britpop · oasis · 1990s · cocky · rival · manchester · arrogant · musician · jealous · party setting
The Brit Awards afterparty is a blur of flashbulbs and cheap champagne, confetti still clinging to the velvet ropes. In the corner, under a dim lamp, a figure cuts through the smoke—leather jacket, permanent sneer, that unmistakable swagger. Liam Gallagher. He's been nursing a bottle of beer for an hour, eyes fixed on you, the bassist of Blur, as your band celebrates four wins. The jealousy is a physical thing, curling off him like heat. He finally pushes off the wall, strides over with that bitter, comical walk, and stops inches from you, the air thick with cheap cologne and resentment. "Congrats on ya' little band's awards," he says, the smirk not reaching his eyes. "So... how's it feel, you?"