Half the world away: what ex-members of Oasis are up to whilst their former group embarks on their triumphant comeback tour without them

Speaking about the ever-evolving line-up of his experimental post-punk pioneers The Fall, the late Mark E. Smith famously once said, “If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s The Fall.” The same might well be said of Oasis – if Noel and Liam are there, it’s Oasis. There has been neither a granny or bongos onstage at the Manchester giants’ huge reunion shows this summer, their crack line-up augmented by the band’s co-founder Bonehead, 2000 arrivals Gem and Andy Bell and an Oasis newbie in US drummer Joey Waronker. No complaints here about the choices of back-up – Oasis have sounded monumental at their Live ’25 shows. But it did make me wonder about what their other former members have been up to, none of whom have even been snapped attending a show. Maybe they’ve spent the summer purposely hiding under a rock. Here’s what we know on what the ex-members of the rock’n’roll titans are up to these days...

Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan

An un-assuming but vital presence in Oasis’s imperial years, bassist Guigsy departed in 1999 and has kept a low-profile since. Like, a mega low-profile, a Jason Bourne-going-dark profile - there has been next-to-no public sightings of him. Such is his elusive skills that a picture of him out in the wild – well, the wilds of suburban north London, where he lives – made the Manchester Evening News last year. Alongside Bonehead and Tony McCarroll, he was one of the group’s founders. His departure from music was decisive and he hasn’t appeared on any recordings since a guest spot on a 2002 Cornershop album or performed live since.

Tony McCarroll

Oasis lost something when they fired original drummer McCarroll, who was no John Bonham but whose sturdy, straightforward beats were exactly what their rock’n’roll anthems needed. McCarroll has kept himself busy during the run of gigs, appearing at In Conversation events and on radio shows. He also sells Oasis-related merch on his website, where he posted a warm message to his former bandmates, wishing them well for the reunion shows.

Alan White

The man behind the kit for Oasis’s most successful period, taking in four albums and their iconic Knebworth shows, White was sacked in 2004. Despite posting a picture of his classic Oasis bass drum skin in the run up to this year’s shows, he hasn’t been involved in their reformation. Hardly a surprise, given he hasn’t played publicly since he left Oasis, despite being a successful session musician before he joined.

Zak Starkey

Starkey, the son of Beatles sticksman Ringo Starr, kept the drum stool warm for a few years in the mid-00s but was never officially announced as a member. He juggled his time in Oasis with also being drummer of The Who, with whom he remained until a messy parting of the ways earlier this year. In an interview on BBC Breakfast earlier this year, he said he was disappointed not to have been asked to drum for Oasis’s comeback shows. Luckily, he has his Mantra Of The Cosmos project to fall back on – the band he’s in with Happy Mondays pair Shaun Ryder and Bez plus Oasis bassist Andy Bell. Their first single Domino Bones also happened to feature a guest appearance from none other than Noel Gallagher.

Chris Sharrock

Given he was in Oasis when they split and went on to play with both Liam’s Beady Eye and Noel’s High Flying Birds, Sharrock seemed a shoo-in for the drumming job this summer. But it was not to be, Waronker getting the task instead – certain reports online claim that Sharrock turned the opportunity down. Instead, you can see him performing Fab Four classics in Liverpool as he’s a member of The Cavern Club’s resident band The Cavern Club Beatles.