Songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher has quit Oasis, saying he could no longer work with his brother Liam, the rock band's singer. "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," he wrote in a statement on the Oasis website. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer." The band, from Manchester, was a key member of the so-called Britpop movement in the 1990s with a series of hit singles such as "Wonderwall" and "Roll With It". However, they were in the news as much for their rock-and-roll lifestyle as for winning music awards.
The volatile Gallagher brothers have previously fallen out and speculation had been rife about a possible break-up after the band's failure to appear at the V Festival in Chelmsford, south-east England, last Sunday. Liam Gallagher, writing on his Twitter page, denied media reports that the band had played its last British gig. Viral laryngitis was blamed for their no-show. However, the combo failed to play at a concert in Paris on Friday and Noel apologised to fans about forthcoming shows.
"Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan," he said on the website. About 30,000 people attended the sell-out "Rock en Seine" event in Paris. Oasis were due to play in Germany today and in Italy on Sunday. * Reuters