21 December 1988: Noel Gallagher's Audition for Inspiral Carpets
On 21 December 1988, Noel Gallagher auditioned to be the lead singer of Inspiral Carpets. The session took place at The Mill Studio in Ashton‑under‑Lyne, a former textile mill repurposed as a rehearsal space. That same evening the Lockerbie bombing occurred, killing 270 people.
How the Audition Came About
Noel met Graham Lambert, the guitarist, at a Manchester gig featuring The Stone Roses, James, and Happy Mondays. Graham was recording the show on a Walkman when Noel noticed the red light.
"Well I'd met Graham at the Stone Roses and James gig and the Mondays... and uh he had, you know, he was bootlegging the gig on a Walkman and I seen the red light on the thing and I went over to him and said, 'Oh...' ... He said the singer had left and if that's going, I'm trying out to be the singer, and I was like, 'Yeah.'"
Graham, knowing Noel already knew their songs, invited him to audition. Stephen Holt, the original singer, had recently left.
The Journey to the Audition
Noel recalled the challenge without modern conveniences, facing three buses, winter rain, and handwritten directions.
"And then of course these new generation won't understand this before mobile phones ... I had to get like three buses and it was raining, it was in the middle of winter. ... all the instructions are written down on a piece of paper."
He eventually arrived, ready to perform.
Inside The Mill
Noel was impressed by the space:
"I remember the rehearsal room being great actually, and the sound in it was great."
He sang a mix of covers and band originals. Notably:
"I do remember doing 'Gimme Shelter', yeah."
He also performed Joe, Whiskey, and Keep the Circle Around. Despite this:
"Auditioned, couldn’t sing a fucking note."
He described the session as casual:
"I would loosely call it an audition. I think it's like I looked all right and I knew some of the songs. That was it and that was enough."
The Result
Noel was not selected. Tom Hingley, who eventually took the role, confirmed:
"None of them were really right for the band."
