Liam and Noel Gallagher are no strangers to public spats, but now it looks like they could end up in court as Liam announced he is suing his brother Noel over comments about the demise of Oasis.
Liam, now frontman with Beady Eye, has filed a high court action over Noel's claim that he pulled out of a 2009 headline performance at V festival due to a "hangover".
He also disputes claims by Noel, who was speaking at a press conference to promote his new solo album, that the band's split was partly due to an argument over whether Liam could advertise his Pretty Green clothing range in the concert programme.
Liam is now demanding a public apology. The singer told the Sun: "I have taken legal action against Noel Gallagher for statements he made claiming Oasis pulled out of the 2009 V festival Chelmsford gig because I had a hangover. That is a lie and I want Oasis fans and others who were at V to know the truth."
Liam insisted Noel was aware he had laryngitis, which was diagnosed by a doctor. According to the statement, Noel's comments went "way beyond rock'n'roll banter and questioned my professionalism. I tried to resolve this amicably but have been left with no choice but legal action. All I want is an apology."
Noel has yet to respond to the suit, although he has expressed regret over Oasis' split in a recent interview with Absolute Radio. "We could maybe have [just] all gone off and done other things for a few years," he said. "It was a hasty decision … If I had my time again I'd have thought about it a bit more and gone back, done the gig, done the next, there was only two gigs left on the tour."
If they had simply agreed to a hiatus, Noel explained, Oasis could have returned to the project in a renewed, relaxed – and even nostalgic – way. "In my own head the 2015, 20-year anniversary of (What's the Story) Morning Glory is looming," he said. "We could have maybe come back, made a new album and played that album in its entirety and gone and been the greatest thing ever, but there you go."
The possibility of such a reunion now looks exceedingly remote.
