I'd Like to be Somebody Else

Chapter 41

    Without Tony to drum they had to find someone to take his place. Lucky for Oasis, they know Paul Weller who recommended Alan White. Once he was on board they were able to go back to recording their second album.

    In May they went back to Monmouth in Wales to record their album. It took them until June to finish it. I went with them this time and spent time in the studio.

    The songs were so different from the previous album but I couldn't wait to hear the finished product.

    Alan settled in to the band. He seemed to be a better drummer than Tony. He didn't mind the lads calling him the Cockney Cunt because he was a Londoner. It was like he'd always been there and he got along with Liam.

...

    One day Liam just left recording, he just walked out the studio without saying a word to anyone about where he was going. He was tired of Noel's criticism, the new songs were more challenging and Noel wanted nothing less than perfection.  

    He also seemed to think he was being pushed out because Noel had taken lead on Don't Look Back In Anger. He'd been fine with Noel doing B-sides, I didn't get his problem with having one less A-side to do.

    They did their best to work in his absence.

    I went outside for some fresh air, it was too hot in the studio for me. Everyone else insisted the temperature was fine and they were all busy playing instruments and everything.

    After a few minutes outside I saw Liam coming back, he wasn't alone, in fact there was about thirty people following him.

 "What's going on Li'?" I asked but he ignored me and led his follower into the building.

    I followed the crowd into the building. There was way too many people for the size of the studio and Noel didn't react well to the new company or that Liam had come back drunk.

    The brothers very quickly started fighting, Liam's guests mostly fled, getting as far away from them as they could.

    Noel suddenly picked up a cricket bat and swung it, hitting Liam's head as hard as he could. It made a sickening cracking sound against Liam's skull. He dropped the bat and I gasped as Liam dropped to his knees and was almost knocked out by the blow.

 "There's going to be no second album, recording is fucking done." Noel said as he walked off, not caring about his brother's health.

 "Liam, are you alright?" I rushed over to him and crouched trying to check him over. "Why is there even a friggin' cricket bat here?"

 "Just leave it and get me some ice or something." he said as he held his head.

 "You need to get to the hospital, for proper treatment, not ice." I was really worried how much damage had been caused.

 "Nah, I'm fine." Suddenly he crashed his lips against mine, the force made me fall onto my back but he never broke the kiss, falling with me.

 "Liam! No, stop it." I pushed him away the moment I had a second to think. "I told you I don't want this." I felt a bit harsh but I wasn't letting him get away with it.

 "Admit it, you love me, you stayed for me, not him." he said to justify himself.

 "You're seriously concussed. I care that you're hurt because you're my best friend, remember?  Noel's not the one that needs medical attention."

...

    Neither spoke to each other for three weeks and progress was completely halted in those three weeks. I didn't see either apologise but when they did get back to the studio, it was like nothing had happened.

    It was a horrible time. Noel went back to London, as did Alan and everyone else went back to Manchester. Liam avoided visiting his mum because I was there and Noel didn't even bother to call me or his mum.

 "Don't worry, love. One of these days they'll fecking grow up and start behaving themselves." Peggy assured me, seeing me moping about.

 "I know but every time things are going right something goes horribly wrong. Liam was actually hurt and I can't see them reconciling."

 "Get Paul, Paul and Alan together, it's their band too. Drag Noel back up north if you have to and make him apologize."

    Guigsy and Bonehead decided against getting involved, they were confident that Noel was too much of a professional to abandon the album forever and he'd probably have to sell his house if they didn't get back to work.

    Bonehead was happy to use the time to be at home with Kate and Lucy. It didn't exactly make him motivated to get back to Wales. He pointed out "The second album tour would have to be cancelled, we'd have to pay up for that and there'd just be a lot of shit to deal with if we don't get it done."

 "He's coming back." they both assured me.

    None of us knew Alan's home number so we couldn't talk to him and as the new member, he wasn't in the position to push the band back together either.

    The last match of the football season was on the 14th of May while the brothers were not speaking to each other which meant I didn't see Liam to rub in the fact that Man City had finished only four points outside of relegation. I had to let it slide but next season I wouldn't miss the chance if they did as bad. Liverpool on the other hand finished fourth.

    I couldn't spend much time with Kenzie because Tony was almost always there since he was unemployed. He didn't hide the fact that we weren't friends anymore. He didn't want me anywhere near Kenzie or their daughters.

 "Noel doesn't want you, the lads don't want you, nobody wants you. So why don't you fuck off back to where you came from?" Tony told me when he saw me babysitting while Kenzie was at work.

 "Why don't you get a job? It's been a month, stop being a dole rat and provide for your family."

 "Get out of my house, get away from my kids, leave my girlfriend alone. We don't need a manipulative bitch like you around."

 "I didn't get you sacked from Oasis, you did. You can't keep kicking up arguments and not even drum good enough and expect to stay." I couldn't help arguing. "I was your friend. I tried to help you."

 "Help me, how?"

    I shouldn't have said that and it was too late to back down. "I stopped Liam going after Kenzie or at least I tried to."

 "You are a liar. She has never been interested in Liam."

 "Don't believe the truth, I don't care but you know what he's like."

 "Go on then, when was this supposed to have happened and how exactly did you stop him?"

 "It was so stupid, forget I said anything." I tried to get out of telling him, knowing how much it could hurt Kenzie and the kids.

 "Fucking tell me what happened. Now." he demanded.

    Why couldn't I have just gone home when he got back. "They kissed, alright? I saw them kiss, that's all."

    He shook his head, he was obviously angry but he didn't trust me. He still thought I was lying. "What did you do about it?"

 "I snogged Kenzie." I admitted. "Before you ask, you're about the only one who didn't know and we enjoyed it."

 "How does Noel stand being with a dirty little whore?" he commented. "Go on, go play on a motorway." he showed me to the door and I left quietly like I should have done in the beginning.