Noel Gallagher Credits Oasis Guitarist ‘Bonehead’ For Inspiring Reunion Tour: ‘None of This Would Have Happened’

Without the Gallagher brothers there is no Oasis. But during the second night of the band’s triumphant kick-off to its reunion tour, co-founder and songwriter-guitarist Noel Gallagher informed the 70,000-plus fans at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium that neither he nor his sibling and former rival, singer Liam Gallagher, could take credit for getting the band back together after a bitter 16-year break.

According to NME, while introducing the band members on Saturday night (July 5), Noel gave a nod to founding rhythm guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs, saying, “On guitar, if it wasn’t for him, none of this would have happened.” While Gallagher has not elaborated on what role Arthurs played in helping him to bury the hatchet with younger brother Liam, by all accounts the Gallaghers were elated to be sharing the stage with one another during the first two gigs of what is planned as a world tour.

With no advance press or interviews to promote the reunion, the story of what brought Noel and Liam back together again remains untold, with the Gallaghers seemingly more than happy to let their anthemic songs do all the talking for now.

Joined by longtime guitarist Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell and veteran studio/session drummer Joey Waronker, the brothers smashed it, kicking off their first tour since 2009 on Friday night by striding onto the stage hand-in-hand as the traditional show-starting song, “F–kin’ in the Bushes” blasted out over the P.A.

The band then proceeded to tear it up, playing a 23-song set heavy on beloved hits — “Hello,” “Acquiesce,” “Morning Glory,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Supersonic,” “Roll With It,” “Cast No Shadow,” “Live Forever,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” “Wonderwall” and “Champagne Supernova” — while also taking a moment to pay tribute to Liverpool football star Diogo Jota, who tragically died a day earlier.

The Oasis Live ’25 tour will move on to their hometown of Manchester, U.K. next, playing a string of shows at Heaton Park on July 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20.

This story was first published by Billboard U.S.