Tony McCarroll, the original Oasis drummer, has talked about the 1995 incident that he claims led directly to his sacking.
McCarroll was a founder member of the group but was ejected from the band after playing on Definitely Maybe and the band’s next two singles, Whatever and Some Might Say.
As the group’s popularity mushroomed during 1994 he frequently clashed with Noel and Liam Gallagher, both of whom were openly contemptuous of what they perceived as the drummer’s limited abilities.
But according to McCarroll himself, it was the result of one incident in Paris in Spring 1995 that proved to be the final straw for his relationship with the brothers Gallagher.
Talking to The Sun, McCarroll said: “I was next door to Noel’s hotel room, which I didn’t know. I had an argument with some girl I was with and the next day we were doing the soundcheck. I just finished my bit, and he turned around and, in front of everybody, he went, ‘You f***ing keep me awake again, you’re getting f***ing sacked, mate’.
Tony added: “Probably the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I fronted him and said, ‘You won’t f***ing speak to me like that again, no chance’. It was only a matter of weeks later I got the P45.”
McCarroll claims that to this day he doesn’t regret standing up to Noel.
“What sort of man would it make me if I didn’t? Everybody was under threat every day, but it was just bravado. I never saw it being something serious like losing your position in the band.”
Of course, the drummer is being disingenuous if he thinks that that was the only reason he left Oasis. While McCarroll’s playing was passable on Definitely Maybe, for the more musically ambitious songs on (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? they sought a more proficient player.
Famously, it was Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs who neatly summed up the group’s feelings on the matter, saying: “There’s no guilt. If the five of us owned a chip shop, and he wasn’t putting enough batter on the fish or he was burning the chips, it’d be ‘Right, you’re sacked.’”
McCarroll later sued Oasis for unpaid royalties and came to a £550,000 settlement,. With that settlement came the agreement that he'd relinquish all claims on future royalties.
Despite this, Tony seems remarkably lacking in bitterness about the way things turned out, telling the Sun: “I wish I had a few more quid, but I’ve got to be proud and happy that I’ve made my mark.”
And he also expressed an interest in making up with Noel after all these years. “Would I sit down and have a cup of tea, a Rich Tea, with Noel, and go, ‘What the f*ck happened, mate?’ I would.”
