Liam Gallagher reflects on aftermath of brother Noel leaving Oasis: ‘My life caved in’

The Gallagher brothers went their separate ways after a backstage brawl in 2009

Liam Gallagher has shared his perspective on the altercation with his brother Noel Gallagher that marked the end of Oasis, while also making one big promise to fans of the band.

The singer-songwriter, 51, has had an infamously combative relationship with older brother Noel, 56, for decades, despite previously being close collaborators.

In 2009, the rock group, formed in the 1990s, disbanded after Liam and Noel clashed backstage at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris.

In a new interview with The Guardian, the singer reflected on their split, claiming that his life “caved in” when Noel decided to leave the band, and said he was surprised Noel cites his rowdy behaviour as a reason for ending the band as “that was my behaviour since day one”.

Liam explained: “That’s what made Oasis what it was. I wasn’t any different, but all of a sudden, he’s turned into Ronan Keating or some soft c***, going: ‘We can’t have that behaviour.’”

Noel announced his departure from Oasis in a statement posted on the band’s website, saying that he “simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer”.

He formed his band, Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, the following year, and continued to achieve commercial and critical success.

Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher (Getty)

Meanwhile, Liam states that his experience after the band’s loss of Noel, who was the lead songwriter and creative influence, was an “absolute nightmare”.

He explained: “I was sitting at home with no management, no office, and no one to really speak to, while Noel was still walking into his big management office having everyone running around after him, getting smart and dissing people.

“Looking back with hindsight, you can go: ‘You’re a big boy’ and all that, but when you’ve had all that stuff for 20 years… I could barely tie my shoelace let alone run my business or my life. All that support was taken away, but little Noely G had it all still there.”

When asked whether he’d do anything differently if he could revisit the day of their final fight, Liam referred to Noel and the band’s manager Marcus Russell and stated: “Yes, I’d fill ’em both in... They threw me under the f***ing bus. All my life caved in.”

Liam and Noel Gallagher performing as part of Oasis in 2009 (DDP/AFP/Getty)

On the other side of the battle, Noel added fuel to their brotherly feud in August by referring to Liam as Oasis’s “tambourine player”.

“Towards the end of Oasis you were always stepping into the unknown because the tambourine player was a bit of a loose cannon and it was like, ‘Well is this gig gonna finish?’” he quipped during an interview on Radio X.

Though Liam has continued to make music, and will release a joint album with The Stone Roses’ John Squire later this year, he has remained a champion of Oasis’s music.

He is set to perform the band’s 1994 debut album, Definitely Maybe, in an arena tour and at Reading and Leeds festivals later this year.

Elsewhere in the interview, he issued an assurance to Oasis fans concerned about the status of the band’s back catalogue. The musician noted: “There’s no way I’m letting Oasis turn into one of these [bands] where you just wrap an album in cellophane every 10 years.”