Bonehead Leaves Oasis at the End of an Era

On 9 August 1999, Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs announced that he was leaving Oasis. A founding member of the group, Bonehead said he wanted to concentrate on life outside the demands of being in a hugely successful rock ’n’ roll band.

His departure came during work on Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. Bonehead’s rhythm guitar had been fundamental to the dense, driving wall of sound heard on the first three Oasis albums, while his personality and home life were woven deeply into the band’s early story.

The announcement was the first public break in the classic Oasis line-up. Although his work remained on the forthcoming album, Bonehead would not tour it. His exit made clear that the band emerging in the new millennium would be structurally different from the one that had conquered Britain.