With Bonehead reportedly set to join the reunited Oasis line-up, check out the guitarist looking back on his time with the band and their history with NME.
The legendary Mancunian band comprised of brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher announced yesterday (August 27) that they have finally put their differences aside and are set to embark on their first run of live shows in 16 years next summer, dubbed ‘OASIS LIVE 25’.
The tour is currently scheduled to stop at Manchester’s Heaton Park, London’s Wembley Stadium, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Croke Park, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.
The musician has been involved in Liam Gallagher‘s live show for a number of years – had to step away from the ‘Wonderwall’ singer’s previous tour following his cancer diagnosis. He was previously diagnosed with tonsil cancer in April of 2022 and has since announced that it is gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw9kJUcFe0I
Back in April 2013, Bonehead joined NME in the NME archives to look back at previous Oasis magazine covers. While looking at the cover from June 1994, the guitarist shared: “It’s a picture of Liam in the Oasis bar if you can see that. That was in the bar in the hotel we were staying at in Portsmith I think it was. There’s a picture here with the caption ‘There’s nothing more revolting than a stool in a pool.”
He continued: “I remember coming back from the gig and it just turned into chaos. The bar in the hotel, from what I remember, there was a bar like there and directly in front of it was a swimming pool. So there was a pool in the bar and the barman decided to leave his post at one point. He probably nipped to the office to do what he did and that was our cue to just leap over the bar.
“Bottles of whiskey were taken, Brandy’s, went down into the pool, doing backstrokes drunk and of course when Bonehead jumps into the pool, chairs are going to follow. So there’s a picture, I think theres a quote somewhere here, ‘The swimming pool has been cleared of chairs and Bonehead and everyone decides logically that it is the hotel’s fault anyway its a stupid place to put a pool innit, frowns Liam. Just asking for trouble.”
Bonehead continued: “On a scale of one to 10 on Oasis nights out, I’d say that was probably a six. On an Oasis scale, we’ve had a few 10s and that doesn’t come close. To get on the front cover of the NME was something you dreamed of. I remember going out and buying the NME. I’ve still got a copy and I’ve got a huge scrapbook at home with all of the covers, yeah, brilliant thing.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKtFGC53TcQ
The guitarist also reflected on attending and being a part of the NME Awards and their rivalry with Blur. “In 1995, there was a massive, well everyone would day there was a massive rivalry between Blur and Oasis which I don’t believe there was, I think it was a huge press make-believe rivalry. I mean, when we’d bump into Damon in town or Graham or Alex you know, we’d sit them a chat and everything was alright.
“There was a few nights out around London and I bet Liam would bump into whoever, Damon or Alex and generally we’d be drinking at places and meeting and the atmosphere was always alright, you know, and we all got on. But put Liam in front of a camera with Damon next to him, and Liam being Liam, he would rise to the occasion.
“I think the press would like to make it this big thing. I think it was pretty healthy. You know, create a buzz around it all and people would be like ‘What’s this big rivalry between Oasis and Blur’.”
The former Oasis guitarist also took the time to reflect on the day he decided to depart from the band and the NME headline which broke the news to the nation.
“As you can see from the headline, ‘Oasis exclusive, bye bye Bonehead. Noel: we let him go’, Did you?,” he read, adding “That’s related to the fact that I just put out a statement saying that I had left the band after all the years I’ve been with them.”
“To be truthful, I think the fun had gone. The fun had gone for me and I could see at that stage when I left, he said. “Everyone had their personal problems which would sort of scale great heights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkNARlj_PUc
“I just thought ‘This isn’t fun, no one is smiling, they’re not laughing.’ You cant forget why you got into this and why you joined a band and why you picked up a guitar in the first place.”
Yesterday’s tour announcement said the confirmed dates “will be the band’s exclusive European appearances”. Additionally, reports in The Guardian and Somerset Live also claimed that they would not be headlining the festival next year.
Now, Oasis have responded to the the whispers about Glasto in a post on social media. “Despite media speculation, Oasis will not be playing Glastonbury 2025 or any other festivals next year,” it began. “The only way to see the band perform will be on their Oasis Live ’25 World Tour.”
Group portrait of British rock band Oasis at Nomad Studios in Manchester, United Kingdom, 29th November 1993. L-R Noel Gallagher, Paul Arthurs (aka Bonehead), Paul McGuigan, Tony McCarroll,Liam Gallagher. (Photo by James Fry/Getty Images)
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.