Noel Gallagher Attacks Arctic Monkeys: ‘I’d Rather Drink Petrol Than Listen To Interview With Alex Turner’

Noel Gallagher has launched a scathing attack on the lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys, Alex Turner, insisting that he’d rather guzzle petrol from the nozzle than listen to him in an interview.

Gallagher, who is currently promoting his upcoming new album, Chasing Yesterday, made these comments to the Evening Standard, where he also lamented the fact that there weren’t any characters in the music industry anymore.

“There doesn’t seem to be any characters any more. When you have proper characters, the music sort of becomes secondary — it looks after itself. Look at bands like The Smiths and The Jam — all great characters.”

The duo that Gallagher was referring to in his above declaration were Morrissey and Paul Weller. And the Mancunian musician admitted that the current bands in mainstream music lack the characters to elevate their music. At this point, Gallagher then launched his tirade against the Arctic Monkeys’ front man, Alex Turner.

“I would rather drink petrol straight from the nozzle at a garage than listen to an interview with Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys. Wouldn’t you? Alternative thinking is on its way out. They just don’t make for great copy.”

Gallagher then explained why he believes that the music industry has suddenly become exceedingly dull.

He believes the fact that all of the independent labels, such as Creation, which released the first Oasis albums, have now been bought by major labels means that these characters are now instantly diluted.

“Is it any coincidence that all the indie labels got bought up by the major labels and things have started to get boring?”

“I remember the Brits in 1994, we were all s***-faced on drugs. The new names like James Blunt, Ed Sheeran, and Jessie J — they defer to the [record] labels. The bands that I grew up with had a healthy dose of indifference and contempt towards their labels. That has gone.”

Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher also revealed during the same interview with the publication that the current state of popular music is dire. However, he still has hope that it won’t be this way forever.

“There is a lot of s*** pop music these days that’s just devouring everything at the minute. I’m hoping that will come to an end.”

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ new album, Chasing Yesterday, will be released next month. It is the follow up to his eponymous 2011 album, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and has already been preceded by the singles “In The Heat of the Moment” and “Ballad of the Mighty I.”

[Image via GQ Magazine]