Liam Gallagher was named Godlike Genius at the 2018 NME Awards during the magazine’s February 14 event at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, and video of his acceptance speech and full six-song performance is streaming online.
New Musical Express Editor-In-Chief Mike Williams presented Gallagher with the special award, saying his appointment to the Godlike Genius rankings was “extra special” compared to previous winners.
“This is a man who understands exactly what it means to be a rock’n’roll star,” said Williams before welcoming the rocker to the stage. “Through his history, the tunes, the swagger, and the sense of humor, Liam is one of the most iconic rock stars of all time. He’s a frontman who knows the job description – look cool, belt it out, be totally Godlike. No one does it quite like LG.”
“I want to dedicate this to my mam and my army of songwriters, past and present. The parka monkeys,” said Gallagher as he accepted the honor.
The 2018 event recognized UK and international artists, including Kasabian (“Best Live Artist”), Shirley Manson of Garbage (“NME Icon”), and Alt-J (“Best Bitish Band”), among others.
Gallagher closed out the evening with a six-song set that opened with a pair of Oasis classics - “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Morning Glory” – and included three tracks from his solo album debut, “As You Were.”
Produced by Greg Kurstin (Adele, Beck) and Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead, Mumford And Sons), “As You Were” recently topped the UK album charts and hit No. 30 on the US Billboard 200.
Gallagher will launch a European tour in Madrid , Spain on February 23; he’ll then head to South America for a number of gigs, including slots at Lollapalooza festivals in Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
See also:
VIDEO: Liam Gallagher unplugs for Radio X session in London
VIDEO: Liam Gallagher performs Oasis classics in Los Angeles
VIDEO: Liam Gallagher performs on The Tonight Show
Liam Gallagher releases Come Back To Me video
Search Oasis at hennemusic
