NME News

Bonehead: 'Oasis should have quit after Knebworth'

Departed guitarist speaks about band's legacy

June 2, 2009 | 19 Comments
Oasis news RSS feed
More Oasis news, reviews, videos and tour dates
Post this on Twitter or Follow NME

Former Oasis guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs has said that he believes the band should have quit after they played their two shows at Knebworth in 1996.

The Manchester band played in front of a combined audience of 250,000 at the two huge outdoor shows on August 10 and 11 that year – with Bonehead (who was still in the band at the time) saying it would have been a suitable point to end their career.

"I always thought we should have bowed out at Knebworth," he told the Guardian G2. "Walking out on that stage is a feeling I can't explain: a sea of people. Big!"

Speaking about why he left the band in 1999, he added: "It was the best job in the world but by the time we recorded [1999 album] 'Standing On The Shoulder of Giants' it wasn't enjoyable.

"My daughter was two days old and I was jumping on a flight. We'd made our money. We had big cars. We were renting out Christian Dior's mansion in France. That should have been fun, but it wasn't.

"Liam [Gallagher, singer] was on a drinking ban and I wasn't helping by not sticking to it. [Liam's brother, guitarist] Noel had his own problems."

Arthurs said he would not re-join the band, but would be interested in playing with them live.

"I'd never rejoin them," he asserted. "Not that I'd be asked. But for one gig? Absolutely. I still know the chords to 'Rock 'N' Roll Star'."

Oasis are set to kick off a series of three gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park on Thursday (June 4), with Liam Gallagher recently saying he hoped they would surpass Knebworth in terms of quality.

Share this story:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Reddit
Bebo

Follow NME on Twitter

More News:

Peter, Bjorn And John to re-open London Garage venue

PREVIOUS Peter, Bjorn And John to re-open London Garage...

Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr onstage together for 'Rock Band'

NEXT Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr onstage...

Buy NME Magazine right now

Subscribe here or get this week's issue delivered to your door

Comments (19)

Add a comment

WolfAmoungWolves

Jun 2, 2009

Probably true, but how many bands can you think of who actually quit when they should have, before their careers started to go down the pan? Sex Pistols, The Smiths, The Jam? Can't think of many others.

ed2005

Jun 2, 2009

In many ways, I have to agree. Those first two albums were amazing, unfortunately Oasis long ago descended into self-parody. So unfortunately have many of their fans - some of the folk who post on here seem to applaud the Gallagher brothers' every word, even when it's non-sensical. And people also need to learn the difference between 'still sell lots of tickets and records' and 'still actually being any good.'

DaveIndieBoy

Jun 2, 2009

Oasis are still a massively important band. For a lot of people (myself included) they're the reason they got into music in the first place. Yeah, there are better albums around than SOTSOG or Heathen Chemistry, but are there any better than Definitely Maybe or What's the Story...? I don't think so...

howarj

Jun 2, 2009

Not sure about The Jam quitting at the wrong time...Weller knew the score :)as for Oasis...well...they are still doing very well so why quit? number 1 albums, immediate sell out gigs....no need to quit yet. Sure they have their own personal issues/faults as do most...but lets face it they are churning out better music than most bands these days. But it's all down to personal opinion at the end of the day.

thisisnothing

Jun 2, 2009

Really? Thank God they're still around thatâ€™s what I say! Yeah they have had some weak moments - equal to that of some of highest points the typical pretentious bands so many people wank off on. We need a band like Oasis to be banging out some good olâ€™ Rock n Roll. I donâ€™t believe thereâ€™s another band out there who are straight down the line like they are. It makes me laugh, people that listen to the Kaiser chiefs and think the Arctic Monkeys are Gods, boo Oasis. Hahahahâ€¦ hahaha bless yourselves.

betterdan

Jun 2, 2009

ed2005, you might be right, you might be wrong. Probably wrong but can you just clarify something for me? If ticket and album sales do not count, how do we measure if a band is any good?

lambyUK

Jun 2, 2009

Ed2005. Your comment shows arrogancy on your behalf. You say some people applaud the Gallagher's every word, why shouldn't they? You obviously have the right to disagree with what they say, yet other people deserve the right to agree. Your comment about selling tickets and records is quite proposterous too. You understand the people who buy these records and go to their gigs enjoy themselves and obviously get some satisfaction in what Oasis do? For me, their recent album has actually proven that they are more than capable of putting out a quality record. I for one don't care if it cant compete with their earlier albums. Why should that matter if they are still capable of producing a record that many people can enjoy? There are not many bands around who can compete with their earlier days as a band. A band will often produce their best work when they have that hunger before fame and money takes over.

WolfAmoungWolves

Jun 2, 2009

Amazing how ed2005 accuses Oasis fans of being a self parody and then they come on here and are exactly that. I can't see why it's so hard to understand that there's a massive difference between 'still sell lots of tickets and records' and 'still actually being any good.' If there wasn't it would mean Take That, Boyzone and Westlife are the best bands in Britain, and Britain's Got Talent's the best TV show........ And just to clarify my point earlier, I was saying The Jam, The Smiths and Sex Pistols were the only bands I could think of who DID quit at the right the time (you could probably throw The Beatles in there too!)

Lotte25th5

Jun 2, 2009

Oasis' best albums were defiently their first two but no way should they have quit after 1996 because they've continued to make great music and in my opinion are one of the best bands in the world :)

ed2005

Jun 2, 2009

WolfAmoungWolves -I think you have hit the nail on the head! Betterdan and lambyUK have missed the point spectacularly, except to prove my point! Yes - there is personal opinion involved, but it's alternatively funny and worrying how people seem to appluad whatever Oasis say, no matter how ridiculous it is. 'Supersonic' remains one of the greatest tracks of the last fifteen years, and yet it was outsold by inferior singles at the time. And it seems even many of their fans still feel that their first two albums were the best. I cheered when 'Some Might Say' got to No.1 in 1995 - but the quality control went out the window.

lambyUK

Jun 3, 2009

Ed2005. Please enlighten me. Where have in my original post proved your point? Did i say anywhere that I agree with anything that comes out of Liam or Noel's mouth? Nope! I'm sorry, it is YOU who has missed the point. You have obviously ignored the positive comments Oasis have received above you and focused on the one negative that supports you. My point is simple, there are many many people who still enjoy Oasis' music, irrelevant of what you and what other crtics say. Surely this is more important than anything else? That their fans still enjoy their music? For that reason right there, its justifies them continuing after knebworth. I can tell you right now, I have enjoyed several of their albums since Morning Glory in 95'. Surely you must like a band out there that people think are shit or have gone down hill? I bet that does not put you off listening to them? No, of course it wont. It's because you get enjoyment from it, something that Oasis still provide to many fans. You state that there are fans out there who applaud everything the Gallaghers say? If you think that Oasis are the only band that this happens to then you are having a laugh. Every band has their hardcore fans that will defend them no matter what, not just Oasis. Right or wrong, it happens with every band. It's just that with the bigger bands you have a larger pool of people that you will notice.

betterdan

Jun 3, 2009

ed2005, I can't see that I have missed the point. The point is it comes down to personal choice/opinion and no amount of music snobbery will change that. There are great bands that sell tickets and those that don't , simple. As for hanging off every word the Gallaghers say, for better or worse, they generate debate. If they didn't NME wouldn't report evrything Noel says so you're as much to blame as anyone. As for self-parody, as an Oasis fan I hear that all the time from people who have read it in a review somewhere and I've never had it satisfactorily justified to me. Care to enlighten? I'm sure you will...

ed2005

Jun 3, 2009

You proved my point by getting worked up about it! Amazing that people are getting so worked up rather than actually agreeing or disagreeing with Bonehead's original comment. Muscially, Oasis are repeating themselves -which, as you so rightly point out is done by many bands. There is also a sense in which with the constant sniping at each other, Noel and Liam seem to do exactly what they have done for the last fifteen years. If a member of the band found that the fun was going, and he was clser to the action than most of the people reading and posting here, it confirms what many people are saying. If, however, oasis could produce something on a par with the first two albums and their attendant b-sides i would be happy to eat my words.

nightrip28

Jun 4, 2009

The problem with people who are not really into Oasis is that absolutley everything they do is compared to the first 2 albums. Yes Definitely Maybe is a great album but Morning Glory to me personally is not the best they have done by far. Part of the reason it sold so many was not just because of how good it was, it was alot to do with the hype. They were so big then that people went and bought the cd just because it was Oasis, not because of the songs. Noel has said himself that its not their best album by far it just paid for the drugs and everything else that went with that. Heathen Chemistry is one of the most under rated albums of recent years, if any other band had released that album it would have been heralded as the best album of the year but because it was Oasis and everything they do is constantly compared to the first 2 albums then it got luke warm reviews. If you look at the tracklisting and live those songs are better than alot of their stuff. Hindu Times is one their better live tunes and so is Born On A Different Cloud. Which brings me to their latest offering Dig Out Your Soul. Personally a great album with some stand out tracks I'm Outta Time is one of Liam's best tunes. Think beyond Morning Glory and actually listen to these albums with an open mind and forget what Oasis used to be and what they actually are now, musically so much better with Gem and Andy and they are all writing as a band now and not just an individual doing it all.

MartynDavenport

Jun 4, 2009

Jesus, as if this still happens. You're all as bad as each other. Why does such epic debate ensue every time those retarded Manc jokers are mentioned on here? Get over them. They are so massive because they have huge "That's catchy" appeal to middle of the road non-music fans. Leave them to it I say. Just get on with enjoying good music that they wouldn't understand and leave the Oasis disciples to their scruffy manc Jesus.

lambyUK

Jun 4, 2009

ed2005. I can assure, I was very calm whilst typing what I did. In fact, your arguement has supremely gone into obsurity with you claiming your point has been proven about fans getting worked up? At no point was your post about 'getting worked up'? Your orginal arguement was about Oasis fan's defending the gallaghers comments (not a critics comments i might add) and that they should have packed it in due to becoming a self parody. My simple response was that Oasis still have many fans who enjoy their must and thus justifying them continuing past Knebworth. You stating that you have proven your point to a standard response to a post you have created, when the said point has completely gone off a tangent is literally quite proposterous. Also, MartynDavenport, your comment alone lacks any sort of intelligence and basically shows you up for exactly who you are.

ed2005

Jun 4, 2009

lambyUK - I think you and I are going to have to agree to disagree. Nightrip28 - I persevered with the band until about 2002, but I wil listen to the recent albums and try give them the benefit of the doubt.

MartynDavenport

Jun 5, 2009

"Shows me up for what I am"? A music fan? And of course it lacks intelligence, I'm commenting on an Oasis article, I'm not aware of a topic involving them that requires any intelligence?

MartynDavenport

Jun 5, 2009

Also lambyUK, I wasn't aware that being of the opinion that Oasis are crap denotes a lack of intelligence, and it certainly doesn't warrant a personal attack on my character. I find it hugely entertaining that you feel you are able to judge someone solely on the basis of a comment on an internet news article.