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Oasis fans have been left reeling by the band’s long-awaited news that they will reunite for a series of shows in 2025.
It is expected to be a hugely lucrative deal with the Gallagher brothers set to receive an exorbitant fee for the tour, which could generate up to £400m.
Liam, 51, and Noel, 57, are expected to pocket around £50million each – but one person set to miss out on this opportunity is the band’s former drummer Tony McCarroll.
Although he was a key member of the band during their heyday in the 90s, Tony sensationally left the group in 1995 due to a disagreement with Noel.
Many fans have been questioning Tony’s current whereabouts, having noticed that his name is an answer to a question asked to fans as part of the tour’s ticket voting.
Here’s everything you need to know about Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll…
Who is Tony McCarroll?
Tony McCarroll (second pictured right) was part of the original line-up of Oasis, and the drummer missed out on a major coup for the band’s reunion after leaving the group in 1995.
Anthony McCarroll was born on 4 June 1971 in Levenshulme, Manchester, and was the original drummer of Oasis, having joined the band in the 1980s when they were still performing under their former name The Rain.
During his time with the group, he performed on their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994.
He also appeared on the singles Whatever, Supersonic and Shakermaker, the latter being the first number one single from his hit album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Over the years, Tony’s drumming came under criticism from some Oasis fans, who complained that his playing was sloppy.
Why did Tony McCarroll leave Oasis?
Following a falling out with Noel Gallagher, he left the band in 1995 and four years later attempted to sue them for £15m, with the case eventually being settled out of court (pictured in 1999).
Shortly after the release of Definitely Maybe in 1995, Tony sensationally left the band following an altercation with Noel, who was the band’s frontman. Main songwriter and lead guitarist, on tour.
His final performance with Oasis was on Top of the Pops when the band performed their first number one hit, Some Might Say.
Noel was becoming increasingly frustrated with Tony’s drumming, particularly his inability to accurately reproduce complex rhythms and time signatures.
This led to a heated exchange, in which Tony allegedly told Noel to fuck off, and he was replaced by Alan White until 2004.
After leaving Oasis, McCarroll played with several bands, including a stint with The Boo Radleys.
He then attempted to sue Oasis for £18m in 1999, employing the services of Jens Hills, the same lawyer who represented Pete Best, who won a £2m settlement from The Beatles in 1995.
This was followed by a high-profile legal case, in which McCarroll argued that he was still entitled to his share of the band’s five-album record deal, and the case was settled out of court for £550,000.
For three years, Tony said he chose to travel the world to avoid the attention of Oasis’ rise to global stardom.
In 2019, he told the Manchester Evening News: “With the band I was used to travelling, touring. I just needed to get away.”
The band was getting bigger, good for them, but I needed to get away from the whole thing. So I started to ignore and neglect some things and I walked away.
“I lived in the United States, in Tenerife. I got drunk for three whole years. But at the same time, the court process was going on, so I’m trying to get away from it all, but I also have to deal with questions from lawyers all the time.”
In 2010, Tony published his autobiography The Truth: My Life as Oasis’s Drummer, where he reflected on his time with the band.
Where is Tony McCarroll now?
Tony has rarely been seen since publishing his memoirs, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue (pictured in 2022).
Tony has rarely been seen since publishing his memoirs, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue.
In 2021, Tony was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack.
He said in X: ‘Hi everyone. I wanted to let you know that I was admitted to the hospital on Thursday after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday night.
“I’m not completely out of the woods yet, but I just want to give a huge shout out to our #NHS. We are beyond lucky to have a service like this! Thank you! X”
The musician’s Twitter account was soon flooded with messages from fans wishing him a speedy recovery.
He founded the band The Rain in the 80s, together with Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs (guitar), Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan (bass) and Chris Hutton (vocalist/keyboards).
Bonehead invited Liam to join the band as lead vocalist in 1991 and suggested they change the group’s name to Oasis.
Liam’s brother Noel came to see his first gig at the Boardwalk Club, Manchester on 14 August 1991 whilst working as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets.
Noel then approached the group with a variety of songs and works to launch a major musical career, completing the band’s original lineup.
When will Oasis reunite?
Oasis sent fans into a frenzy by announcing they would reunite for a series of shows in 2025, following the Gallagher brothers’ explosive feud 15 years earlier.
After weeks of speculation over a shock return, the Gallagher brothers have confirmed they will perform 14 shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin for a tour that could generate £400million.
Liam, 51, and Noel, 57, are expected to pocket around £50million each, which will go a long way towards helping them recoup money they lost during bitter divorce battles and rekindle their rock and roll lifestyle that peaked in the 1990s.
The eight-figure sum is said to have convinced Noel, who once said “I liked my mum until she gave birth to Liam”, to make peace with his younger brother. Liam has also openly spoken about being “short” of money, even complaining that he now has to make his own tea.
Noel’s divorce from Sara MacDonald last year after 12 years cost him £20million of his rumoured £53million fortune.
His net worth is believed to be much higher than Liam’s rumoured £6m, as Noel wrote most of Oasis’ songs and continues to collect the bulk of the royalties.
Despite speculation that Oasis will be on the Glastonbury 2025 bill, it is known that the band will not be performing at Worthy Farm. However, plans are afoot for Oasis to head to other continents outside of Europe later next year.
Announcing the Oasis Live 25 tour alongside the first photo of the brothers together in years, the legendary band said: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come and see it. It won’t be televised.”
Oasis’ website crashed immediately after the announcement and fans went into a frenzy. The reunion comes one day before the band’s split date of 28 August 2009.
Formed in 1991, the Britpop group rose to fame with hits such as Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger and Stop Crying Your Heart Out.
They became one of the biggest bands in British music history before splitting up in 2009.
The brothers went on to have successful careers separately, with Noel fronting the group Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
