Stand By Me (Acoustic)

This is one of my favourite Oasis songs, and this is my favourite performance of the song. This is the first version of the song I ever heard, and I thought that this was the original - there is no reason for it not to be, apart from the lack of real production and engineering quality.

I've said a good few times before that I love an acoustic version of a song, to hear it stripped down to just one or two instruments and a very raw vocal, it's easy to tell the real musicians from the amateurs - and this just shows that Oasis were REAL musicians. It's nice to just see just Noel and Liam performing together (well, ignoring the fact that Alan White is there playing on a tambourine), it's nice to hear them singing "Stand by me, nobody knows the way it's going to be" - as if they're asking for each other to stand by the other. 

Personally I think it's Liam Gallagher's greatest live vocal performance. In my opinion, when I've heard Oasis live I've always felt as though he could have done a lot better with his vocals, compared to how he sounds on record his vocals are very poor during live performances. I can't believe how much his voice his suited to an acoustic guitar, it sounds so naive and beautiful - and his youthfulness is captured in these few minutes of song. It's beautiful. 

I can guarantee that this could turn anyone into an Oasis fan.

Why music matters

I was two when I got into Oasis. My mam was at home looking after me, a big fan of Take That she was and had the radio on so she could hear their new single. 'Don't look back in anger' was number one that week and was regularly getting played, my mam often tells me that as soon as the piano entered the speakers and sounded around the living room I would drop whatever toys I was playing with and just listen.

The first album I ever bought, out of my own money, was 'Stop the clocks' - the best of Oasis, soon after that my parents split up. I was twelve. I began drifting into a pit of depression and I would shut myself in my room, all day and all night I would lay on my bed and listen to Oasis because the words that were being sang to me were the only words that ever made sense. I had grown ups, family, friends, councilors, and strangers telling me that everything was going to be fine but it was only Noel Gallagher who made me believe that I will find a brighter day.

Recently I found out I have bipolar, for a couple of days I was distraught thinking that nothing will ever be the same again -  that I would just be classes as a freak and an outcast in society. But I went to see Noel Gallagher in Newcastle, it was the first time I had seen my hero in the flesh and as I sang 'Don't Look Back In Anger' with him and the crowd I got back my hope.

I know that if I didn't have the power of music and Oasis behind me I would have never been able to cope so long. Thank you Oasis.

Noel vs. Liam.

An argument I have been involved in many times, and I'm biased - I choose Noel every time. But Noel would never be the same with Liam, would he? Liam is so untouchable, sometimes it's hard to believe that he's a human being, it's a questions that often comes to my mind; is Liam Gallagher a monkey or a God? Because he's nothing in between the two. The way he can control a crowd is magic, all he has to do is stand there arrogantly with his tambourine and they are all in awe of him, it never comes to a surprise to me when he's voted the greatest front man in these polls because there is no front man like him, I even get intimidated by his presence when he's just on my TV screen. But there are a lot of things he does that really piss me off, like throwing an award that Oasis had, so rightly, earned into the crowd, mind you it was funny to see his tweet, regarding Peter Kay, the next day - even if I did agree with Kay's comments "What a knob head". I also don't particularly like the way he undermines people, like television presenters who are pretty much just trying to do their job - as Liam is doing - and he acts like a complete idiot, when he was a kid it was hilarious, in the early Oasis days it was fun to watch but now that he's on the wrong side of thirty it just isn't that funny now.

But we forgive Liam for it, because he's not only Noel's younger brother, he's like the country's younger brother and really, we just want to look after him - cherish him because he is one of the most important figures of British music.

Noel Gallagher, the Chief - if you may. I have loved the guy since I was in nappies, he is probably the most influential figure in my life - as well as one of the most influential figures in music. He gave Oasis a soul, Liam was their voice but Noel was the soul of this beautiful band, the words and music he wrote have connected to so many people around the world and gave them hope - I accept in the past few months, when asked about Liam, he's been a little immature, regarding his comments on why Liam couldn't attend one of their gigs at V festival. But we love the Gallagher's for their fueds, that's why Britain loves them so much and have let them into their hearts, whenever we hear that Liam has called Noel this and Noel has called Liam that, it gives us a few days of entertainment - doesn't it? 

It's hard to choose a favourite Gallagher brother, even though I have mine. They're both as important as each other, they both need each other as much as what England needs them, so come on lads - sort yourselves out.