur walked in, Damon said, ‘Hello,’ and Liam called him a wanker."
"Liam came on wired-up to the eyes and spoiling for a fight. Behind the amps he had racked out lines of crystal meth and every now and then he would disappear for a hit."
"Noel thought about this for a few seconds. Then he said, ‘Liam, I have no idea how your brain comes up with this complete and utter shit, and nor do I want to know, but I tell ya, I have to hand it to you."
"He threw insults at Blur by telling Damon his band were full of shit, and was then kissed on the cheek by Graham, Blur’s guitarist."
"(A salient point in Liam’s case is that when he was smoking spliff he was far less inclined to furious outbursts than when he was ingesting large doses of cocaine.)"
"And who were all the boys modelling themselves on? And who were all the girls rolling over for in early-morning hotel rooms? Me, Liam. Li-Am the walrus, koo koo ka choo. That’s who."
"Noel, who promptly picked up the small cricket bat that Guigsy had bought and started viciously smashing his brother with it."
"The band plus followers returned to the hotel and partied all night in the swimming-pool, managing by five o’ dock in the morning to have an irate manager informing them that they were banned forever from his hotel. Liam had removed every emergency exit sign he came across; sixteen of them were discovered in his room."
October 13, 2025
This book came out almost 30 years ago so nothing really new or revolutionary is in it. I’ve had nothing but Gallagher on the brain since seeing Oasis a month and a half ago, so if you’re like me, it scratched that itch but don’t go in expecting very much. There are a lot of typos and just total wrong info. For example, it says that WTSMG was released October 1985 instead of October 1995. Or weird stuff like saying that their mom bought the guitar that was in the house but they’ve always said that the guitar in the house belonged to their dad. Or even weirder stuff like saying that Liam was the only one of the brothers that was born in a hospital. Now why do I know that Noel, who at present time is a 58 year old man, was born in a hospital? Well the 1st sentence of the Supersonic book companion to the documentary says so. Now idk. Maybe he was or maybe he wasn’t but what a weird thing to include something that is pretty easily fact checkable. This book is just filled with little nuggets like that. The story is told mostly linearly but then at one point we are in 1994 and the next chapter the author says the crowd is singing Wonderwall. Which isn’t possible. Or one chapter again in 1994 but then the next it mentions Alan White but at this point he wouldn’t have been in the band yet. And on and on. If you’re like me and just desperate to relive it and already know everything it’s fine. If you actually want to learn about Oasis, I don’t think this is for you. Or maybe it is idk. I think I only spent $5.99 on it so worth the money spent, I guess.
January 3, 2025
A real fun collection of stories about the band, but at times it is confusingly written, or otherwise obtuse. There are great moments of punchy writing highlighting notable anecdotes in the band’s story, and then there are pages where seemingly nothing happens at all. The chronology of events is also inconsistent, and while telling a story of a party at the height of the band’s success before jumping into Noel and Liam’s childhood and the formation of the band is okay, it gets a little confusing when the author jumps back and forth between days on a single page with little-to-no indication. Some minor spelling/grammar mistakes that the editor must not’ve caught too, but nothing egregious.
Overall, I would recommend to Oasis fans. Definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for the band (Noel in particular).
Overall, I would recommend to Oasis fans. Definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for the band (Noel in particular).
June 21, 2022
A little out of date now - they were still together at the height of their fame when this was written - but interesting as a sort of 'with the band' travelogue of the time. There is nothing new about the Gallagher brothers famously difficult relationship (and nothing in the slightly tortured telling of their mum's suffering at the hands of their abusive father much explains it, given Noel, generally considered the more stable and talented of the two took the brunt of it as the elder sibling). What is striking is the swiftness of their ascent to huge success and the sheer monotony of endless, far from glamorous touring and pressure to deliver anew after every best selling record. The music industry has changed beyond recognition even since their 90's heyday.
March 9, 2025
this book has many flaws, some small (spelling/grammar errors, incorrect song titles, etc) some huge (hewitt’s blatant bias towards noel as the protagonist to the oasis story) but overall it’s a really amazing read with lots of interesting insights into the intricacies of the music industry - some of the stories made me laugh and others made me want to cry but ultimately I found the book really quite inspiring
as a gen z oasis fan who’s always had the benefit and burden of hindsight, it’s interesting to read a biography written at the height of their fame when it seemed like nothing could ever knock them off that top spot - it finishes just before the band start recording be here now so like. Lol
as a gen z oasis fan who’s always had the benefit and burden of hindsight, it’s interesting to read a biography written at the height of their fame when it seemed like nothing could ever knock them off that top spot - it finishes just before the band start recording be here now so like. Lol
March 20, 2025
Paolo Hewitt’s dive into the wild, early days of Oasis is a rollicking, unpolished gem that pulls you straight into the heart of the band’s chaos and genius. With insider access from 1994 to 1996, he paints a vivid picture of Noel and Liam Gallagher’s combustible chemistry, their relentless drive, and the gritty reality behind their ascent. The writing crackles with energy—raw, funny, and full of sharp observations that make you feel like you’re backstage or in the pub with them. It’s not just a recounting; it’s a time capsule of Britpop’s peak, dripping with the swagger and soul that made Oasis legends. A must-read for anyone who wants to taste the madness of those formative years.
December 30, 2024
As an Oasis diehard fan, I enjoyed this book so much; I cried, laughed, sang, danced and reaffirmed my love for the greatest band in the world!!
The book is full of stories on how Noel came up with some of the songs that defined a generation and are still scripted in our hearts. We also get stories of the early Oasis days when the Gallagher brothers could barely afford to live, their musical influences and aspirations, their upbringing and their love and praise for Peggy (their mother), and of course, their ever standing fight for control within the band.
I am utterly obsessed.
The book is full of stories on how Noel came up with some of the songs that defined a generation and are still scripted in our hearts. We also get stories of the early Oasis days when the Gallagher brothers could barely afford to live, their musical influences and aspirations, their upbringing and their love and praise for Peggy (their mother), and of course, their ever standing fight for control within the band.
I am utterly obsessed.
August 19, 2021
Spoiled by getting the names wrong of significant people. Graham Coxon is the Guitarist in Blur, not Graham Cox. Anita Heryet from Creation appears on the sleeve of Wonderwall not Amanda.....
I also can't help wondering jhow long it took the surgeons to extract the author Paul Houghton from the anus of Noel Gallagher, because he was evidently so far up there, he must have only had his boots showing
I also can't help wondering jhow long it took the surgeons to extract the author Paul Houghton from the anus of Noel Gallagher, because he was evidently so far up there, he must have only had his boots showing
October 12, 2024
Excellent writing that, even while it contained errors, made this the most enjoyable Oasis book I've read so far. Honestly this book feels more like fiction at times, which is why I can understand how some people might not like it--and Paolo is very favorable to Noel, so there is a slight bias (Noel is my favourite too so I can't be that mad haha). I love referring back to this book and highlighting all the best bits. It's such a fun read when you're getting into Oasis.
June 1, 2020
Fucking ace... Hewitt definitely has a bit of a Noel bias but this quote sums up the message of the biography pretty well, "If Oasis was just Liam, they would never have been signed, they would have threatened to self destruct. If Oasis was just Noel, they would have never reached the heights they have."
August 12, 2022
A good book about the history of Oasis, principally their early years. It gives a more balanced view than the more one-sided, band member made, equivalents may give but it's not exactly a master piece in prose. Give it a read if you're into Oasis, principally who these lads were rather than for the music they made.
September 30, 2022
Very interesting insight info Oasis in the early and most successful years of their career, and written just after Morning Glory so nice to see the perspective on the band as of that time, before they began to dilute their seemingly god like status from 1996 onwards.
Some great stories about their rock and roll antics, these boys really went for it. A must read for any Oasis fan.
Some great stories about their rock and roll antics, these boys really went for it. A must read for any Oasis fan.
December 8, 2023
Kind of a mess, but a fun one. The writers tone is pretty conversational, but when he gets off on a tangent, wow. There’s whole chapters introducing you to someone you have no idea about or why you should care. Still, it’s a good introduction to the band and why they mattered so much in the 90s…and perhaps why they still do now.
November 16, 2025
brought this to london with me and sat in london fields reading it the day before i saw oasis for the first time. laughed out loud on several occasions, i could not put this down. oasis is the best band in the world. this is my favorite piece of “oasis media” besides obviously supersonic. highly recommend
May 8, 2024
Originally published in 1997. The author is embedded with Oasis between 1994 to 1996 and charts their meteoric ascent. Also offers a glimpse into the childhood of the Gallagher brothers. Many interesting anecdotes and revealing scenes. Noel is a legend and Liam is an ass.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews