Liam Gallagher Talks Rock and Fashion

Our site’s very own UK contributor and proud publisher of SCYHO, one of the biggest Oasis fan sites on the planet , was invited by Liam Gallagher to have a chat and a look at the Pretty Green clothing range at Cardiff’s Millenium Stadium in Wales last Friday. Louise walked away charmed by a living rock n roll legend and impressed by a top quality collection of Pretty Green products.

Here is the Exclusive interview with Liam from backstage at Millenium stadium….

Louise: Hi Liam, How are you?

Liam: Good man, I’ve had a bit of the flu since them Manchester gigs, it was just like in a field and that. I was a bit run down, better now man.

How did you get the idea to start up Pretty Green?

Liam: In the 90’s people were asking me like to do clothes and put my name to clothes, but I think putting your name to it, with your name on clothes is a bit shit and that. So sitting down by the pool one day…. having a couple of beers, Steve said do you fancy doing a clothing line I said well you know I will see man. And he sort of knew a few people and that was it, over a couple of beers really, and I thought let’s go for it…

So how long did it take from when you first decided to do it?

Liam: November wasn’t it Steve?

Steve (PRETTY GREEN): End of November we sat down, agreed it and started to get the ball rolling, sat by a pool:

Liam: Obviously we got the name, it’s a Jam thing and that. It’s not mainly a Jam thing, but it is yeah, people will go its a Jam thing a mod thing. We started sitting down and designing the logo based on the shape of this pendant I got here like. I wanted it to be round, and I wanted it sort of like Pretty Green put into that and we did, and we messed around with it a bit and away we went.

Steve: There are some powerful lyrics in the song Pretty Green ” and they didn’t teach me that in school, its something that I’ve learnt on my own” which are poignant and also had influence on the name…

How big was your involvement with the designing of the clothes and all the materials used?

Liam: Designing of the clothes, I’m still on it man, I’m still doing it now. T-shirts I’ve got T-shirts at home, I don’t like thick tshirts these are super fine. So I was involved with that, manufacturers were bringing tshirts that were like tour tshirts, I’m thinking I’m not having that shit… big thick tshirts, nah… So I’m into it, the clothes man, If it don’t fit right, or feel right on me, it’s going back.

So the Quality is really important to you then?

Liam: Without a doubt, Without a doubt. I mean it all started with the shoes you know. I mean the desert boots, and I hate pointy shoes, I wanted to bring back the square toes ones, but a bit more not so pointy like the Clark’s ones. Definitely I’m mad on it….

So the packaging is obviously really important to you as well?

Liam: Without a doubt man, I mean Nick Holland came up with that idea, the guy I’m doing the clothes with, and it’s important, I would not want to put it out any other way. I got to give him the dues on that.

Is it true that each colour for the the collection will only be available for a limited time?

Liam: What is the scoop with that Steve?

Steve: This is an online launch capsule collection, these colours are only going to be available up until September. Come October it’s a new colour wave, this is purely for the launch…

And then they will be gone, and then there will be new ones.

Liam: There will be a best sellers area, so If a certain colour proves very popular, the one that people really like all the time, that will stay…

Like A Manchester City blue?

Liam: We haven’t done that yet we got some more ideas for jumpers and that I think coming out in Manchester in October. I don’t want to alienate anyone either, i just don’t want city fans to buy them, I want everyone to buy them and get involved too… know what I mean? ..

Do you plan to sell the clothes on the high street, or are you going to leave it to being online?

Liam: Doing the online thing at the moment, I think in October, end of October it’s going into Selfridges in the UK. Is that right?

Steve: We go into Selfridges in the UK mid October, we are currently looking at countries in South America, United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Korea, China, Russia and Denmark. Liam will also visit countries for in-store appearances to promote the brand…

Will the ones in the stores be different to the ones online or will it just be sort of the same collection?

Steve: Different, it’s what we are calling the premier collection. The reason we started with online was so everyone can access it because Liam’s popularity is worldwide. We didn’t want to open a store in England and alienate every one else around the planet, this way everyone gets a opportunity to wear Pretty Green. The strategy for stores has always been in place as the demand is there.

Liam: We have already got other stuff for the stores already, and we have been working on that for the last like 4 month’s, and it’s good!

Are you thinking of bringing anything out with your picture on?

Liam: Maybe man, I don’t mind if that would happen, we will have to see what the pictures like. I wanna steer clear of my boat race it’s been around to much.

Are you thinking of bringing out any accessories like sunglasses, belts?

Liam: Yeah we are doing everything man, we are going to cane it. We will see how it goes with the clothes first. We have got this leather, round sofa, that opens up, made the other day A Pretty Green one, From Italy shaped like a target with the Pretty Green logo in the middle, and it’s the fucking nuts man.

Would you think about doing a woman’s range, I don’t know maybe ask Nicole for some input?

Liam: Yeah We’ll see man, we’ll see, I don’t want to start getting into any of that just yet…. she can design a Parker or something, I don’t know about girls clothes man, I like it when girls dress pretty fucking scally anyway know what I mean? I don’t do stiletto’s and shit. We will see, well see man…

: Whats your favourite item from the range and why?

Liam: Mine is the Parka because you can’t get them anymore, because everyone makes fancy Parker’s that cost about £900 quid and just look like fucking, there shit. This one is like old vintage stuff, so it’s my favourite, the tshirts and the scarfs are good and the polo necks we got coming out soon are amazing. The desert boots obviously as you cant fucking get them like that.

So What do the other members of the band think about the clothing range?

Liam: Everybody buzzing off it, I’ve just given Noel his free bit now, whether he wears it or not, or he throws it in the bin, we’ll wait see won’t we.

So they had them free they didn’t have to pay?

Liam: Yes, I said he wasn’t getting any but, you got to give him something, everyone is loving it though…

In the video you did in Brighton for the Pretty Green launch, did you get to ride the bike that was used in Quadrophenia or did you only get to pose on it?

Liam: I did, I rode the Jimmy one not the Sting one didn’t ride that one but the Jimmy one yeah…

So the song Man Of Misery, was that written especially for the launch of Pretty Green?

Liam: No I wrote it a couple of years ago, then we used that Pop Levi song, then we needed a different song to use on the new film, I thought I’m not giving him any more fucking credit cause he got a bit fresh and whatever with the money so i thought fuck that, I’ve got this song lying around, you know, I don’t think it will go on Oasis stuff and fuck it why not, it’s only a demo but it seemed to fit the mood.

Will you plan to release it as a promotional thing?

Liam: I doubt it man, I reckon it will stay where it is until maybe our kid hears it, and likes it, and thinks he can tart it up and it could go on a Oasis record, I suppose then, but I no I doubt it man…

Your passion is for music and clothes, haircuts must come into it. What’s your favourite hair cut you have had over the years?

Liam: That I’ve had… I don’t know I’ve liked them all or I wouldn’t have fucking had them but just the normal one, the normal fucking one, the feathery normal one, I don’t know if there is a name for it but I like them all. I like to change it every now and again. I like the bowl cut man, that was a couple of months ago it was a bit ahead of it’s time. I like them all otherwise I wouldn’t have got them done.

So how is the tour going now so far after what happened in Manchester?

Liam: Excellent, but I thought about Manchester, after the three gigs when you look back at it on the first night it was fucking rubbish. Everyone was fucking flapping and stuff. I don’t think anyone should be waiting about for 40 minutes in the fucking cold for a band this size… If it happens in a fucking club then shit happens. Where we are at it shouldn’t be happening. So someone needed to be fucking told the gigs fucking free now. I don’t know who’s pocket it is coming out of but it ain’t mine. Anyway after that and the next two gigs they went off alright and were good, I enjoyed them. I actually preferred the fucking first one to be honest, I like it when shit happens at Oasis gigs otherwise it’s the same gig really.

We went to Manchester when the barrier cracked

Liam: Yes I like shit like that, as long as noone dies or gets hurt or gets the fucking fever cause there to,cold. I like it when shit happens like that because I think once you have seen Oasis once, you have sort of seen we don’t really do that much know what I mean.

So if Noel decides now to take five years off are you going to release music on your own or focus on fashion?

Liam: I’m going to get my fucking tshirts from back off him. I wouldn’t call it fashion man, I hate every one going on about fashion. I fucking hate fashion. Im not doing fashion, Im just doing the clothes that I dig and that I want to wear, but I’m not going to take five years off I’ll probably do this or do music, cause I’m in Oasis and that’s the way it goes. I don’t want to do anything else but I suppose I will do a bit of this and chill at home know what I mean?.

Do you enjoy coming to Wales and playing in Cardiff?

Liam: I do when you get in for nowt Yeah, I don’t know about that fucking paying to get in, but we got in tonight for nowt…

Was that over the bridge?

Liam: Yes, we were stuck in traffic and the police came and helped us in so it was nice, we had our money ready and everything but they just went your alright so Miracles do happen.

What do you think of the Welsh Music Scene?

Liam: Is there One?

We got Duffy, Tom Jones, The Peth..

Liam: Not heard the fucking Peth man I got here late, I like Rhys, I like The Super Furry Animals and all that stuff, Stereophonics are cool, Manic Street Preachers. Duffy she was alright till she opened her mouth, the musics alright….know what I mean till she done that fucking stupid advert and things like that.

I don’t like that advert

Liam: It’s fucking ridiculous.

Have you ever thought about telling your story in a autobiography?

Liam: No

It’d be a interesting read

Liam: Yeah not for me would it, it would fucking bore the arse of me. I suppose it would be, you never know, who knows man it depends how fucking skint I am.

So out of all the great songs you have written whats you favourite?

Liam: I’ve written or the band Oasis you mean?

You

Liam: Me, I suppose it’s gotta be ‘Out Of Time’ that’s pretty up there…or ‘Songbird’ (as Nicole will kill me).

Louise had numerous emails from visitors asking how it was meeting Liam and how the interview went :” I just want to say Liam was such a pleasure to meet. He was really nice and down to earth and made me feel at ease during the intervew.”

“Liam is a true Rock’n’Roll star!”

For more information on Pretty Green visit www.prettygreen.com and have a look at Stopcryingyourheartout.com here.