“Let’s work the problem people. Let’s not make things worse by guessing.”
Noel Gallagher Meets Graham Lambert
Date: 29 May 1988 (or 30 May, depending on who you believe)
Location: International 2, Manchester
Type: Gig / Chance Encounter
Noel Gallagher Auditions for the Inspiral Carpets
Date: December 21, 1988
Location: The Mill Studio, Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, UK
Type: Audition
Noel Gallagher joins the Inspiral Carpets road crew
Date: 1 May 1989
Location: Inspiral Carpets tour / New Mount Street office, Manchester
Type: Job
01/05/89: Noel Gallagher Hits The Road
No one wrote it down. No one thought it fucking mattered. May 1989. Manchester. Noel Gallagher, 21, took a job as a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets. Not a headline. Not a moment anyone would call history. But it was.
It wasn’t a stage. It wasn’t a spotlight. It was a van. A bag of crisps. A chance to learn.
1 May 1989: Noel Gallagher Joins the Inspiral Carpets’ Road Crew
On 1 May 1989, Noel Gallagher began work as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets. He joined the band’s touring crew after breaking his foot at work and reconnecting with guitarist Graham Lambert. Gallagher’s appointment was informal, but it marked his first industry-facing role.
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.
21/12/88: The Noel Gallagher Audition
A cold, wet Wednesday night in Oldham. December 21, 1988. The kind of night that makes you question your choices. Noel Gallagher, 21, stood at a bus stop in Manchester, clutching a scrap of paper with directions. Three buses. Rain pissing down. No mobile phones. No backup plan. Just a pub, a rehearsal room called The Mill, and a shot at becoming the new singer for Inspiral Carpets.
30/05/88: The Spark Of Oasis
There was a charge in the air that Monday night, one you didn’t need a weather report to measure. May 30, 1988. Manchester. International Two. A benefit concert against Clause 28, a piece of government legislation designed to shroud LGBTQ+ lives in silence. The city already knew how to scream back at injustice, but that night, the scream had a rhythm you could dance to. Oh and Noel net Graham
30 May 1988: Noel Gallagher Meets Graham Lambert
On May 30, 1988, a pivotal moment in music history unfolded at the International 2 in Manchester, UK. The event, known as the "Anti-Clause 28 Gig (aka 'This Is The One')," brought together two future icons of the Madchester music scene: Noel Gallagher and Graham Lambert of the Inspiral Carpets.