Noel reveals reasons for Oasis split

The guitarist, launching his solo album, finally broke his silence about his departure, explaining that it spiralled from a squabble about brother Liam’s demands for a free plug for his clothing range.

Noel quit the group in 2009 after years of tension between the pair.

He said that on the night of his departure – which led to the cancellation of a headline slot at a Paris festival – Liam stormed into the dressing room wielding a guitar like “an axe”.

“He nearly took my face off with it,” he said.

Noel revealed that tensions had been heightened on the night of the Paris showdown because the band had been forced to cancel a headline slot at the UK’s V festival because Liam had failed to show up due to “a hangover”.

Noel said he regretted the way the band ended, splitting with just two shows to play. He added that if the group had finished the tour and had time to reflect, “we’d never have split up”.

Noel is to launch his post-Oasis career with a new album, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, on October 17, the first of two albums which have been completed. The second will follow next year.