Two years after a bitter blow-up with his brother Liam drew the curtain on Britpop sensation Oasis, Noel Gallagher makes the jump from “sideman” to frontman as his solo debut hits shelves on Monday. “I was a sideman for 20 years and I loved it,” said the 44-year-old, who always cut the quieter figure as guitarist and main songwriter for Oasis, while the wilder Liam supplied the rock n’ roll antics front of stage. “I don’t like being at the centre of attention. I hate surprise parties, and I hate people wishing me happy birthday,” he told AFP. “But once you’ve been in a band like Oasis what’s the point of being in another band? There’s only one option and that’s doing it yourself.”
