Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs was the key person who kept Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher together amid fraught rehearsals and backstage tension ahead of their reunion tour. According to Noel, Bonehead was not only the glue bridging the brothers' differences but also the real sound of the band.
In the new film Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger, Noel is full of praise for his pal, who was with Oasis from their formation in Manchester in 1991 before quitting at the end of the Nineties.
Noel's praise for Bonehead's guitar style
Noel says: "I haven't played with Bonehead since 1997 so that was a big thing for me. When we were down in rehearsals, I had a bad back so I couldn't do a thing, I was just listening. I was like f***** hell I didn't realise he had a thing - f****** he's got a thing.
"He's a massive part of not only the sound but the dynamic of the band as well. He's also a pisstaking ****"
Looking back on Oasis continuing for another decade without Bonehead, Noel adds: "When he left in 1998 we spent 11 years chasing that sound. He is the f*****g sound of Oasis. All we can do is our jobs.
On-stage tribute and changing the narrative
On the second night of the tour, the Mirror previously reported how Noel praised Bonehead on stage. Speaking in the Cardiff gig, Noel said: "On guitar, if it wasn't for him none of this would have f**king happened in the first place, Mr Bonehead."
Noel's comments come in the new film which also shows how the Gallagher brothers had tension right up until the start of the reunion tour last year but are now on much friendlier terms. Noel thinks the tour also served to change the perception of the band.
He said: "The gigs were great because we made them great. Moving these people to tears and in turn it's moving you to tears. I turned my back a lot because you see fathers and sons, that gets me every time. You never get the chance to change the narrative - it was great, chaos. Now the story of the band is f**king great, chaos"
Tour's impact and future plans
Poignantly he adds: "This tour fixed a lot of things." The band are set to now imminently announce a new tour in 2027 with dates including the Etihad stadium in Manchester, Celtic Park in Glasgow and Knebworth as well as further dates in Europe.
On what the music means, Liam said: "The music, it's changed my life, and it's changed a lot of people's lives. I know we're an important band - I do know that. You can only do what you can do, we're not f****** superheroes.
Noel added: "People more than ever now want to escape. They want to be elevated out of their surroundings. And if you can do that, you should. As a songwriter you want to be writing songs that other people take from you."
Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger opens in IMAX and UK Cinema on September 9.
