Who is Oasis' original drummer? The tragic story of the Gallagher brothers' former bandmate who will miss part of the £400m reunion tour

The highly anticipated news that Oasis will reunite for a series of concerts in 2025 has caused an uproar among fans.

It is likely to be an extremely lucrative deal with the Gallagher brothers, who are entitled to a hefty profit of up to 400 million pounds from the tour.

Liam, 51, and Noel, 57, are expected to make around £50 million each, but one person is likely to miss out: the band's former drummer, Tony McCarroll.

While he was a key member of the band during the 1990s, Tony spectacularly left the group in 1995 due to a falling out with Noel.

Many fans are questioning Tony's current whereabouts after noticing that his name is the answer to a question asked to fans as part of the tour ticket voting.

Here's everything you need to know about Oasis drummer Tony McCarroll…

Who is Tony McCarroll?

Born on 4 June 1971 in Levenshulme, Manchester, Anthony McCarroll was the original drummer of Oasis, joining the band in the 1980s when they were still performing under their old name The Rain.

During his time with the group, he contributed to their debut album “Definitely Maybe” in 1994.

He also appeared on the singles “Whatever”, “Supersonic” and “Shakermaker”, the latter of which became the first number one single from their hit album “What's the Story” “Morning Glory?”.

Over the years, Tony's drumming has been criticized by some Oasis fans who complained about his sloppy playing.

Why did Tony McCarroll leave Oasis?

He left the band in 1995 after a falling out with Noel Gallagher and four years later attempted to sue them for £15 million. The case was eventually settled out of court (pictured in 1999).

Soon after the release of Definitely Maybe in 1995, Tony sensationally left the band after a falling out with Noel, the Main songwriter and lead guitarist, during a tour.

His last appearance with Oasis was on Top of the Pops, when the band played their first number one hit, “Some Might Say.”

Noel became increasingly frustrated with Tony's drumming, particularly his inability to accurately reproduce complex rhythms and beats.

This led to a heated exchange in which Tony reportedly told Noel to fuck off, after which he was replaced by Alan White until 2004.

After leaving Oasis, McCarroll played with various bands, including a stint with The Boo Radleys.

In 1999, he attempted to sue Oasis for £18 million, using the services of Jens Hills – the same lawyer who had represented Pete Best in a £2 million settlement against the Beatles in 1995.

A high-profile legal battle followed, with McCarroll arguing that he was still entitled to his share of the band's five-album recording contract, and the case was settled out of court for £550,000 in compensation.

Tony said he decided to travel the world for three years to escape the attention Oasis was attracting as they rose to global stardom.

He told Manchester Evening News in 2019: “I was used to travelling and touring with the band. I just needed to get away.”

The band was getting bigger, which was good for them, but I needed to get away from all that stuff. So I started ignoring and neglecting some things and walked away.

“I lived in the US, in Tenerife. I was drunk for three years. At the same time, the court case was going on, so I'm trying to get away from it all, but I also have to deal with questions from lawyers 24/7.”

In 2010, Tony published his autobiography, The Truth: My Life as Oasis's Drummer, in which he reflected on his time with the band.

Where is Tony McCarroll now?

Tony has rarely been seen since the publication of his memoirs, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue (pictured: 2022).

Tony has been little seen since the publication of his memoirs, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue.

In 2021, Tony was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack.

He said on X: 'Hi everyone. I wanted to let you know that I was admitted to hospital on Thursday after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday night.'

“I'm not quite out of the woods yet but I want to give a huge shout out to our #NHS. We are more than lucky to have a service like this! Thank you!! X'

The musician's Twitter was soon flooded with messages from fans wishing him a speedy recovery.

He founded the band The Rain in the 1980s together with Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs (guitar), Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan (bass) and Chris Hutton (vocals/keyboards).

Bonehead invited Liam to join the band as lead singer in 1991 and he suggested changing the group's name to Oasis.

Liam's brother Noel came to their first gig at the Boardwalk Club in Manchester on 14 August 1991, while working as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets.

Noel then approached the group with a series of songs and plays to launch a major music career and complete the band's original lineup.

When will Oasis get back together?

Oasis sent fans into an uproar when they announced they would reunite for a series of concerts in 2025, following the Gallagher brothers' explosive falling out 15 years earlier.

After weeks of speculation about a surprise comeback, the Gallagher brothers have confirmed they will perform 14 shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin as part of their tour, which could raise £400 million.

Liam, 51, and Noel, 57, are expected to pocket around £50 million each, which will help them recoup much of the money they lost during their bitter divorce battles and revive their rock'n'roll lifestyle, which peaked in the 1990s.

The eight-figure sum is said to have prompted Noel – who once said: “I liked my mum until she gave birth to Liam” – to bury the hatchet with his younger brother. Liam has also spoken openly about being “tight” of money and complained that he now has to make his own tea.

Noel's divorce from Sara MacDonald last year after 12 years cost him £20 million of his reported £53 million fortune.

His net worth is said to be far higher than the alleged £6 million (approximately €6.4 million) that Liam allegedly has, as Noel wrote most of Oasis' songs and continues to collect the lion's share of royalties.

Although there is speculation that Oasis will be on the Glastonbury bill in 2025, it is clear that the band will not be performing at Worthy Farm. However, there are plans for Oasis to perform on other continents outside of Europe next year.

Announcing the Oasis Live 25 tour along with the first photo of the brothers together in years, the legendary band said: “The guns are silent. The stars are aligned. The great wait is over. Come and see it. It won't be televised.”

Oasis' website crashed immediately after the announcement as fans went into an uproar. The reunion comes one day before the band's split date of August 28, 2009.

The Britpop group, founded in 1991, became famous with hits such as “Wonderwall”, “Don't Look Back In Anger” and “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”.

They developed into one of the biggest bands in British music history before splitting up in 2009.

The brothers had successful careers separately, with Noel fronting the group Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.