Knebworth 22 director "relieved" Liam Gallagher film won't feature Oasis songs

17 November 2022, 11:55

Liam Gallagher drops new Knebworth documentary promo

Director Toby L has admitted: "It's a bold thing to say, but I didn't miss those massive, amazing songs. It felt like this film works in its own."

The director of the new Liam Gallagher Knebworth 22 documentary has admitted he's "relieved" that brother Noel has blocked the use of Oasis songs in the film.

Taking to Twitter last month, Liam announced that the film would contain "No Oasis songs", adding "The angry squirt has blocked them he also blocked the Oasis I sang for [the] Taylor Hawkins tribute... he’s a horrible little man."

Liam Gallagher performs at Knebworth Park on 3rd June, 2022. Picture: Harry Herd/Redferns/Getty

But director Toby L, who has made films with Bastille, Damon Albarn and Rihanna, says the documentary works better without the classic songs.

In an interview with Sky News, he explained: "It's a bold thing to say, but I didn't miss those massive, amazing songs. It felt like this film works in its own complete form, and I was just really relieved because I felt like if we were looking back too much, it wouldn't have been as contemporary a story as it needs to be in order to differentiate itself to the prior documentary."

Watch the trailer for Liam Gallagher's Knebworth 22

He went on: "I was struggling to find a way, while were building such personal stories around Liam, how we were going to put the Oasis music in, in a way that felt contextually sound and also in the context of the fact that there was another Oasis Knebworth documentary only a year ago."

The Oasis film Knebworth 1996, which detailed the two nights at the Hertfordshire venue, was released in November last year.

Oasis at Knebworth: the story behind their biggest ever gigs

The director added that the film also tackles head on the fact that Liam was returning to the scene of one of Oasis' most triumphant moments... without brother Noel.

He said: "The elephant in the room is brought up straight away in the first five minutes of the film and you see the way in which Liam deals with it, in a really graceful fashion that's non-defamatory but is also totally honest."

Toby L also claims that Knebworth 22 will show the "softer" side of Liam Gallagher: "I think we see all of the razor-sharp rock and roll edge that you want. And also, I think we have a more philosophical side from him as well".

"He's the wild animal Liam, he's the rock and roll Liam and he's the very sweary Liam... But I feel like we see another side of his personality in this.

"I'd be loath to say softer, because that would be maybe a bit too sort of mild, but definitely a delicacy… and just a super sharp wit and articulate view on the world."

Does Liam Gallagher work harder than a professional footballer?

But the director also admitted that Liam was a constantly entertaining character throughout the making of the documentary, saying, "I had to literally bend my head back to laugh into the ether, so the boom mike didn't pick up my laughter".

He added: "We all know he's hilarious but being in the same room or field as him as he makes some of those comments is just definitely a real highlight of my work thus far."

Discussing Knebworth 22, Gallagher said in a statement: "I'm still in shock that I got to play Knebworth two nights, 26 years after I played it with Oasis. I'm still trying to get my head around it.

"To have played to multiple generations at the same venue so many years apart was beyond Biblical. I'm so glad that we documented it. "Knebworth for me was and always will be a celebration of the fans as well as the music. Enjoy the film and let's do it again in another 26 years."

Liam Gallagher - Knebworth 22 will be in cinemas worldwide from Thursday 17th November for a limited time with tickets going available at www.LGKnebworth22.com.

The theatrical event screenings will also feature two additional songs from the Knebworth performance to be played after the main feature, which will be exclusive to cinemas and won't appear on any further release of the film.

The documentary will be coming to Paramount+ globally later this year.