A sheepish phone call from Liam Gallagher left Lynne Brine bewildered. “Hi, it’s Liam Gallagher, there’s been a bit of an incident at Abbey Road,” the voice explained.
The Oasis whirlwind was at its 90s zenith, and her teenage son, Nick, worked as an engineer on their third album. Mrs. Brine’s immediate concern: “What has happened to my boy?”
A furious Liam had mistakenly destroyed the guitar she’d given Nick, believing it belonged to Noel, his brother and bandmate. Nick’s compensation? A priceless piece of rock ‘n’ roll history.
The incident unfolded during a session for *Be Here Now*. “It was the morning after a heavy night,” Nick recalls, “Liam, worse for wear, had smashed Noel’s guitar. Then, another acoustic came flying – mine.”
Noel’s arrival escalated the situation. He identified his destroyed Fender Jag, then spotted Nick’s shattered 1970s Japanese Fender. Liam’s admission that it was also Nick’s sparked a heated debate about replacements.
Nick, having worked with the Gallaghers on *(What’s The Story) Morning Glory*, initially remained silent, then sheepishly claimed ownership of the broken instrument. It held sentimental value, a gift from his mother.
Liam pledged to take Nick to Denmark Street for a new guitar. Noel, however, questioned Liam’s guitar expertise, adding to the already volatile situation.
Following a stern rebuke of his brother, Noel insisted on a personal apology to Lynne. Liam’s call was remarkably contrite. Then, he presented Nick with a Takamine Acoustic – the very guitar Noel used during their legendary Knebworth and MTV Unplugged performances.
Noel later confirmed its significance during a 2020 reunion, stating, “I used it on this record…the one I played *Wonderwall* on.” Considering recent sales of Noel’s guitars fetching £130,000 and £226,000, respectively, respectively, Nick’s guitar now holds an estimated value of £100,000.
This incident is only one highlight in Nick’s remarkable career, which began with a lift from Ian Brown of the Stone Roses to collect his GCSE results, followed by his work on their album, *Second Coming*, and playing tambourine on their hit single *Love Spreads*. His subsequent collaborations with Oasis during the recording of *Definitely Maybe* and *Be Here Now* further cemented his place in music history. Even a surprise visit from Jim Carrey at Abbey Road added to the surreal experiences of a young engineer from South Wales.
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