Former Oasis bassist Andy Bell has seemingly confirmed that he'll be returning to the stage with Noel and Liam Gallagher on this summer's reunion tour. Bell, who's currently part of shoegaze stalwarts Ride and played with Oasis between 1999 and 2009, recently commented on the reunion in an interview with Austrian newspaper Oe24, and stated, “I’m in, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
He continued, “We'll see each other on tour. Or rather, you'll see me – I'll hardly be able to see you in the audience.”
The Gallagher brothers have not yet confirmed Bell's participation – however, his long-rumored involvement has been confirmed by sources close to the band speaking to NME.
Alongside Bell, other musicians involved with the Gallagher brothers at different points in their careers are expected to join – including Oasis and Beady Eye alumnus (and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds six-stringer) Gem Archer, Oasis co-founder, rhythm guitarist (and occasional bassist/keyboardist) Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, and drummer Joey Waronker – who has time with R.E.M. and Roger Waters on his CV.
Bell joined Oasis back in 1999, replacing Paul McGuigan, who had quit during the recording sessions of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, the band's fourth album. At the last minute, Bell, originally a guitarist, had to learn bass and learn the breadth of Oasis' catalog before his first show with them.
“I hadn’t played bass to any great degree before I tried out for Oasis,” he told Guitar World in a 2023 interview. “So when I was invited to come out, when I got on the plane, I didn’t have a bass. So I couldn’t even try to learn anything before I got there. But I knew the chords to the songs, and I did my best to play the root notes; but I have to say, I probably wasn’t that good on the first run-through.
“The other thing was that I was playing bass with my fingers, and Noel said, ‘Guigsy played with a pick. Try it that way.’ And when I did, I found I could attack the bass in a way that sounded a lot more like Oasis.”
As for whether being in a band with Noel and Liam Gallagher was as tumultuous as the media made it out to be, Bell replied, “I would have to say yes. I’ve been in many bands over the years, but that was my first brush with true greatness on a worldwide scale.
“But in terms of global superstars of music, being in Oasis was just so huge. To be in a band with those guys was a huge learning experience. And their charisma – it’s a real thing. It was another level. And later, one of my proudest moments was that Oasis would start its set with a song I wrote called Turn Up the Sun. That was just unbelievably cool.”
Putting their rivalry aside, the Gallagher brothers will reunite this summer for 41 dates, kicking off in stadiums in the UK and Ireland before moving on to Canada and the States in August and September.
