Oasis was on the verge of breaking up as early as 1994. They played a disastrous, drug-fueled gig at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go in Los Angeles where brother bandleaders Liam and Noel Gallagher fought right there on the stage. Liam paced the stage without singing. He threatened the audience and then hit Noel in the head with a tambourine. Finally, mercifully, the gig ended.
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Noel quit the band and disappeared. He reemerged after writing “Talk Tonight,” and the band survived. The tumult continued, though, and like the Sex Pistols before them, the media antics of the band threatened to overshadow the music. But, Noel continued writing anthems, and Oasis survived self-sabotage long enough to begin filling stadiums.
Definitely Maybe was released on August 29, 1994, and shot straight to No. 1 in the UK—setting the record for the fastest-selling debut album in the country’s history. It’s considered by many to be one of the greatest British rock albums of all time.
The following year, Oasis returned with (What’s the Story) Morning Glory. It spent 10 weeks at No. 1 in the UK and was the band’s breakthrough in the United States. The only thing that could stop the Manchester brothers would be themselves.
Beyond Bad Behavior
In 1996, Oasis was scheduled to play MTV’s Unplugged. Liam didn’t feel like singing, and so he didn’t. Instead, he heckled his own band from the audience while Noel sang lead and led the group through the high-profile performance.
The Oasis albums following the one-two punch of Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory were uneven and bloated. Because of their popularity at home, all seven Oasis albums topped the UK charts. Even with continued commercial success, the rock ’n’ roll ship was sinking while the group poked holes in the floor.
Things reached a peak with two sold-out shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2000. Liam showed up drunk and intent on sabotaging the performance. Noel called the Wembley shows the lowest point in Oasis’ career. The ’90s and Britpop were over. Oasis was losing relevance. Both brothers were in the middle of failing marriages. Liam tried and failed to kick drugs and alcohol. Noel replaced his cocaine addiction with valium. The only certainty at this point? Impending disaster.
[RELATED: Liam Gallagher Will Celebrate Oasis’ ‘Definitely Maybe’ on Tour for Its 30th Anniversary]
The concert film Familiar to Millions documents the first night at Wembley. The plan was to use the first evening as a warm-up show for a live broadcast the following night. But Liam’s performance on night two was atrocious. The band used vocal takes from a concert in Japan as a substitute for Liam’s mess. The concert film was cobbled together from the best performances on opening night.
Backstage before a set at the 2009 Rock en Seine Festival in Paris, an argument erupted between the brothers. Liam wanted to advertise his clothing line, Pretty Green, in the band’s tour program. Noel said, “…I didn’t think it was right for him to be flogging his gear to our fans.” At the time, Oasis had received bad press for canceling a headlining slot at the V Festival in the UK. The official statement said Liam was diagnosed with laryngitis. But rumors persisted that Liam was hungover and failed to show up.
Upset by the coverage, Liam raged backstage in Paris, picked up a plum, and threw it at Noel. It smashed against the wall, and Liam stormed off. He returned to the dressing room, swinging Noel’s coveted vintage Gibson ES-355 guitar. Noel said Liam was “wielding [the guitar] like an axe.” And “nearly took my face off with it.” The guitar was busted up, and so was Oasis. Noel walked out and quit the band. Oasis was over.
Quit While You’re a Brat
Reflecting on the split, Noel acknowledged Oasis had lost all momentum. They had become a legacy act. Breaking up the band ended the middling phase of their career. With the end of Oasis, a legend was restored, and they’re remembered as one of the greatest British rock bands in history.
Liam has carried on with public verbal abuse toward his brother. At the same time, he continues to push for a reunion. For years, Noel has said an Oasis reunion would never happen. At the time of this writing, however, Noel sounded open to the possibility.
Like The Smiths before them, it’s probably better if a reunion doesn’t happen. There’s no way to capture the magic of the early days. The 2000 Wembley disaster was a colossal example of how pathetic things had become.
When Oasis burst onto the scene, Liam’s swagger was part of the band’s appeal. In his prime, he was the coolest rock star on the planet. And Noel was churning out a run of hit songs that became de facto national anthems. But the music scene changed, and British culture moved on.
Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
