Summary
- Oasis band members Lam and Noel Gallagher will reunite for a UK & Ireland tour in the summer of 2025.
- Liam Gallagher was banned for life from Cathay Pacific after a rowdy incident aboard flight CX171.
- Oasis rose to fame in the 90s, reaching UK number-one singles and releasing acclaimed albums.
While every band in history has periods when one member disagreed with another, Oasis band member, brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher took sibling rivalry to a new level. Unable to work together any longer, Noel Gallagher officially quit the band on August 28, 2009, just as they were due to perform at the Rock en Seine festival near Paris.
After 15 years of refusing to talk or have anything to do with each other, the Gallagher brothers announced yesterday that they were reuniting for a 14-date tour of the UK and Ireland in 2025. While rumors said that they would be headlining the Glastonbury Festival and playing at Wembley Stadium, the truth is that they will be performing in stadiums in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Dublin.
Cathay Pacific Flight Number CX171
Many of Gallagher’s spats have made headlines in newspapers around the world, but did you know that Liam Gallagher was banned from flying on Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific after allegedly threatening to stab one of the pilots? Following a brief stop in Hong Kong for a concert before flying to Australia, tensions in the band were running high and would boil over during a seven-and-a-half-hour flight to Perth in Western Australia.
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When the band boarded the flight, it was obvious to everyone else onboard that they had been drinking. From the get-go, it was evident that Cathay Pacific Flight CX171 was going to be a nightmare for other passengers and crew in business class. Oblivious to anyone else on the flight, Oasis band members smoked, swore, and threw objects at the cabin crew. At one point, the pilot considered diverting to another airport to throw the band off the plane but continued flying to Perth Airport (PER).
Cathay Pacific bans Liam Gallager for life
Following the flight, Cathay Pacific received numerous letters of complaint from other passengers who witnessed the band’s rowdy behavior. To address the complaints and after seeing Liam Gallagher being interviewed on television about the flight, Cathay Pacific told the Hong Kong China Morning News that Liam Gallagher was banned for life and that he would never fly on Cathay Pacific again.
Photo: Cathay Pacific
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Cathay Pacific spokesperson Chuck Fai Kwan said:
“Cathay Pacific has taken the decision to refuse any further carriage to Liam Gallagher and people known to have been causing a nuisance on the flight in question.
“Passenger safety is most definitely a priority at Cathay Pacific. We go to great lengths to ensure our operations are safe and never hesitate to take any necessary course of action when safety is in question.”
The incident aboard the Cathay Pacific flight was just the beginning of the band’s ill-fated Australia tour, with Noel Gallager attacking the public outpouring of grief following the death of Princess Diana in Paris. Then, to make matters worse, younger brother Liam harassed a young woman in Sydney and was then accused of headbutting a fan in Brisbane.
British backpacker Ben Jones, an Oasis fan, was taking a photo of Liam Gallager outside the band’s Brisbane hotel. The younger Gallager brother attacked Jones, headbutting him and then punching him in the face. Liam was arrested and released after posting a bail of 10,000 Australian dollars.
Photo: Cathay Pacific
Jones, a hospital porter from Devon, suffered a broken nose but dropped charges against Gallager in Australia, preferring to pursue a civil case in the United Kingdom. According to the BBC quoting the Sun newspaper, Gallager agreed to pay Jones £60,000 compensation.
About the band Oasis
In 1991, Liam Gallagher was asked if he wanted to join Liverpool’s alternative rock band Rain. Gallager said yes and suggested that the band change its name to “Oasis.” The newly named band performed its first gig at the Boardwalk Club in Manchester.
Liam’s older brother, Noel, was working as a roadie for the English rock band Inspiral Carpets but went to see Oasis play. Impressed by the band’s performance, Noel suggested that he join the band, become their songwriter, and commit himself to making Oasis a commercial success.
Oasis gets a record deal
After more than a year of performing shows in the Northwest of England, Oasis was spotted by Creation Records co-founder Alan McGee. Impressed by what he saw, McGee offered the band a record contract and set them up with a tour of the United Kingdom to promote their record “Supersonic.” The band’s third single, titled “Live Forever,” managed to make it into the top ten of the UK Singles Chart.
By the time Oasis released their first album, “Definitely Maybe,” on August 29, 1994, it had topped the album chart and became the fastest-selling number-one album in the UK. After a year of concerts and a tour of the United States, Oasis had its first UK number-one single with “Some Might Say.”
What’s the Story Morning Glory?
After adopting a softer sound, Oasis released its second album, “What’s the Story Morning Glory?” to worldwide acclaim. Two of the album’s songs, “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” became hit singles. The album also featured the hit song “Champagne Supernova,” with guitar and backing vocals by The Jam frontman Paul Weller.
Since childhood, the Gallager brothers performed their first outdoor concert at Maine Road on April 27, 1996. Now recording their third album at Abby Road Studios in London, the brothers’ quarrels with each other intensified. Despite the arguments, the band stayed together and continued writing songs and performing at worldwide venues.
Things eventually came to a head, and just before they were due to perform at the Rock en Seine festival near Paris, Noel walked out, saying that he could not work with Liam any longer.