Oasis has shared a thoughtful tribute to their guitarist Bonehead after the musician was forced to skip the next leg of the band’s tour to focus on cancer treatment.
Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs revealed in October that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and had been performing throughout the Oasis comeback tour despite privately battling the illness.
The rhythm guitarist then confirmed that he would be stepping away from the next leg of the rock band’s tour in Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney to focus on the next part of his cancer care.
He has also told fans that he plans to return to the stage for the final stage of the Oasis tour when they travel to Argentina, Chile and Brazil next month.
Although he wasn’t present in person, Noel and Liam Gallagher decided to make sure that he was still part of the tour by bringing a cardboard cut-out of the guitarist along with them.
Fans of the latest gig in Seoul shared images of the cutout on full display as Oasis played their set to another sold-out audience.
“Play it loud Amigos,” Bonehead also shared on social media, seemingly approving of his cardboard replacement.
The band also revealed that Mike Moore would be stepping in to fill Bonehead’s spot, playing with the band for the coming gigs, before Bonehead returns in November.
Oasis’ touching tribute to their long-term bandmate comes as the Mancunian legends kick off the Asian leg of their tour with a show in Seoul, South Korea, before jetting to Japan to play a further two shows in Tokyo.
The group have a further 12 shows before wrapping up almost half a year of performing around the world, with Oasis fans thrilled to see the brothers finally reunite for the much-anticipated comeback tour.
Bonehead only revealed his cancer diagnosis earlier this month, confirming that he was able to continue playing with the band for the first few legs of the tour.
“Early this year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer,” he wrote on his social media, adding: “The good news is I’m responding really well to treatment, which meant I could be part of this incredible tour.”
“Now I am having to take a planned break for the next phase of my care, so I’ll be missing the gigs in Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne and Sydney. I’m really sad to be missing these shows but I’m feeling good and will be back ready to go in time for South America.”
Naturally, Bonehead was inundated with supportive messages from friends and fans who praised the guitarist for his resiliency and resolve to continue playing alongside his bandmates.
Arthurs is one of the founding members of Oasis and has performed alongside the Gallagher brothers since the band’s creation in 1991. He also previously faced tonsil cancer in 2022, before confirming he had received the all-clear.
Earlier this year, Noel even credited Bonehead with playing an integral role in bringing the reunion to fruition.
Introducing Bonehead to the audience in Cardiff, Noel said: “On guitar, if it wasn’t for him, none of this would have happened.”
