Oasis Talk Knebworth

Oasis recently announced their largest UK shows since Knebworth, with former guitarist Paul Arthurs aka Bonehead looking back on the event in a new interview.

Despite being intricately associated with the Gallagher brothers, without Paul Arthurs there may not have been an Oasis. Nicknamed Bonehead, it was the guitarist love of music which lead him to form The Rain.

After the band's lead singer quit they recruited Liam Gallagher, who changed the name to Oasis. Arguing that his brother could write a few decent tunes, Noel Gallagher was asked to join and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bonehead worked, played and travelled with the band as they conquered the world. Five lads from Manchester, Oasis seemed unstoppable with their rise to the top as effortless as the arpeggio that opens debut single 'Supersonic'.

The band's high point comes at Knebworth, arguably one of the defining moments of British music in the 90s. Playing over two nights before an estimated audience of 250,000 the band seemed unstoppable.

Yet Oasis suddenly stalled, unsure of what to do next. Follow up album 'Be Here Now' was panned and when Bonehead left the group in 1999 Oasis were in crisis.

In a new interview the musician claims that Oasis should have quit after Knebworth. "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!"

"It was the best job in the world but by the time we recorded '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 was on a drinking ban and I wasn't helping by not sticking to it. Noel had his own problems".

However Arthurs did state that he would love to pay with the band again some day, even if I he was opposed to a full re-union.

"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 their massive UK tour on Thursday (June 4th).