Why did Oasis really split? Inside Liam and Noel Gallagher's vicious feud and mum's heartbreak
Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher appear to have put their decades-long spat behind them as they tease the ultimate comeback - but where did it go wrong for the stars?
The feuding brothers seem to have finally put their differences aside to give Oasis fans what they've wanted for far too long.
Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are set to reform in 2025 for a string of sell-out live shows, with reports suggesting the band could headline at Glastonbury. Alongside gigs in their hometown of Manchester, they could even take over Wembley Stadium for a record-breaking 10 nights.
Youngest brother Liam sent fans into a frenzy last night when we tweeted "I never did like that word FORMER" before he and Noel both shared a cryptic video of the date "27/08/24 8am" - which was also streamed from The Blossoms gig in Wythenshawe Park, confirming a big announcement is about to be made.
It comes after Liam recently took the band's Definitely Maybe album - which featured classics Rock 'n' Roll Star, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Supersonic that thrust the group into the limelight back in August 1994 - on tour, but there was no sign of Noel on stage.
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The pair notoriously shared spats and bust-ups throughout the duration of their time together in the band and even after Noel quit in 2009, they couldn't help but exchange savage remarks about one another in interviews and online, with Liam's later attempts to reconcile famously going amiss. Here, the Mirror takes a look back at how their longstanding dispute began and Liam's desperate call to get back together again...
What went wrong?
Liam, 51, and his older brother Noel, 57, had major tensions ever since Oasis hit the big time in the 1990s. The first notable cracks in the relationship between the pair emerged on their first American tour in 1994, where Liam frequently changed the lyrics of Noel's songs to annoy both his brother and American listeners.
This resulted in a physical clash between the boys and a chair being thrown, prompting Noel to abruptly quit the tour. Similar anger emerged a year later during recording sessions, as Liam invited an entire pub's worth of people to the studio where the band were working and this considerably riled Noel - so much so that he hit Liam with a cricket bat.
During the same period, the brothers were interviewed by music mag NME but couldn't refrain from repeatedly telling each other to "F**k off" in a rather memorable spat. The next bust-up came in 1996 as Oasis' MTV Unplugged performance arrived and Liam pulled out at the last minute, but viewed from a VIP box and heckled Noel as he sang his brother's parts.
Things appeared to calm down until the time the new millennium came but a tour in Spain saw a drunken altercation occur between the pair. Noel punched his brother and split his lip open after Liam questioned the paternity of Noel's child with Meg Matthews, Anais. This even prompted Noel to briefly depart the band before returning days later.
Liam went on to have what Noel described as a "diva fit" when performing in Japan by acting up and walking off of the stage during the show. However, the final straw came for Noel in 2009. Their simmering rivalry boiled over on August 28, 2009, when the lead guitarist and songwriter sensationally quit the band ahead of a gig in Paris.
Noel said in a statement that he couldn't work with Liam for "a day longer". The elder Gallagher had said of Liam to NME: "I don't know who the guy is who's in these interviews, he seems really cool, because the guy I've been in a band with for the last 18 years is a f**king knobhead."
Solo careers and reunion attempts
Noel went on to have a successful solo music career and created a new band, The High-Flying Birds, in 2011. However, Liam couldn't shy away from a dig and referred to them on Twitter as the "High-Flying Turds".
Liam has also won plaudits for his solo efforts since Oasis was wound up, including 2017 album As You Were. While time can be a healer, the rift between the brothers did not seem to have softened by 2016 when the documentary film Supersonic about the band was released.
When Liam was previously asked about the prospects of Noel turning up to the premiere, he said: "Oh no, Noel won't be here. He's in one of his really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really big houses. Probably eatin' tofu while havin' a face peel, isn't that right, man of the people?"
The following year, there were renewed hopes of a reunion for the Manchester One Love concert that saw their home city remember the lives lost in the Manchester Arena bombing. However, when the reunion failed to materialise, Liam took to Twitter to blame his brother.
Liam tweeted: "Manchester, I'd like to apologise for my brothers [sic] absence, last night…. It ain't about Oasis, it's about people helping other people and he's once again shown his true f**king colours." Since then, Liam has continued to speak about his desire to patch things up, even if just for their mother's sake.
Speaking to Radio 1 in 2017, he said: "I’ll speak to him some day. It's all very sad, but we'll get over it… I guess it mustn't be nice for my mum." And speaking to DJ Jo Whiley on Radio 2, Liam said: "Our kid [Noel] has been called many times to get the band back together.
"It just so happens this time he wants it is when he has an album out. The way I see it, I won't be calling him, he will be calling me. I want him to call. It would be lovely for my mum. I'm not arsed about the band. It would be lovely for two brothers to be talking and for my mum.
"The families have not seen each other and my kids haven't seen his kids, I haven't seen his kids, all that would be great. And then maybe we could get the band back together or maybe not but that would be nice."
During Liam's Reading slot this weekend, he performed a series of Oasis hits from their debut album. Introducing Half The World Away, which featured on their debut and became the theme tune to sitcom The Royle Family, he told revellers: "I wanna dedicate this song to Noel f**king Gallagher." A source has suggested that Noel finally changed his mind about a reunion after a late night phone call.
A source told The Sun : "Noel and Liam are never going to be the best of friends but they want to bring Oasis back for the fans. They aren't getting any younger and the demand is huge. They decided it was now or never. Noel dug his heels in for a long time but has finally caved and agreed to return. He spoke to Liam on the phone and they are on the same page. They know this reunion will go down in music history."
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