Now that the Oasis Live ’25 tour dates appear to have been fully rounded out with news that the Gallagher brothers will follow dates in the UK, the US, the UK again, Australia and South America with shows in South Korea and Japan, now we can turn our attention to the important business. That’s not what they’re going to play – it’s pretty nailed on this will be a greatest hits set leaning heavily on their first two records and surrounding B-sides and not so heavily on the later, more ploddy years. No, the big remaining question is about who will be playing onstage with them. One great idea, by me, is that it should be a revolving cast each night with the line-up announced football-style an hour before kick-off. Like so: “and joining Noel and Liam tonight.... (drum roll)... we’ve got Bonehead on guitar (huge cheer), Andy Bell on bass (big cheer), and Zak Starkey on drums (medium-sized cheer)!”. Come on, that would be great!
Who is going to be part of the band is a crucial factor of how these shows will come together, so vital that you hope Noel and Liam have already got a clear idea of the line-up so that the reunion isn’t over before it’s began because of a row about who should be playing bass. With a big cast of characters to choose from, it’s important that you know the many players who have passed through Oasis. We're here for you, and here’s your guide to the hardy souls who embarked on a tour of duty with the Gallaghers:
The Guitarists
Bonehead
A lynchpin of the classic Oasis line-up and the only member of the band to have a song titled after them in ...Morning Glory? offcut Bonehead’s Bank Holiday. A frequent guest and/or member of Liam’s backing band, it would be a shock not to see him onstage for at least a few of the shows next year.
Gem Archer
Former Heavy Stereo member Gem joined Oasis at the same time as Andy Bell, his playing adding a little more dynamism than Bonehead’s contributions and helping to turn Oasis into a more well-rounded musical entity, if a little less exciting than their original cut’n’thrust iteration. Given he’s played with both Noel and Liam since Oasis split, he’s surely high on the list for a role at the reunion shows.
Matt Deighton
One of a few curious cameos in Oasis history, Deighton joined the group as guitarist for three months in 2000, helping them complete a European tour after Noel had skulked off following a blazing row with his brother. Playing stadiums was quite the nice surprise for a man whose day job was playing in acid-jazz crew Mother Earth and he affably looked back on the jaunt speaking to Mojo a few years ago. “It was a lovely experience,” he said. “There were hugs when we parted at Victoria Station and, a week or two later, everyone, Noel included, went to see Peter Green play at the Borderline. It was very tidily left, very gentlemanly.”
The Bassists
Guigsy
It would be a huge surprise if the band’s original bassist featured. Guigsy hasn’t been involved in Oasis so long that he quit by fax, leaving the band in 1999 and keeping such a low profile ever since that every report of him being spotted is delivered with a degree of shock that he has somehow got a bit older.
Andy Bell
Bell was a key figure in the very scene Oasis were rebelling against when they emerged in 1994, guitarist and vocalist in shoegazing trailblazers Ride. But they were well suited when he replaced Guigsy on bass in 1999, with Noel looking to expand Oasis’s sound and Bell adding another layer to songs that were taking in more of a psychedelic-influenced rock’n’roll tinge. He settled into the role just fine, remaining a member until their split and then forming Beady Eye with Liam. He’s been on Ride duty since that band’s dissolution but his involvement next year remains a big possibility.
Scott McLeod
Certainly more likely than Scott McLeod, anyway. A member of Mancunian indie-rockers The Ya Yas, McLeod stepped in on bass when Guigsy had to take some time away from the band citing “exhaustion”. Despite appearing in the video for Wonderwall, though, he wasn’t cut out for Oasis’s rowdy ways, lasting only a few weeks and quitting midway through a US tour. “I think I’ve made a mistake,” he told Noel. “I think you have too,” came the reply. “Good luck signing on.”
The Drummers
Tony McCarroll
It would truly be something if Noel and Liam got their OG drummer involved. There’s a theory amongst fans that the band lost a crucial part of its rock’n’roll alchemy when the straight-playing, slightly out-of-time McCarroll was replaced with the more jazzy-handed Alan White. McCarroll played the drums like he was digging holes, no nonsense, no flair, leave that for the lads who fill it in. A sturdy and underrated foundational base for their huge anthems, and one that Noel spent a big part of Oasis’s early career trying to get rid of, and then did get rid of.
Alan White
McCarroll was the first to depart on what became a revolving door of line-ups around Noel and Liam, with even those two temporarily exiting now and then. In came Alan White, the younger brother of Paul Weller’s then-drummer Steve. White provided the rhythmic flourishes Noel was after, as you can hear on the octopus-limbed fills on Wonderwall, and he was behind the kit for some of their biggest moments – (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory, Knebworth, Glastonbury, numerous stadium shows. He also became Liam’s unofficial drinking partner, a role that once led to a huge brawl in a German bar. He departed after 2002’s Heathen Chemistry, his lack of interaction with the band since suggesting he won’t be called upon anytime soon.
Zak Starkey
It was only right that Oasis had a Beatles offspring in their number at some point, Ringo’s son becoming their third drummer after White’s departure. It wouldn’t be surprising if they’d got more Fab Four Juniors involved, maybe Sean Lennon on guitar, James McCartney on backing vocals, Stella McCartney as stylist. This was more than a good look, though – Starkey had long-established himself as a reliable man behind the kit before joining Oasis, coming into the band off of a long stint drumming in The Who.
Chris Sharrock
Sharrock came with a similarly good CV when he joined Oasis in 2008, having played with The La’s, The Icicle Works and Lightning Seeds, as well as a period playing with Robbie Williams. He played with Oasis through to that fateful, final punch-up in Paris and then carried on playing in Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The fact he’s played with Noel all the way through makes him a strong contender in the starting line-up next year.
The Others
But there’s also a chance that they'll make their selections from a wider pool of players, choosing from the sidemen who have got used to playing Oasis numbers in Noel and Liam’s solo projects over the last decade. Amongst those vying for a call-up are ex-Babyshambles man Drew McConnell, sometime Kasabian member Jay Mehler, Little Barrie’s Barrie Cadogen from Liam’s side, and bassist Russell Pritchard and drummer Jeremy Stacey from Noel’s outings. Or maybe everyone could be involved, with a bench at the side of the stage and everyone high-fiving in and out of play for their designated songs. One way or another, we’ll find out next summer.
