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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Alan Johnson

Noel Gallagher hails Glastonbury 'more important than Christmas' ahead of fourth coming

Noel Gallagher has hailed Glastonbury as 'more important than Christmas' ahead of his fourth appearance on the Worthy Farm stage on Saturday night.

The 54-year old made his debut at the Somerset festival alongside brother Liam, 49, in Oasis in 1994 - before returning with the band as a headline act 12 months later.

And the Britpop legends became one of only a handful of acts to top the bill twice - when organiser Michael Eavis invited them back in 2004.

The Gallagher brothers, meanwhile, shocked the music world by parting ways in 2009 following an ill-fated appearance at V Festival in Staffordshire - and the siblings have barely spoken since.

This weekend, Noel and his High Flying Birds will perform at Glastonbury for the first time since the band formed 12 years ago, and will appear on the Pyramid Stage.

"Thank God Glastonbury is back. It s**s all over New Year and it's way more important than Christmas," Noel told the Sun.

The Don't Look Back In Anger star went on to discuss his plans for the weekend joking: "After I’ve sat on Macca's (Paul McCartney) knee for a bit I'll swing by the little Mancunian enclave up in some far-off never never land and say all right to Bez (Happy Mondays) and the box of toys and take it from there.

"I'm very much looking forward to seeing The Punishers - top psychedelic firm from Manchester, although I think they might clash with The Pink Monkeys so I'll have to decide which ones I'm gonna do - actually I might do both."

The singer-songwriter went on to reveal his favourite aspect of the festival is the social side of things, rather than the music itself.

He claimed he 'doesn't go for the music', preferring to wander around 'bumping into amazing people getting into adventures and seeing wonderful things'.

One place Noel won't be performing any time soon, however, is China.

Earlier this month the rocker revealed he is banned from setting foot in the country and can't perform any of his or Oasis' hit songs due to being "enemy of the people".

The singer upset authorities in the communist Asian country due to a charity concert he performed at in 1997.

He and his Oasis band-mates were asked to perform at a Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York during the time that the Britpop band were in their pomp.

The band was free despite being in the middle of a tour but Noel was the only member keen to take to the stage.

However, his appearance backfired in 2009 as Oasis were due to go on tour in Beijing and Shanghai before officials within the Chinese Ministry of Culture discovered he has appeared in the concert, branding them "unsuitable" to perform.

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