After yet another (yawn!) sibling spat between the band's brothers, Noel and Liam Gallagher, the Brit-rock band finds its tour and jeopardized (yawn!) by yet another walkout.
This time it's older bro Noel, the group's guitarist and songwriter. He has left Oasis' European tour and returned to his England home.
Gallagher reportedly walked out Sunday, two nights before a sold-out show in Paris, telling his bandmates he's tired of touring and wants off the road. London's Mirror tabloid, however, blamed Noel's exit on brother Liam's drinking binges.
As with so many times before, Oasis representatives are downplaying the exit, insisting the alleged blowup doesn't mean the end of the oft-bickering band.
"Noel Gallagher has decided to quit overseas touring with Oasis...but intends to perform with the band for the scheduled U.K. dates later this summer," reads a statement on Oasis' official Website, www.oasisinet.com.
In the meantime, guitarist Matt Deighton, who has performed with Paul Weller and Mother Earth, will fill in beginning May 30 in Milan.
"Working in the new guitarist will mean losing some of the French shows, but we're confident we'll hit the ground running with a great live show in Milan," the statement continues. "All of the band's European and U.K. shows from Milan will go ahead as scheduled."
This latest world tour, in support of the tepid-selling Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (which nose-dived off the pop charts shortly after its release), has been troubled from the start. First, Liam went AWOL for several days before the tour kicked off in the States last fall. Then, the band was forced to call off a planned performance in Barcelona last Sunday after drummer Alan White came down with tendinitis.
With White sidelined and Noel Gallagher at home, Liam is the only original member of group still performing under the Oasis moniker. Gem Archer (formerly of Heavy Stereo) joined the lineup last year after Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan left the band.
Meanwhile, the band insists Noel will be back for the big dates at home: London's Wembley Stadium and festival appearances at Reading, Leeds and Glasgow.
In recent years the Gallaghers have become better known for their fights than their music. In 1996, Liam disappeared during the band's U.S. tour in support of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and flew back to England, forcing the band to cancel the remaining dates. The band said it would give up touring but continue "to exist."
The band decided to return to doing live gigs, but met with little success. Liam skipped an appearance on MTV's Unplugged, forcing Noel to take on vocal chores. And in 1998 the band's Australian tour imploded during still more infighting. That same year, Liam was sued for allegedly head-butting with a fan.
More recently, though, the boys purportedly made peace and gave up their hard-living ways to become respectable, stable family men.
Of course, based on the latest developments, that seems more like a mirage at this point.