One of the more surprising Oasis-related comments to emerge recently comes from Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, who admitted that, under different circumstances, he could easily have found himself on the other side of Britpop’s most famous rivalry.
Speaking to French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, Coxon reflected on the similarities he shared with Liam and Noel Gallagher during their formative years.
“I’m from Derby, which is not as north as Manchester, but if I had grown up in the same area as the Gallaghers, I probably would have ended up in Oasis. We all liked the same music, so I probably would have ended up in Oasis… which is a strange thought.”
It’s a fascinating statement from a musician who became one of the defining figures of Blur, Oasis’ greatest rivals throughout the Britpop era. Despite the legendary chart battles and media-fuelled competition of the 1990s, Coxon’s comments highlight something fans have always known: beneath the headlines, both bands were inspired by many of the same records, from The Beatles and The Kinks to a wide range of classic British guitar music.
For Oasis fans, the idea of Graham Coxon standing alongside the Gallagher brothers is certainly an intriguing one.
