Everyone knows about the beef, the breakups, and the now the makeup. But what about when the law gets involved? When Oasis announced they were getting back together last year, it was a welcome surprise. But no-one will have been more shocked than Judge Martin O’Dwyer, who ruled on Liam Gallagher’s divorce case in 2015 following his split with ex-wife Nicole Appleton.
As he handed down his judgement, the now retired judge observed: “[Liam] says there are no plans to reform and, although he would like to do so, he does not anticipate there is a possibility currently.” Good thing Judge O’Dwyer used the word ‘currently’. That all changed in 2024, and last night Oasis played their first London gig in 16 years.
As we are celebrating all things Oasis, let’s have a look through the legal archives for all things court and crime related.
Noel’s ‘haunted’ youth – 1970s/80s
In a 2021 interview with the Daily Mirror, Noel said he had been ‘arrested a few times for shoplifting, robbery’ while growing up in Manchester. The Oasis guitarist compared family life to sitcom The Royle Family ‘but with added violence and tension’, at a time with unemployment rife when his mum was working two jobs to make ends meet.
Noel said the arrests still ‘f**king haunt’ him, but he knew he was not destined for a life of crime because he kept getting caught. “If I’d have got away with it a bit more I might have been like a proper gangster, but I was sh** at it,” he added.
Liam settles over Oz headbutt – 1998
Oasis are generally considered to have reached peak Oasis between 1994 and 1996. Not to say it was totally downhill from there, but they certainly started running into more controversy. In 1998 Liam was reported to have settled for £60,000 over an alleged headbutting incident with a British backpacker in Brisbane, Australia.
All criminal charges were dropped and the dispute was sorted out in the UK. Reflecting on the incident in 2017, Liam told Junkee.com: “I’d do it all a-f***ing-gain.”
Sacked drummer’s £550k settlement – 1999
It was March 1999 and the stage was set for a sensational high court battle involving Britain’s most successful band. The Gallagher brothers were set to give evidence after former drummer Tony McCarroll sued for compensation over his April 1995 sacking after a fight in Paris and alleged displeasure with his drumming skills, reported The Guardian at the time.
Sadly for British pop history, the case was over in a few minutes.
Tony featured on the band’s debut album and went into court looking for £18 million, with 20 per cent on any future royalties. With the help of his barrister Jen Hills, who had won £2 million for early Beatles drummer Pete Best, they then asked for £1.2m. That was laughed off by the band too, but the parties settled on £550,000 before anyone could take the stand.
Liam’s Munich brawl – 2002
After his brush with Australian police in the late 1990s, Liam got in trouble with local law enforcement again while touring to Munich in Germany. The band was fined a whopping £160,000 over a nightclub brawl that cost Liam two of his front teeth. Twenty armed officers were called after a fight broke out between the band and a group of Italians at a five star hotel, The Independent reported.
Liam sues Noel then Noel sues Liam – 2011
It was another court case for the ages that never was.
In August 2011, Liam 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’. Liam insisted Noel was aware he had laryngitis, which was diagnosed by a doctor.
Liam said in a 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’.
Then in November 2011, The Daily Mirror reported the contents of papers – filed by Noel in defence of a libel action by Liam – claiming Liam tried to attack him, wielding a guitar ‘like an axe’.
It seems the high court battle just fizzled out.
Liam’s £10.8m divorce – 2015
Failed marriages can be expensive, especially for rock n roll stars. In 2015, Liam and ex-wife Nicole Appleton spent £800,000 on legal fees at the Central Family Court in London following the end of their five year marriage in 2013, reported the BBC at the time.
During the hearings, Liam told the judge he wanted to re-enter the music business but there was ‘no prospect’ of it happening at the time. In the end, Judge O’Dwyer ordered the couple split their £10.8m in assets equally, with each half receiving a cool £5.4million.
Noel’s Range Rover goes Supersonic – 2023
It was an odd case. Despite not knowing how to drive, Noel was convicted of speeding and handed six penalty points after his chauffeur-driven Range Rover was clocked doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in West London in October 2022.
Noel ended up being prosecuted when police letters were not responded to, in a mix-up blamed on a Christmas postal strike. At Willesden magistrates, Noel pleaded guilty in writing to the offence and was issued with six penalty points, a £742 fine, and costs and fees totalling £396, reports The Evening Standard.
Ticketmaster scandal – 2024
When Oasis announced they were getting back together for a reunion tour, there was always going to be a rush for tickets. Millions of people around the world logged on to Ticketmaster when they went on sale last August But now that process is under the microscope, with the UK watchdog investigating the company’s use of ‘dynamic pricing’, reports The Guardian.
In March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published concerns that Ticketmaster may have misled fans, some of whom paid more than £350 for tickets with a face value of £150. In response, Ticketmaster said it had made changes to ‘some aspects’ of its ticket sales process, but the CMA said there is a disagreement about whether they infringed consumer laws.
Oasis have previously said the band did not know dynamic pricing would be used, and had left pricing decisions up to promoters and management.
Things Oasis haven’t been sued for
This last bit doesn’t involve any court cases, but we had to give mention to some of the celebrity feuds and comments we’ve seen from the Gallagher brothers over the years. None of them have started a defamation suit, as far as we know. Good thing there’s an honestly held opinion defence…
- Liam on Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant. “He looks like a f**king balloon with a fucking Weetabix crushed on top. He’s better off as a skinhead, isn’t he?”
- Noel on the Spice Girls on Morning Live. “Fat slags.”
- Noel on Lewis Capaldi. “Chewbacca.”
- Noel on Little Mix. “Little Mix, with the greatest respect, are not in the same league as Oasis. Not even in the same f**king sport.”
- Liam on Kanye. “Kanye West. Utter sh*t.”
- Noel on One Direction. “F**king idiots.”
- Noel on Kyle. “Demonic little idiot.”
- Noel on Maroon 5 after finding out the band was inspired by Oasis. “How the f**k have you got Maroon 5 from what I’m doing?”
- Liam on Mumford and Sons. “They look like f**king Amish people.”
- Liam on Victoria Beckham. “She can’t even chew chewing gum and walk in a straight line at the same time, let alone write a book.”
- Liam on U2. “Beige f**ks.”
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