The Questionable Horizons of Liam Gallagher

Oasis is a peculiar phenomenon indeed. Despite having witnessed its untimely demise seven years ago, the varied army of fans are still crying their collective hearts out for any hints and rumours of a reunion. And until the next bit of tabloid gossip states otherwise, it seems that it is still a possibility.

Obviously, Noel's still going strong, and Liam wouldn't say no to the cash, but more importantly, the younger Gallagher seems to be adapting to his waning voice. We all know that for Liam's voice to return to its peak would be nothing short of a miracle, so I suppose we should be thankful that after all these years, he's now took to actually singing, instead of his particular throat-shredding style of shouting. 

Of course, this performance isn't exactly on par with the likes of 'Supersonic' back in the nineties, but it's certainly the best he can do with what he's now got. 

But anyway, you know how there seems to be some news which can be classed as relating to Oasis at least once a month? Well, the latest piece of Gallagher-created click-bait stemmed once again from the younger brother, and seemed arguably more conclusive than any of his previous outbursts. On the 24th of May, you could hear the quiet sound of acceptance from thousands of people, as fans came to the realisation that an Oasis reunion would likely never come to fruition. This wave of overwhelming emotion can be traced back to a refreshingly concise and direct tweet by Liam Gallagher: 

Oh, okay then...

  
Just read back through Liam's tweets around that day, and you'll get an idea of why fans are starting to completely disregard their hopes of seeing a fully reformed Oasis. So after endless speculation, perhaps we can finally see the end of such rumours, once and for all. 

As you may have gathered by the title, what's next then for Liam Gallagher?

Well, to put it frankly, I've no idea whatsoever. Not a clue. Not the foggiest. It's a mystery. 

While Noel's been off making his third album and enjoying both critical and commercial success, Liam seems to have had some polarising luck, with the split of Beady Eye and a couple of divorces. The fall from grace for Liam seems to have been a very slow and arduous descent. 

Regardless of how uncertain Liam's future appears, let's have a gander at what the former front-man could do next. 

The Oasis reunion rumours

Let's start with the big one, and have a look at this fabled Oasis reunion which eludes lovers of dad-music to this very day. 

Picture this; you're stood in a stadium of around 80,000 people, each individual slightly more mad for it than the last. Your nostalgic expectations are through the roof, that's if there was a roof on the place. You remember Knebworth, Wembley and Glastonbury, and think that this gig will be just like that, with a cracking set and a stellar performance by the Gallaghers and friends. 

In reality, they clamber on stage with little care, and apart from the odd, raspy 'Evening' by Liam, hardly any of their notorious banter or stage antics actually take place. Then Liam starts singing, and you're thankful for the deafening roar of the crowd. 

As much as we keep saying we'd like to see a reunion, what would it really be like? Surely with Liam's predicament, it'd be an event fuelled almost entirely by financial motivations. If the voice of Oasis hasn't recovered, then we'd be left with a gig that served only to spoil the already tarnished legacy of the band. 

Simply put, the voice and presence which rocketed the band into the popularity just isn't there any more. And the proven temper of Liam Gallagher certainly wouldn't help the matter. A reunion would be an emotionless, money-centred affair. It seems that the only positive thing would be a new load of fans getting the chance to see the band, and experience one of Britain's greatest musical acts in the flesh. 

Beady Eye, or something a bit more personal

The next viable option for the younger Gallagher would be for a reunion of Beady Eye, or even to delve into a solo career. But unfortunately, this could raise even more questions and worries than the great big Oasis affair. 

There's a strange problem with Beady Eye. Despite playing solid classics such as 'Rock 'N' Roll Star' and 'Cigarettes and Alcohol', no-one really seems to care about them, and as a result, the group faded into obscurity almost instantly. Since they split, few people seem desperate for them to get back together. 

There were some great ideas though, like the democratic choices which the band made, even down to their songwriting, although this consequently hindered their tunes through a lack of direction and cohesion. 

Despite all these problems, they did have a few decent tracks. That being said, most of these were covers, whether it be the aforementioned Oasis tracks, 'Gimme Shelter' or even the obscure gig-ender 'Sons of the Stage'. When all of their heavy-hitters are cover songs, there's little wonder why the band had little success in the long term. Add to this the problem that a reunion would only appeal to the most niche of audiences, and there seems little reason for a reassembling of Beady Eye. Unless you're a massive fan of Liam Gallagher doing covers...

So forget about Beady Eye. Their lack of critical success and widespread interest grounded them from their inception. So what about the younger Gallagher doing his own thing? Well apart from some previous comments disregarding such a possibility, this looks like the best option, should he want to stay in the music industry. 

Liam has always been a pain to work with, or so we've been told, but collaborations with others never seem to produce anything decent. Maybe it's best that he just cuts himself loose of any liability and just goes mental on a solo album. I'd be more interested in this than anything to do with Beady Eye, and enough time has passed to ensure than he'd have very few expectations, and therefore few people to immediately disappoint. 

Even in a peculiar setting, 'our kid' seems much more at home when doing his own thing. He seems to have vastly improved compared to the likes of 'Songbird', and given little bit of time, it sounds like he could easily make these few tracks into fully produced bits of solo work. 

Additionally, he seems to have changed his attitude towards the press over recent years, and this calmer, more relaxed Liam is one which doesn't seem suited to any grandiose reunions. I mean, if he'd retained the same manner all the way through his career, there's no chance than documentaries like these would ever be produced. You get the feeling that LG can now finally sell himself as necessary, and is no longer the one-trick pony who can only commandeer the brash, northern working-class hero persona. We're seeing a Liam Gallagher who is finally fully realised, and it's a side that I'd very much like to see. 

A life outside of music

What else could work for the man most frequently referred to as a former Oasis member? How about something completely different?

While I may have stated that he could probably do with a quick quid, I'm pretty sure that Liam Gallagher is financially sorted for the foreseeable future. The safest option may be to sit back, relax and let his other ventures do their work. With Pretty Green providing people with the perfect instantaneous LG look, and his production company trying to get to grips with a Beatles film, he's still got plenty on his plate. 

It seems that the most viable option for Liam is to sit back and have a bit of a break. Just like we tell ourselves that we really, really want an Oasis reunion, we all know deep down that Liam isn't the same polarising character that he used to be. He's not the same cultural figure that could wield expletives with a distinct northern brand of authority, and while he'll always appeal to a particular audience, he doesn't thrive in the limelight like he once did. 

We can see a correlation between Liam's musical endeavours and public interest. With every new tune, or piece of tabloid speculation, people seem to care a little less about the man. Because of this, the outcome of a solo career or a reunion could be woefully underwhelming, as people slowly lose interest in Liam Gallagher. With the persisting success of his older brother, the comparative mediocrity of Liam's work wouldn't stand up in the modern music scene which he so vocally criticises. 

To put it simply, this seems like the best option, away from criticism and judgement. While we may all tell ourselves that a sought-after reunion is just around the corner, the reality of the situation couldn't be more different. To maintain the legacy he's had a part in creating, Liam's best bet is to leave it alone entirely. 

We do need a new band to front working class culture, one which takes inspiration from Oasis, and their predecessors. It just happens that it'd be much better for everyone if Liam Gallagher wasn't a part of it.