The return of Britpop giants Oasis will have come as a shock to fans who never imagined the Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel burying the hatchet.

It might also be a surprise to (now retired) Judge Martin O’Dwyer, who ruled on Liam Gallagher’s divorce case in 2015 following his split with ex-wife Nicole Appleton.

The judge noted that Oasis had disbanded in 2009 after a row between Liam and Noel and that there appeared little chance of a reunion. ‘[Liam] says there are no plans to reform and, although he would like to do so, he does not anticipate there is a possibility currently,’ the judge wrote in his ruling. The marital assets were ultimately split between Liam and Nicole, but not before the pair had racked up costs exceeding £800,000 – a figure described as ‘manifestly excessive’ by the judge.

Today's announcement of a tour next year is also confirmation that the brothers have no hard feelings over a purported High Court action brought by Liam against Noel over the reasons for the original split. It was reported in 2011 that Liam planned to sue, partly over Noel’s claim that he pulled out of a headline performance at V Festival due to a ‘hangover’. Liam insisted he had laryngitis on the day and the claim apparently fizzled out.

Oasis have provided plenty of work for lawyers over the years, not least over a dispute with original drummer Tony McCarroll, who was sacked before the release of the band’s second album in 1995.

The deposed member was reportedly awarded £550,000 in unpaid royalties in 1999 and then tried to sue the solicitors who had drawn up his original recording contract. The High Court ultimately ruled that the claim was out of time but neglected the chance to ask the parties not to look back in anger.

 

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