Never Work With Family
At the heart of Oasis stand two brothers: Liam and Noel Gallagher. Liam represented the enigmatic frontman, while Noel provided the driving force behind the band, writing the majority of their songs and giving them direction. The brothers made Oasis. However, they also drove it apart. It’s true what they say: never work with family.
1. They Were Doomed From The Start
The true irony of Oasis is that their success depended on the very thing that eventually drove them apart. In 1990, four musicians came together to form a band no one had ever heard of. Paul McGuigan, Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, Tony McCarrol, and Chris Hutton formed Rain, not realizing that they were missing the very thing that they needed.
2. They Welcomed The Problem
Unfortunately for Chris Hutton, he proved to be the problem within the mix. Feeling that he didn’t pass the vibe check, Arthurs kicked Hutton to the curb. In his place, he invited an acquaintance to audition for the role of their frontman: Liam Gallagher. Gallagher overhauled the entire band and brought down its demise in the process.
3. They Were Almost There
With Gallagher on board, Oasis was born, literally. Gallagher proposed the name change. He also provided the spark that the band needed to get off the ground. Without Gallagher, they never would’ve met their driving force, but they may have been able to go the distance.
4. Their First Gig Changed Everything
Oasis played their first gig in August 1991 at a club in Manchester. They were one of several bands playing that night. However, someone in the crowd only had eyes for Oasis. Liam’s brother, Noel, came to watch his little brother play, and Noel liked what he saw. What he did next changed everything.
5. They Impressed One Man
Oasis impressed Noel that night—but he also believed that he could bring even more to the table. Following that performance, Noel approached the band, looking to join. Rather than groveling for acceptance, Noel took a surprisingly different approach. In Noel’s mind, he didn’t need the band; the band needed him.
6. He Needed A Favor
Noel appeared to be doing Oasis a favour. Noel didn't ask to join the band. He told them that they needed him and he was willing to help them out. However, he had conditions. He’d only join the band if he were the only songwriter and leader of the band. He also wasn’t joining just to mess around.
7. They Promised To Be Serious
Noel’s other condition was that Oasis had to take this seriously. They would commit themselves to commercial success, or Noel would be out. It was a bold move. Yet, it was a bold move that paid off. The band agreed to Noel’s conditions, and in that moment, they created Oasis. Like it or not, they were bound to this path now—head toward both success and destruction.
8. They Found Good Leadership
The band flourished under Noel’s leadership. Looking back on the moment, Arthurs recalled, “He had loads of stuff written. When he walked in, we were a band making a racket with four tunes. All of a sudden, there were loads of ideas”. It seemed like Oasis couldn’t lose. However, strapped to the Gallagher brothers, they also couldn’t win.
9. They Were Magic And Danger
Together, the Gallagher brothers were magic. Noel provided direction for the band, and Liam had a hypnotic energy as their frontman. Their success seemed inevitable. However, that success came at a price. From early on, it was clear that the brothers were very different people.
10. Their Frontman Was Wild
Liam was a wild child. He was loud, aggressive, and unpredictable. His brother once described Liam as “the angriest man you’ll ever meet”, expanding to say, “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup”. Liam’s behavior earned him such a reputation that the documentary Hellraisers featured him along with good company.
Meanwhile, Noel had a completely different approach to life and music.
11. Their Leader Preferred Order
Perhaps because he was the older of the two and constantly dealing with Liam’s bouts of rage, Noel approached life with a far more analytical lens. They were never destined to see eye-to-eye. However, both were stubborn and prone to tempers. When they disagreed, neither wanted to back down. It was only a matter of time before the public noticed.
12. They Broke Out Of England
By 1994, the band had seen enough success that they boarded a plane to try their luck across the pond. However, the reaction of the American audiences proved underwhelming compared to what English crowds gave them. As a result, Liam descended into a worse temper than usual, and Noel finally had enough.
13. They Hated America
Throughout their 1994 USA tour, Liam couldn’t stop himself from mouthing off. He made comments about the Americans, claiming “Americans want grungy people, stabbing themselves in the head on stage. They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don't get it”. His brother also became a target of his disdain.
14. They Began To Fall Apart
Liam, reportedly, made disparaging remarks about Noel throughout the tour. Things came to a head when the band was performing in LA. Oasis was set to play at the Whisky a Go Go when things between the brothers finally erupted publicly. Soon, everyone knew what it was like to work with the Gallaghers.
15. They Took Something They Shouldn’t Have
Several of the members of the band, including Liam, reported taking some substances before the performance. As a result, the performance at Whisky a Go Go was a nightmare, riddled with mistake after mistake—with each slip-up more outrageous than the next.
16. They Made A Scene
The entire performance started on the wrong foot when Liam appeared on stage alone, announcing that the band wasn't going to show up and that "You’ve just got me tonight”. While the rest of the band did eventually appear, at least in body, the audience soon likely wished that they hadn’t.
17. They Were The Worst
What followed was quite possibly the worst performance in rock and roll history. Amps exploded, Liam just sat down several times, and threats were even directed at the crowd. This became a public pattern for Oasis, with the most memorable moments always revolving around the tempestuous brothers.
18. They Couldn’t Get On The Same Page
On top of the endless errors the band made that infamous night, at one point, Noel struck up a completely different song than the rest of the band, singing in such an odd voice that no one knew what to make of it. It was only a matter of time before Liam snapped in a spectacular way.
19. They Erupted In Public
Liam went after Noel as only a brother could, and then perhaps a little bit more. He got in Noel’s face, yelling and swearing at him, before finally smacking Noel over the head with a tambourine. Ultimately, the entire fiasco ended with Liam storming off stage and disappearing into the streets. Noel had his own chilling response.
20. They Broke Their Promise
Public humiliation proved to be the last straw for Noel. After all, he’d made the band promise they’d seriously focus on success when he joined, and the Whisky a Go Go performance couldn’t have been further from that. While Liam took off in the middle of the performance, he came back. When Noel left, it was another story entirely.
21. They Lost Noel
Noel quit the band on the spot, fleeing LA and reportedly ending up in Las Vegas. For two weeks, Noel allegedly spent his time in the Luxor hotel in the Pharaoh suite. But there is another story about Noel's legendary break from the band in 1994—and what he got up to churned up a whole lot of greatness.
22. They Escaped To San Fran
According to other sources, Noel escaped to San Francisco, returning to the arms of a woman who claimed to have met him backstage at a previous LA show. In the comforting embrace of this mystery woman, Noel supposedly found both forgiveness and inspiration.
23. They Needed To Be Talked Down
While in San Francisco, this woman took Noel in and talked him “off the ledge”. As the story goes, she brought him to the park she'd frequented in her childhood. It was this experience that inspired Noel to write the song, "Talk Tonight". One of the woman's strange obsessions also made its way into the tune's lyrics.
24. She Loved Strawberry Lemonade
The song "Talk Tonight"—which would appear on Oasis's next album—has a lyric that reads, "all your dreams are made of strawberry lemonade". The woman who inspired the song supposedly had an obsession with a particular flavor of Snapple—strawberry lemonade. Though Noel has since claimed that he can't remember the woman's name, this tender chapter is a sweet addition to the complicated tapestry of Oasis's history.
25. They Never Fixed The Root Of Their Problems
Although Noel returned to Oasis, they never dealt with the glaring issue at the heart of the band: The Gallagher brothers couldn’t get along. They may have come back together and continued to make new music. However, they quickly fell into old habits, and it almost cost them everything all over again.
26. They Focused On The Music
Not long after finishing their US tour, Oasis began working on their second studio album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? While Noel was in the studio working, Liam went out to have a good time. This might not have been a problem if the brothers had remained in two separate spaces. Unfortunately, Liam had a not-so-bright idea.
27. He Brought Guests In
Reportedly, after a night of drinking at the pubs, Liam invited several tipsy revelers that he’d just met into the recording studio with him, where Noel was working. It was a recipe for disaster. Understandably upset about this interruption, Noel reacted, ordering the “guests” to leave, and things only got worse from there.
28. They Had Their Biggest Fight
As soon as Noel tried to kick Liam’s new friends out to the curb, Liam’s famous temper reared its ugly head again. Liam reportedly launched himself at Noel and his guitars. To protect himself, Noel reached for a cricket bat and hit his brother over the head with it. According to Noel, this fiery clashing was "possibly the biggest fight we ever had".
Sadly, their problems only continued from there.
29. They Made An Impression
While their recording studio spat happened behind somewhat closed doors, Noel and Liam elevated their feud to a whole new level only a few months later. On April 7, 1994, New Music Express (NME)’s John Harris interviewed the brothers about their burgeoning success, and the brothers did what the brothers did best. Only this time it was on record.
30. They Lost Control
During the interview, the brothers began to argue thanks to a reference to a prior incident in which Liam started an altercation, leading to everyone in Oasis, aside from Noel, getting kicked off the overnight ferry to the Netherlands. The argument escalated as it always did when it involved Liam and Noel.
31. Things Escalated Quickly
At one point, Liam began aggressively berating Noel with expletives and shocking language. This incident likely would have faded over time, except that a record company got the bright idea to make some money off of the brother’s famous fire. What they did with audio immortalized the interview.
32. They Were Caught On Tape
In 1995, a year after the interview happened, Fierce Panda released the recording under the title “Wibbling Rivalry”. While the brothers reportedly approved of the recording’s release, it holds the record for the highest charting interview release in the UK and ensures that no one forgets the vitriol the Gallaghers were capable of.
33. They Caught A Break
Things only got worse as 1995 rolled into 1996. At that point, MTV Unplugged scheduled Oasis to perform on their show. However, when they announced the band, the audience was in for a surprise. The Oasis they knew didn’t come out on the stage.
34. They Lost A Member
At the last minute, Liam pulled out of the performance, claiming that he had a sore throat. Instead, Noel took the stage alone. However, Liam didn’t stray too far. Instead of performing with his brother, Liam took to the upper balcony where he set his heart on causing trouble.
35. He Heckled His Own Band
From his seat in the balcony, Liam spent his time heckling his brother. Despite this, Noel managed to keep it together, delivering a strong performance. However, Liam wasn’t done making waves. Only a few days later, he made a drastic decision that caused all kinds of headaches.
36. They Abruptly Cancelled Their Shows
Liam suddenly pulled out of the band’s US tour. He reasoned that he needed to sort out his house for his wife at the time. As a result, Oasis ended up cancelling several of their shows, which only soured the brothers’ dynamic further. Anyone with eyes could see they couldn’t go on like this forever.
37. They Went Too Far
Up until this point, Liam and Noel had never said or done anything that they could not come back from. However, that changed in 2000. Three years previously, Noel met and married Meg Mathews while in Las Vegas. Noel’s relationship with Matthews got off on the wrong foot from the very start.
38. He Made A Match
Noel met Matthews in 1994 through their mutual “friend”, Rebecca de Ruvo. Mathews and de Ruvo were roommates. Noel and de Ruvo were dating. However, when Noel met Mathews, a wrench was thrown into his current relationship—and de Ruvo became history. A marriage may have looked like Noel made the right decision, but mankind hides many things in matrimony.
39. Their Family Grew
The year 2000 started off strong for Noel. Matthews gave birth to their daughter, Anaïs Gallagher. However, by September, things had fallen drastically off course. Instead of celebrating their new family, tensions grew between the young couple, and the people around them began to suspect that trouble had entered paradise.
40. They Fell Apart
Officially, Noel and Mathews separated in September 2000 and divorced in January 2001 on the grounds of Noel’s supposed adultery. However, once they finalized their divorce, Noel’s story changed. According to Noel, he’d never been unfaithful at all. Though some had their doubts about Mathews.
41. They Struggled With Commitment
Following their divorce, Noel claimed he had only been unfaithful to speed up the divorce proceedings. He never cheated on his wife, or so he said. Little did Noel know, his broken marriage would become a vulnerability that his brother Liam knew exactly how to exploit.
As the story goes, on one incendiary occasion, the brothers went head-to-head again. This time, it was because Liam had some disturbing things to say about Mathews.
42. Their Bonding Went Poorly
At some point in 2000, Liam and Noel found themselves in Barcelona, enjoying some drinks together—but the outing quickly turned bitter when Liam allegedly decided to question whether Noel really had fathered Anaïs. This proved to be one comment too far. Noel exploded, and the two brothers quickly accelerated from arguing to all-out brawling.
When all was said and done, blood was not thicker than water.
43. He Left Immediately
Noel left mid-tour. He wanted nothing to do with Liam anymore, brother or not. Although the band managed to eventually convince Noel to return, he continued to keep Liam at “arm’s length”. Oasis continued, but the Gallaghers had already done the damage. Tragically, there was a slim chance their relationship could have been mended if Liam had given Noel the one thing he really wanted.
44. He Never Said Sorry
The truth is that Noel never forgave Liam for what happened in Barcelona. Even years later, he reflected, “I’ve never forgiven him because he’s never apologised”. If Liam wouldn’t back down, then Noel wouldn’t either. And the harsh truth was that the band could not survive with such a festering wound.
45. They Struggled Along
Despite the obvious elephant in the room, Oasis managed to stumble along for nine more years before they finally reached their breaking point. The band was backstage preparing to headline for the Rock en Seine festival in Paris when a fight broke out over the stupidest thing of all.
46. They Eventually Erupted
The fight started over an ad for Liam’s clothing line. However, as it often did with the Gallaghers, it quickly escalated into epic proportions. Liam later claimed, “I wasn’t going to let [Noel] walk all over me”, but Noel saw things differently. Liam took things too far, yet again, and Noel wasn’t going to put up with it anymore.
47. He Destroyed His Brother's Guitar
Liam, reportedly, came into Noel’s dressing room, brandishing one of Noel’s guitars "like an axe"—an axe he eventually smashed. That proved the last straw. Noel quit Oasis that night, forcing the band to cancel all remaining tour dates. Noel’s reason? “People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer”.
48. He Couldn't Take It Anymore
In a later interview, Noel expanded upon the issue, stating, “But I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends, and comrades has become intolerable”. Unfortunately, the band's breakup didn't dispel the animosity that lingered between them.
49. Their Drama Didn't End
In the following years, the Gallagher brothers have made headlines for verbally punching down on one another on several occasions, but one of the more serious dramas came about in 2019. Once again, their rivalry played out publicly—this time, over social media.
50. They Made A Mess On Social Media
In the summer of 2019, Noel's wife Sara MacDonald made some inflammatory comments about Liam in response to being asked if she was going to watch him at Glastonbury. According to Noel, Liam responded to the MacDonald's insult in an inappropriate way, messaging his daughter Anaïs, "Tell your step mam to be careful."
Noel made sure to bring the receipts, capturing the alleged exchange with a screenshot. But he didn't stop there.
51. He Apologized
Noel hit back at Liam's message to Anaïs, taking to social media to share his thoughts: "So you’re sending threatening messages via my teenage daughter now are you? You always were good at intimidating women though eh". However, the conflict seemed to find some kind of resolve when Liam stepped up and apologized on social media, writing, "My sincere apologies to my beautiful mum Peggy and my lovely niece Anaïs for getting caught up in all of this childish behaviour I love you both dearly".
Despite the neverending drama that has consistently plagued Oasis, there was still a light at the tunnel.
52. They Finally Reunited
For 15 years, Oasis lay in the ashes. However, like a Phoenix, it rose with a surprise announcement in 2024 that it intended to tour the summer of 2025.
So far, they appear to have buried the hatchet. However, with these two, only time will tell.
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