Noel Gallagher has explained that he wasn't actually crying at the We Are Manchester concert, after pictures emerged of him wiping his eyes on stage. The Oasis singer was speaking to Radio X's Chris Moyles when the radio host commented: "Everyone knew the emotion of it all got to you." But Noel, who performed the headline slot at the Manchester Arena reopening concert, explained: "I wasn't actually crying.
"I actually promised myself before I went on, because you've kind of got to detach yourself from it, because it's very easy to kind of get caught up in the moment and when you see other people crying and people in the stands and that. And I've done it at normal gigs where you've just got to switch off. I read somewhere that I was crying but, no, I'm sorry to say I wasn't crying."
© Photo: Getty ImagesNoel headlined the We Are Manchester concert
However, the rocker did admit that he felt nervous before performing at the concert, which was held in honour of the victims of the Ariana Grande concert terror attack. "It's the only time I've ever got nervous before going on stage," he said. "I never, ever, ever get nervous, and I never have done. As the night was coming up to my bit and because of Don't Look Back in Anger and what it became around that, I was kind of thinking 'I hope you're kind of worthy of the moment', do you know what I mean?
"And I shouldn't have worried a bit, actually, you just play the first note and, you know, bring the house down, and that was it. But it was good. The victims and survivors were honoured and then we all hung out after and had a great time, we had a good laugh." Don't Look Back in Anger has been sung countless times by the people of Manchester in remembrance of those who died in the May attack.
© Photo: Rex"I'm sorry to say I wasn't crying," he said
Despite Noel's charitable performance, his brother Liam claimed that it was all a "PR stunt". The brothers have spent the past two decades feuding. After the concert, Liam tweeted: "NG broke down in tears cmon you seriously ain't buying that." He added: "Don't buy into his PR stunt."
Tune in to The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, weekdays from 6.30am – 10am, Saturday 8am-11am.
