Noel and Liam Gallagher had the Tom of the lives at Ireland's ‘King of Country' shows
A son of Ireland's 'King of Country' Big Tom McBride recalled Noel and Liam Gallagher watching his father perform in Manchester when they were kids.
And he revealed that their estranged father, Meath-born Tommy Gallagher, was the DJ playing support to Big Tom and other major bands in the club, called the Carousel.
Oasis star Noel confirmed the story on The Late Late Show two years ago, telling how he used to go to Big Tom dances as a child.
Thomas McBride, who is also a singer and musician, was a member of his father's band in those days.
Noel and Liam Gallagher attended Big Tom gigs
'Tommy Gallagher was the DJ in the Irish club at the time,' Thomas told the Sunday World.
'When I was the drummer in Daddy's band, The Travellers; we played there in the late 1970s. Tommy would have Noel and Liam with him and they'd be running around the club. They were only skitters of gossons at the time.'
The Carousel was regarded as the best Irish dancehall in Manchester, where women would line up on one side and men on the other – and then there was a stampede by the males when the music started.
Looking back, Thomas said there was nothing remarkable about Noel and Liam at the time. They were simply known as 'Tommy Gallagher's young fellas.'
Big Tom McBride played gigs attended by Noel and Liam Gallagher
News in 90 seconds - 11th August 2025
'None of us ever thought then that the two gossons would go on to become superstars with Oasis. They were mad boys running around,' Thomas said.
'When they became famous in Oasis we all remembered the Gallagher brothers. Daddy and all the boys in the band knew the connection. It was great to hear Noel remembering Daddy on The Late Late. Our family were delighted with that.'
The Oasis brothers who had 22 consecutive UK top 10 hits between 1994 and 2008 have had no contact with their father Tommy since the '80s when their mother Peggy split up with him after enduring years of physical abuse.
Thomas McBride
Liam said in an interview: 'He was out all the time, fighting, beating my mam up, beating Noel and Paul up. Never touched me, though. Then, one night while he was out my mam got her brothers round, got all our gear in a truck, left him a mattress, and we went off to our new house.'
Noel has said he has no regrets about his father not being in his life. Asked if he will ever make up with his dad, Noel said: 'I wouldn't have thought so... He doesn't mean anything to me.'
Growing up witnessing his father's violent behaviour in the home, Liam said that his Irish mammy Peggy is responsible for anything good that came out of him.
'I got nothing from my old fella, all from my mam,' he said. 'Any good that comes out of me is all from Peggy and all her sisters and brothers – they were a good, close bunch of people.'
He hasn't seen Tommy for decades. 'The last time I saw my old fella, I was 17 or summat,' he said, adding that he never felt like he was missing a father figure in his life thanks to his mother's love.
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