Noel Gallagher Leaves Oasis

Noel Gallagher, the principal songwriter and guitarist for Oasis, has announced that he’s leaving the band.

“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight,” Gallagher wrote on the band’s website. “People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”

Liam is his brother Liam Gallagher, the band’s lead singer. The brothers formed Oasis in the early ‘90s, becoming international superstars with albums like Definitely Maybe and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? But even during the best of times, the brothers were known for their contentious relationship.

Tensions within Oasis are nothing new, but there have been warning signs in recent months of escalating tension. In April, Noel mentioned that he wanted to spend time focusing on his first solo record rather than write the follow-up to the band’s 2008 album, Dig Out Your Soul. Then this week, Oasis cancelled two festival shows, and NME reported that the Gallagher brothers had gotten into a dustup right before one of the shows, with Liam reportedly breaking Noel’s guitar.

Because of the band’s reputation for being attention-seeking hotheads, it’s hard to know if there will be an eventual reconciliation between the two men. But for now, Oasis have lost their creative linchpin.

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Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images.