Forever the People: Six Months on the Road with Oasis

by Paolo Hewitt

Oasis had risen so swiftly, so dramatically, they now faced the question that no band has yet successfully answered. How do you maintain that rush of excitement which accompanies a rise to the top? And while you're at it, where exactly do you perform after you've played the biggest-ever UK gigs? This six-month tour would give them the answers. But not the ones they expected.

In the late 1990's Oasis ruled the world. Their album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, had become one of the fastest selling records in history, ultimately one of the bestsellers of all time. And along with their instantly-legendary musical reputation went another - as the royal rabble-rousers of Britpop. The Gallagher brothers in particular were famous for drinking and fighting, the scourge of hotel managers the world over.

In 1997 came a new multi-million selling album, Be Here Now, and the start of a marathon global tour. With the band went writer Paolo Hewitt, their unofficial scribe and confidant. The result is this intimate, warm and hilarious account of a charismatic, world-famous group on tour and under stress, on-stage and off. It's a unique document, featuring cameos from Maradona, Paul Gascoigne, Johnny Depp and Naomi Campbell, while three hotels and two airlines attempted to ban the group worldwide.

International hotel chains will never see the like of Oasis again. And neither will we.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2000

About the author

Paolo 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)

Reviews

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was embedded with Oasis during the Be Here Now Tour through Europe, Asia, the U.S., and Latin America.

I was somewhat reminded of Ian Hunter's tour diary in that this book captured the tediousness of touring as well as some of the highlights (in the case of the brothers Gallagher, the biggest highlight was meeting Diego Maradona in Argentina...even hanging with Johnny Depp and Billy Corgan meant nothing). Unlike Ian, Noel did not spend all his spare time scouring pawnshops looking for secondhand guitars. While no reflection on the book itself, I was a bit disappointed to find that Hewitt was forced to miss the first few dates of the American leg of the tour in January of 1998 (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chicago....because we were there!)

At the time Be Here Now seemed like a disappointment. Overall, we enjoyed it. However, the production was overblown making us comment that, "They went from Meet the Beatles to Let it Be (skipping right over Revolver)" [And yes, it sounds much better now after almost two entire decades of the most milquetoast indie rock 2005-2019).

Anyway, this was also the tour where Liam got banned from Cathay Pacific Airlines and arrested in Australia for headbutting a heckler in a pub who likely deserved it. But note to self: don't mess with Australian justice. And, the press there were also extremely hostile. [Incidentally, we learn the name of the book Liam threw from the balcony at Glasgow International Airport. Hint, it was not Alger Hiss' Better Red Than Dead, as we theorized at the time].

So if you like this kind of stuff, I recommend this book, although my biggest complaint is that it is TOO SHORT at only 145 pages. Paulo Hewitt, who seems to have spent a lot of time with this band, may have to resign himself to becoming to Oasis what Mark Lewisholm is to the Beatles. I never tire of reading about them because even in adversity, they are so damn funny. I am looking for a 1600-page book that leaves off in 1994. And as others have pointed out, there is a lot of post-2000 stuff to write about too. There has been nothing about that.

Thankfully, Liam seems to be the torchbearer and his solo stuff is filling in the void left by Oasis' breakup.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paolo Hewitt details his time on the Oasis "Be Here Now" tour in "Forever the People." For fans of Oasis, the music and the mayhem, it is a hugely entertaining ride on their rollercoaster. Readers won't learn much, but if you enjoyed their bootleg 45 "Wibbling Rivalry" (a recording of the Gallagher brothers having a fight) you'll be laughing right along as Hewitt gives us an insider's look at the band constantly blowing apart and coming back together again. I just wanted it to be longer.

[Steve Parcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Oasis as I am, this is a must read book.

Paolo reports from the last Oasis tour and really delves in to the psyche of not only the Gallagher brothers but also Guiggsy and Bonehead.

What I really liked is it portrayed Liam and Noel as more than the persona the media have us believe. Yes Liam caused no end of issues but deep down he is a good lad with an amazing voice and Paolo represents this very well.

Noel has always been portrayed as a sarcastic almost cartoon character but not here. Paolo shows us a musical genius who is constantly looking to write new songs and be the very best he can. I firmly believe he is right up there with the best writer this country has produced and the book shows this.

It all to come to an end and the book shows vividly how Oasis became too professional and almost formulaic and not the spontaneous raw power their earlier albums showed.

A must read for Oasis fans and music fans alike.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madferit.

I'd been hankering to pick up an Oasis book after finishing the Ian Leslie John+Paul book -- it just seemed like a natural progression, reading-wise. Like most rock fans, I've been caught up in the recent Oasis reunion madness and following their tour semi-obsessively. They sound sharp, they look cool, and everybody seems to be having a great time. As a Gallagher fan, you inevitably have to hold your breath and pray the sibling relationship doesn't implode in on itself -- but at this point that suspense is half the fun. I certainly am enjoying the ride so far...

So I picked up Paolo Hewitt's book with some skepticism -- I'd originally been planning to read PJ Harrison's Gallagher, as it looked like a slicker and more comprehensive overview of the brothers' careers. However, it had a delayed release in the US and wasn't immediately available at the time I wanted to read it, so I figured I'd just start Hewitt's book to tide me over and then drop it once Gallagher arrived. But Hewitt's book grabbed me and didn't let go. It's a compelling little time capsule. In the Introduction, he compares it to Michael Braun's Love Me Do - The Beatles' Progress, and I can see why. Both books are choppy, whirlwind little travelogues following an iconic British rock band at its peak. But Hewitt's book is more nuanced than Braun's, and it resonated more with me -- probably because I am a 90's kid and his words, his descriptions simply seemed more familiar.

He does an admirable job capturing the highs and lows of touring life: the adoration of the fans, the variability of the gigs, the profane and unceasing substance abuse. The brothers are the centerpiece of the story, though. Like John and Paul, Noel and Liam's relationship is everything -- the axis around which the band, the music, the future pivots. Hewitt is fair to both of them, illustrating their good and bad sides equally. Liam is sweet, naive, and volatile; Noel is wry, hungry, and talented. They're the yin and yang of Oasis, their dynamic just as important as the music itself.

At heart, I'm a Noel girl, so my bias will show here, but Hewitt did an especially great job with the Noel snapshots. Noel Gallagher is, just, a fascinating man. As short as the book is, the glimpses of Noel's personality are vivid. His focus was fierce ("I know, I know, answer this instead. What are you thinking about right now?" "I'm thinking about music.") -- and he's blackly funny and endlessly quotable ("Fuck, why did I record that song electric? I know. Because I'm a wanker who's taken far too many drugs."). The ending episode with Noel at Teohihuacan was a good way to go out, too -- from Manchester to here, baby. Top of the world, literally. But I've seen the snapshots from the trip and there did seem to be something strangely spiritual about it. I could see why Noel was touched: this cleansing desert pilgrimage after all the madness and money and fame...

Of course, the impact of Hewitt's book is heightened by the time passed since its publication. You can't help but compare the boys as they were then to the men they are now. Liam's mellower and more disciplined; Noel is more guarded and polished around the press, but charmingly so. Midway through the book, Hewitt asks if Oasis's songs will be embedded in people's souls 30 years from now? Currently, we're about 5 years short of goal, but I think the answer's yes. The stadiums full of fans, multi-generational, singing those songs at the top of their lungs, is proof. And, after all, brother... We see things they'll never see, you and I are gonna live forever. ❤️

+++

So 4/5 stars: fun, insightful, brief -- but still a ride and a half for any Oasis fan.

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crónica de la gira de Oasis durante la presentacion de su tercer disco "Be here now", este libro es un compendio de anécdotas hecho por Polo Hewitt quien ya había publicado un linro sobre la gira de "What's the story morning glory". Oasis puede que sea la última gran banda del rock en tener un éxito masivo y estas páginas atestiguan lo que supuso el grupo para la música de los 90.
Un libro que se hace corto si eres fan y que te deja con ganas de que vuelvan algún dia a reunirse.
Muy divertidas las peripecias de Bonehead, Guigsy y los hermanos Gallaguer y un disco que aunque en su dia fue criticado es todo un discazo que vendió muchisímo.

[Starplutonium · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book overall and it gave some pretty good details about what happened during Oasis's Be Here Now tour.

My only critique is that the book is structured like a personal diary rather than giving any insightful observations about Noel and Liam like in Hewitt's previous book. The more notable events—namely the incident in Australia—read more like "this happened, so-and-so said this about the matter, onto the next day."

Simultaneously, the lack of inherent bias led me to come to my own conclusions about why events transpired the way they did, so those looking to psychoanalyze the Gallaghers will have to work harder while reading this one.

[Neil Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent read, giving a close-up insight into the wheels starting to fall off post WTSMG. Noel and Liam clashing endlessly and the whole Be Here Tour seemed to be a chore for everyone.
Post WTSMG / Knebworth I think the group should have taken a break, but Noel being such a prolific songwriter meant the bandwagon rolled on immediately.
No surprise reading this book that Guigs and Bonehead called time. The fun had gone, and largely the tour was a money making exercise.

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A depressing time for Oasis documented by Paolo Hewitt. The band is bloated, bored, big and going nowhere. This is the beginning of the end for the original lineup. The behind the scenes looks at the band are interesting, but not too enlightening. The first book about them is much better.

[Brianna Westervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

'See, that's all that counts in life. Being the best at what you do.' -Noel Gallagher

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Oasis book. Paolo was there and documents a crazy tour in great detail. I aways go back to various sections to remind myself of the drama of the Be Here Now tour.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

es increíble el poder de la cocaina

[reggiwck · Rating 4 out of 5]

faves quotes here goes

"he takes the most obvious chords there are but make them sound like you have never heard them before. That's some talent"

"When Liam triggered off his temper, badly encroached upon his space and soul, Noel's inner voice said, Don't get mad, don't get even. Get walking."

"Liam dedicated 'Wonderwall' to Noel that night. That's how good it was."

"Silhouettes. That's it. Silh-o-uette. Top word, that, like that word. If I come back as a black chick, that's what I'm calling my band, The Silhouettes. Fuck The Supremes. Silhouettes, that's the one."

"He said the band would walk if anyone used a laser beam on them. Then, at Earls Court, someone shone one on Noel's forehead. The songwriter raged into the microphone 'I hope your house gets burnt down to the ground, you lose your job and someone shags your bird, you fucking wanked!' Liam looked admiringly at his older brother."

"We watch Portishead from a balcony. Every now and then, as another loitering drum beat is started and vocalist Beth's solemn but affecting voice comes floating in, a pissed Noel punctures the reverential silence from the audience by shouting 'C'mon, give us a slow one"

"So maybe, just maybe, out of all the people walking this earth, it is a five-year-old kid who can claim to know Liam best."

"John Squire is onstage in Bologna, Italy. 'That Mussolini was a bit of a cunt,' he tells the audience."

" 'But that means I'll have to write some b-sides,' Noel protested. 'And I'll have to do that over Christmas and to be quite honest with you I want to develop a serious drug habit this Christmas.' He turned to Mike Rowe and said, 'I write some of my best problems on drugs.' 'Problems,' Rowe cried. 'You said problems. I say, what a Freudian slip.' 'No,' Noel said, recovering smartly, 'I said I write some of my best drugs on songs.'

"Liam hits the hotel bar in Cardiff, raging. Starts going up to people saying, 'Are you Welsh? Well, I fucking hate the Welsh.' No one responds.

(Naomi Campbell) "She sat with Liam , in the back dressing room discussing and dissing a mutual acquaintance. 'He came to Patsy at a party once,' Liam reminisced, 'and said, The reason I'm gay is because of women like you. I said to him, Come here. Now look, you fucking divvy, I don't give two shits about you being gay or anything fucking else. But you ever talk to Pats like that again and I'll kill you."

"He tells me that the airline we are travelling to Brisbane with has strategically placed undercover security men on the hour-long flight. 'They got a bit upset the other day,' Michael explains. 'Why? From what I hear, that whole Cathay Pacific flight incident was blown out of proportion.' 'So did the airline. But when Liam later said he'd stab the pilot that's when they got a bit upset. And worried.' "

"And for Coyley, Neil young is the Manchester United of the music world. 'Best ever,' Coyley says of Young. 'Better than The Beatles by a mile. Never wrote a pop song in his life.' 'What did you fucking say?' Guess who? Liam looms over us"

"Noel: Well, let me tell you, there is no way whatsoever I will be on a stage at 40 years old going, 'You got to roll with it...' No fucking way, man.

"And at the least gig of the Be Here Now tour Noel's amp burst into flames. For absolutely no reason whatsoever."

[Sean Branson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first concert was Oasis on the Be Here Now tour in 1998. Unfortunately not one of the shows covered in this book, the author provided interesting insight into the band’s mindset at this point in their history. Most interesting to me was the relationship between Noel and Liam, which is especially illuminating given their comments towards each other since the band’s breakup. This is a must read for true Oasis fans.

[Brennan Gillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Paolo Hewitt did a great job providing insight into the chaos of an Oasis tour without trying to turn it into something more. Short junkets, facts from inside, and open emotion. Great read for Oasis fans.