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Imagine the early 90s, and the phenomenon that was Oasis that broke out of the British pop music scene. From the grunge of Manchester to the world at their feet, Oasis did not just see the heights of success but touched it and made it their own. It started with frontman Liam Gallagher, but it was his brother Noel, who somehow became the de facto leader of the band, even though he was the very last member to join.
But things weren’t always sunshine and rainbows, as the very basis of Oasis was built on rock and roll and fiery clashes. And not just any clashes, but the one between the two brothers – Noel and Liam. From the very beginning, there was a tense feeling when it came to the Gallaghers and it kept escalating, until one day it reached a point that led to Noel quitting the band for good. So let’s look back in time (and not anger) and revisit the history of one of Britain’s most revered bands of all time.
From A Brother’s Bond to Battle of Bands – The Story of Oasis
Oasis started with Liam Gallagher, the frontman of the band, alongside Paul Arthurs (guitar), Paul McGuigan (bass guitar) and Tony McCarroll (drums). Liam then roped in his brother – Noel – to join the band, who became their songwriter/lead guitarist. Unfortunately, the brothers, even though were two of the most successful musicians on the scene, never saw eye to eye.
It all started with a seemingly inconsequential (not really) bit of drunken mess. As revealed on the A24 documentary by Mat Whitecross,Oasis: Supersonic, Liam said:
One night I come in pissed and I couldn’t find the light switch, so I pissed all over his new stereo. I think it basically boils down to that.
Some say that was the start of the rift that would eventually lead to the disbandment of Oasis. But in retrospect, it was one of the least volatile clashes the brothers found themselves in.
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Then, on their very first North American tour back in 1994, Liam threw a tambourine at Noel. After the incident, Noel quit the band temporarily, but came back soon after and then retreating to Las Vegas. The brothers talked to Uncut Magazine back in 1995, revealing how this incident led Noel to write Talk Tonight (viastopcryingyourheartout.com):
We went to Vegas and stayed in the Luxor hotel in the Pharaoh suite, the room service guy comes dressed as a Pharaoh, we were eating fu**ing Pharoah burgers and having one of those terrible cocaine conversations about water pressure in the desert. Anyway I wrote that song in those three or four days.
They also had a very intense interview for NME that same year (1994), which is known in pop culture now as the aptly dubbed ‘Wibbling Rivalry.’ There were some fiery exchanges, with Liam finally getting the last words (viaYouTube):
Stick your thousand pounds right up your fuckin’ arse ’till it comes out your fuckin’ big toe… You think it’s rock and roll to get thrown off a ferry. And it’s not… If you’re proud of getting thrown off of ferries… why don’t you get the fuck out of my band and go and become a football hooligan, right?
Then in 1995, Noel hit Liam in the head with a cricket bat. All this happened when they were recording one of their greatest hits,(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?Liam told (viaThe Standard):
The whole studio got smashed to pieces, everything just got blitzed to bits. It was probably me not giving a fuck and him trying to write fucking ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and me going, ‘Bollocks, let’s have it.’
Then came the infamousMTV Unpluggedepisode in 1996, where Liam canceled at the last minute, and Noel had to save face by taking to the mic and giving a pretty soulful performance. But not without taking a dig at hai brother (viaRolling Stone):
As they said, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Oasis,’ we walked out and [Liam] wasn’t there.
Liam had cited a sore throat for backing out of the performance. But he could be seen heckling his brother, who was on stage, throughout his performance. This was yet another nail to the proverbial coffin. And the younger Gallagher added to this by refusing to go for their U.S. tour.
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In 2000, came another blow to the already fragile relationship between the two brothers. They were in Barcelona, one thing led to another, and Liam ended up questioning the legitimacy of Noel’s daughter, Anais. This led to a full-blown war between the brothers. And Noel allegedly never forgave him for this comment, which he later revealed in an interview, saying (via Rolling Stone):
He’s my brother, but he’s at arm’s length until he apologises for what he’s done.
It all came to a head in 2009 in Paris, where the band was set to headline the Rock en Seine festival. Tension between the two brothers escalated to the point Liam came barging into the dressing room, taking one of Noel’s guitars, and smashing it to pieces. In a statement released by the songwriter, moments after the backstage incident, he wrote (viaThe Guardian):
It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer. Apologies to all the people who bought tickets to the shows in Paris Konstanz and Milan.
In an interview with Q Magazine, speaking of his brother, Noel said (viaGigwise):
He’s rude, arrogant, intimidating and lazy. He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.
Funnily enough, a decade later, Liam responded to this quip by Noel by posting a video of him eating soup with a fork on X (previously Twitter).
#happymanwithaforkinaworldofsouppic.twitter.com/G7pDhE9KO7
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher)July 28, 2025
This was the end of Oasis as we knew it. According to reports, the brothers weren’t on speaking terms for more than a decade, fuelled further by the dislike their spouses held for each other. Even their kids could be seen heckling one another on different occasions. But all that seems to be coming to an end, as Oasis just announced their reunion tour in 2025.
pic.twitter.com/Gix1lFPQXa
— Oasis (@oasis)June 08, 2025
While this comes as a shock/surprise to many, fans of the band are undoubtedly happy to know that Oasis is making a comeback. Whether things have changed between Liam and Noel or not, at least they have decided to let past hurt and rivalries go to start a new chapter in their lives.
Swagata Das
Senior Features Editor / Reviewer
Articles Published :356
Swagata works as a Senior Features Editor at FandomWire. Having previously worked as a Content Writer, her passion for everything pop culture became her true calling as she now works with a global team of writers to brainstorm unique, groundbreaking ideas. Having done her Masters in English Literature, Swagata is a self-professed K-Pop addict with an affinity to work her charms on unsuspecting friends to induct them into the fandom cult.
