Britain rejoiced at the Oasis reunion that will see Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam pocket £50million each, but there is one man who won’t see a penny.
Tony McCarroll is the forgotten man of Oasis who quit the band in 1995 at the height of their fame after Noel criticised the quality of his playing.
Now, nearly 30 years on, many of Oasis’s younger fans may never have heard of McCarroll, aged 53.
While the Gallagher brothers, worth a combined estimated £60million, live a rock and roll lifestyle, McCarroll lives a far more modest lifestyle.
He lives half a world away in relative obscurity in a modest £200k semi-detached in South Manchester with a mortgage.
Tony is yet to comment on the much-anticipated reunion, but his latest Instagram post shows he will be appearing at at Kinnitty Parish Hall and Community Centre, County Offaly, Ireland, on Saturday.
That is for a plaque unveiling and meet and greet — at the same place he held his first pre-Oasis public performance in the 80s.
It also coincides with the weekend Oasis Live 25 tickets go on sale, as well as the 30th anniversary of Definitely Maybe, which is being re-released on Friday.
Tony has also become one of the most Googled people in the UK today despite largely keeping out of the public eye over the last decade and fans have called on him to reunite with his former band members for the tour.
Tony (pictured second right) was part of Oasis’ original lineup, with the drummer set to miss out on a huge payday from the band’s reunion after quitting the group in 1995
During his time with the group, McCarroll performed on their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994
McCarroll (centre) met Paul McGuigan, known as Guigsy, while playing for the local football team at a young age – they originally formed a band called The Rain
McCarroll pictured with Liam Gallagher enjoying a few cans, back in the Oasis heyday
The drummer married his wife Sue in 2022
McCarroll still styles himself as ‘the former Oasis drummer’ on Instagram and takes part in podcasts, Q and As, and public speaking engagements.
He also has a link to an Oasis merchandise story where he sometimes releases unpublished photos of his time in the band and signs them.
But McCarroll claims he is not envious of his former bandmate, hinting that despite his riches, Noel is still not happy, and dubbing him The Lord Mayor of Loneliness in his 2010 book, Oasis: The Truth.
‘I guess Noel’s life story just shows how you can have it all yet still not have enough,’ he wrote.
‘He’s the singer and songwriter in one of the biggest rock groups the world has ever seen. He’s adored by millions.
‘He’s got his Bentley and his mansion, his cleaners and his personal assistants. He has drinks with Elton and Russell Scissorhands Brand.
‘He has even built a replica of the five-a-side court we played on all those years ago in his back garden.
‘To me, he still doesn’t seem happy, though. He will probably show you his veneers and tell you he is but I’m not so sure.’
Tony joined the band in the 1980s when they were still performing under their old name The Rain, and neither Liam nor his elder brother Noel were members.
During his time with the group, he performed on their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1994.
Tony McCarroll is the forgotten man of Oasis who quit the band in 1995 at the height of their fame after Noel criticised the quality of his playing
Over the years with the band, McCarroll’s (right) drumming was subject to criticism from some Oasis fans, who complained that his playing was sloppy
McCarroll (pictured) still styles himself as ‘the former Oasis drummer’ on Instagram and takes part in podcasts, Q and Qs, and public speaking engagements
When The Rain’s lead singer was sacked and replaced with Liam Gallagher, Liam decided to change the band’s name to Oasis inspired by a poster for Inspiral Carpets. Pictured: Liam (front) with McCarroll
He also featured on singles Whatever, Supersonic and Shakermaker, with the latter becoming the first number-one single from their hit album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Over the years, Tony’s drumming was subject to criticism from some Oasis fans, who complained that his playing was sloppy.
Soon after the release of Definitely Maybe, in 1995, Tony sensationally walked out during a tour following an altercation with Noel, the band’s main songwriter and lead guitarist.
Tony’s final Oasis performance was on Top of the Pops when the band performed their first number one hit, Some Might Say.
Noel had become increasingly frustrated with Tony’s drumming, particularly his supposed inability to accurately reproduce complex rhythms and beats.
This led to a heated exchange, with Tony reportedly telling Noel to ‘f*** off’, and he was replaced by Alan White until 2004.
After leaving Oasis, McCarroll played with various bands, including a stint with The Boo Radleys.
Noel and Liam, 51, and the band are thought to be bringing in £400 million for the reunion tour, meanwhile, Tony has been flogging €20 tickets for a meet and greet at a county hall in Ireland
McCarroll, pictured as a young man, has lived a far more modest lifestyle than the Gallagher brothers
After a fallout with Noel Gallagher, he quit the band in 1995, and four years later tried to sue them for £15 million, with the case eventually settled out of court (pictured in 1999)
After leaving Oasis, McCarroll (pictured, right, with boxer Ricky Hatton) played with various bands, including a stint with The Boo Radleys. Since the reunion announcement, fans have asked Tony if he will be joining Oasis once more
Many fans have been questioning Tony’s current whereabouts, having noticed that his name is an answer to a question fans are asked as part of the tour ticket ballot
He then tried to sue Oasis for £18million in 1999, hiring the services of Jens Hills — the same lawyer who represented Pete Best, who won a settlement of £2million from The Beatles in 1995.
A high-profile legal case followed, with McCarroll arguing he was still entitled to his part of the band’s five-album record deal, and the case was settled out of court for £550,000.
In his book McCarroll said of the court case and settlement: ‘We were due at the High Court to finally put this sorry affair to bed, or so I thought.
‘No matter what the outcome, I knew I was the loser. My time with the band was over.
‘Although it was a good offer, £550,000, it hurt me to agree to it.
‘It broke the previous five years into a financial figure. After legal expenses and a visit from Her Majesty’s tax man, it would leave me with enough to buy land in Ireland — just.’
Oasis sent fans into a frenzy by announcing that they would be reuniting for a string of shows in 2025, after the Gallagher brothers’ explosive feud 15 years earlier
For three years, Tony said he opted to travel the world to avoid the attention of Oasis’ rise to global stardom.
He told the Manchester Evening News in 2019: ‘With the band I was used to travelling, touring. I just needed to get away.
‘The band were getting bigger, good on them, but I needed to get away from the whole thing. So I began to ignore and neglect a few things and got away.
‘I lived in the States, Tenerife. Really I got drunk for three whole years. But at the same time the court case was all ongoing, so I’m trying to get away from it all but I’m also dealing with questions from solicitors round the clock.’
Tony has been rarely seen since he published his memoir, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue.
Twenty years after Tony left the band he came face-to-face with Liam Gallagher once again. Tony was with Brian Cannon, the graphic designer who thought up the iconic front cover for Definitely Maybe. He invited him to a party where Liam was present.
Tony had reservations about going but went to say his piece.
He told Manchester Evening News: ‘We were all drunk and I just thought f*** it, I’ll take the bull by the horns. I basically walked straight in and said to someone ‘where’s Liam?’ Marched straight up to him and said ‘oi’.’
Liam is known for being confrontational but on that night, Tony said ‘it was hugs, kisses, ‘bloody hell, how are you?’ and all that,” he said. “He really made the time, and his partner Debbie got us a table so we could sit down and have a catch up. ‘How’s your mum? How’s this, how’s that?
‘Nothing deep, or anything serious – it was just back to the Liam I initially met. I was so relieved really.”
In 2021, Tony was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack.
He said on X: ‘Hi All. Wanted to let you know I was admitted to hospital on Thursday after suffering a heart attack on Wednesday night.’
‘I’m not quite out of the woods as yet but just want to give a massive big up to our #NHS. We are more than fortunate to have such a service! Thank you!! X’
The musician’s Twitter account was soon flooded with messages from fans who wished him a speedy recovery.
Recently, he has been selling €20 tickets for a meet and greet at a venue in Ireland, where his mother is from.
The event set to be held on 31 August is now sold out – with no doubt ticket sales surging after Oasis announced they are reuniting for the first time in 15 years to tour the UK and Ireland.
McCarroll is a father of two. He has a son, Oliver, and a daughter, Gemma, who he is pictured with here
McCarroll has rarely been seen since he published his memoir, but now lives in Manchester with his wife Sue
When the drummer plugged his plaque unveiling and meet and greet that will take place on Saturday on Instagram, fans urged him to come back for the reunion.
Many have been questioning Tony’s current whereabouts, having noticed that his name is an answer to a question fans are asked as part of the tour ticket ballot.
They wrote: ‘You drumming for the reunion Tony?’ and ‘Oasis must bring Tony back’.
‘Come back to the meeting Tony, Only you can bring that rock and roll drums’.
Once, sharing a photo of Liam on the guitar, he wrote: ‘I took this picture of Liam
when we were recording Definitely Maybe for the 1st time at Monnow Valley Studios.
‘It has never been seen before. It is released as a limited edition of 250 prints. I have personally signed each one’.
Tony first started the band The Rain back in the 1980s, alongside Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs (guitar), Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan (bass) and Chris Hutton (singer/keyboards).
Bonehead invited Liam to join the band as lead vocalist in 1991, and he suggested they change the group’s name to Oasis.
Liam’s brother Noel, came to watch their first gig at the Boardwalk Club, Manchester on August 14, 1991, while working as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets.
Noel then approached the group with an array of songs to launch a huge music career, completing the band’s original line-up.
At the end of his book, Tony made it clear he wouldn’t look back in anger.
Reflecting on the ups and downs of his life with Oasis, he reflected, while sitting on his land in his beloved Slieve Bloom mountains of Co Laois, mid Ireland: ‘I have put the anger and frustration about what really happened with the band behind me, and I haven’t spoken to Noel for a long time.
‘The last three months of the band and my exit were the low points of my last 40 years, so it has been quite difficult to write about, but it has also been entertaining.’
