Noel Gallagher joins the Inspiral Carpets road crew
Date: 1 May 1989
Location: Inspiral Carpets tour / New Mount Street office, Manchester
Type: Job
Who Was There
Noel Gallagher – 21. A British Gas employee with a busted leg, a guitar, and a dream. After a workplace accident left him on crutches, Noel hobbled into the Inspiral Carpets’ office on New Mount Street, Manchester, a hub of Northern indie grit. What started with lugging amps soon became his crash course in the music world. Classic Noel.
Graham Lambert – Inspiral Carpets guitarist. Met Noel in May '88 and saw potential (or maybe just needed someone to haul gear). The two bonded over football and music. Lambert called Noel easygoing but obsessive, spot on.
Mark Coyle – Inspirals’ sound guy, future Oasis co-producer. He clicked with Noel during the early tours, swapping demos and learning the craft. Their friendship would later form the backbone of Oasis’ sound.
Clint Boon – Inspirals’ keyboardist turned Manchester radio icon. He called Noel “part of the Spirals family.” Between the chaos of the road and endless pub debates, Noel fit right in.
Louise Jones – Noel’s girlfriend at the time. They lived in India House, Manchester, where Noel wrote much of Definitely Maybe. Let’s just say the neighbors likely didn’t enjoy the endless guitar riffs as much as Noel did.
The Event
On May 1, 1989, Noel Gallagher joined the Inspiral Carpets’ road crew as a backline tech and guitar roadie. His big entrance? Limping in on crutches after a gas board accident, a far cry from rock stardom. But this wasn’t just a job; it was a door into the indie scene. Noel soaked up the chaotic life of soundchecks, dodgy venues, and late-night pub debates about The Smiths.
On US tours, he brought his own soundtrack, The KLF’s Chill Out. Clint Boon called it the "soundtrack of that era,” as Noel introduced the band to ambient chaos for the jet-lagged. Noel wasn’t just carrying amps; he was sharpening his wit, his ear, and his relentless drive. This was his apprenticeship in the music world, laying the groundwork for what was to come.
The Setting
Madchester, 1989. The Inspiral Carpets were gaining momentum, grinding through UK clubs and inching onto the international stage. Their office on New Mount Street, Manchester, was the epicenter of Northern indie grit, where Noel first found his footing, literally and figuratively. The band’s relentless work ethic and Noel’s own obsession with sound shaped his future.
On the road, Noel bonded with Graham over football, Martyn Walsh and Craig Gill over rave culture, and Clint Boon over music geekery. These relationships weren’t just casual friendships, they were life lessons in a transit van. Noel learned the grind, the graft, and the gall to carry him forward.
The Statement
By late ’91, the Inspirals sacked Noel before a US tour. Bad timing, lads. His £2,000 severance package became his bridge to Oasis. Noel Gallagher didn’t burst onto the music scene with polished demos or lucky breaks. He limped in, lugging amps and learning life lessons in smoky venues and tour buses.
From the Inspiral Carpets’ office on New Mount Street to the KLF soundtracks on US tours, Noel’s journey was pure Northern grit. And India House? It’s where a bloke with big ideas turned those lessons into songs that changed everything. The graft, the grind, and a touch of chaos, Noel Gallagher’s backdoor entry into music was anything but ordinary.
The Quotes
“He made history by becoming the first roadie to start a job whilst on crutches after breaking his leg working for the gas board.” Graham Lambert, Q Magazine, 1995
“At that time he had a flat top like Morrissey, which is a frightening thing to see on someone with a mono-brow, but we got on straight away. I liked him because he was dead chilled out and we used to swap tapes.” Graham Lambert, Q Magazine, 1995
“He ended up becoming part of the Spirals family.” Clint Boon, Radio X Interview, 2014
“We spent a few years touring the world together, seeing the world together for the first time.” Clint Boon, Radio X Interview, 2014
