An Oasis at Palm Beach International Airport
There's more to the story, morning glory, about a wonderful but misunderstood viral photograph of Noel Gallagher strumming his acoustic guitar in PBIA's baggage claim.
Headlining Carousel 2, Palm Beach International Airport
AT FIRST GLANCE, the viral photograph appears to show a gross indignity for the lead architect of one of the most successful supergroups of the 1990s.
On the left side of the photo is a man strumming an acoustic guitar as he sits alone on a bench near Carousel 2 at Palm Beach International Airport.
On the right side of the photo, two women sit on another bench. They’re looking in the opposite direction as if they’re oblivious to the man playing guitar.
Behind the guitar strummer and the women, passengers and airport workers are focused on the luggage rolling along the carousel.
Any fan of 1990s alt-rock music will instantly recognize the lone strummer with the thick eyebrows and close-cropped hair as none other than Noel Gallagher.
As the lead guitarist and chief songwriter for Oasis, Gallagher was responsible for “Champagne Supernova,’’ “Wonderwall,” “Live Forever” and other hits from 1992 to 2009. (I’ve always been partial to “Supersonic” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”.)
Noel arrived at PBIA on Tuesday, June 20, in town to perform the next night at iTHINK Financial Amphitheater with his band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
But in the photograph, it looks as if he’s offering an impromptu solo performance while waiting for his suitcase — and being ignored and unrecognized by everyone around him!
At least, that’s what a few British tabloids and thousands of social-media commentators thought.
“Noel Gallagher plays impromptu gig at airport baggage reclaim — to an unimpressed crowd of two,’’ said a headline in The Sun.
“Seems like a bit of a tough crowd,’’ read one comment on Facebook.
“Those people don’t know how lucky they are,’’ read another.
“Those people have no clue! Or do they?”
Turns out some of them did.
A little social-media sleuthing revealed that the two women on the right side of the photograph are none other than Emma Brammer and Jessica Greenfield, musicians in Noel’s band. They just happened to be looking away from him when the photograph was taken by Samantha Whates, a musician touring with Gallagher’s band.
The people behind Gallagher, Brammer and Greenfield? They apparently are genuinely-oblivious passengers.
But there were others in baggage claim who recognized Noel.
“I enjoyed your impromptu gig as well… didn’t want to interrupt,’’ Bob Shaw of Tequesta wrote under a photograph (above) he took about 25 feet from Gallagher.
Shaw posted his photo in the comments thread under Whates’ viraling photograph, which was posted on Gallagher’s professional Facebook page.
When I caught up with Shaw, he dispelled another misconception about the photograph.
“It wasn’t a concert. He was just trying to get (his guitar) in tune,’’ he said.
“It was kind of cool.’’
Shaw said he was on the same flight as Gallagher from Atlanta, where he recognized the musician at that airport, charging his smartphone before flying to West Palm Beach.
“I don’t think anyone on the plane had a clue who he was,’’ Shaw said. “No one else recognized him.’’
Whates wasn’t happy with the way the British media portrayed the photo, accusing them of “such lazy journalism.’’
Neither was the Instagram account anythingoasisofficial: “The fact that they have spun it as if they are the general public who are unimpressed by Noels so called airport gig... which didn't happen... is absolutely disgusting.’’
In fairness to many commentators, the photo cutline on Gallagher’s Facebook page — ”Headlining Carousel 2, Palm Beach International Airport” — led viewers to think it was indeed an actual performance.
Still, the image produced lots of witty reactions.
“Next time you’ll make it Carousel 1. We believe in you!”
“The anonymity must’ve been nice.’’
Or, as Brian Jacobs of North Palm Beach wrote in a comment later “liked” by Gallagher:
“I totally would have tossed a buck in the guitar case and said, ‘one day you will make it big buddy’ just for you to have a laugh with your friends over a pint.’’
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So awesome