Former Oasis drummer Zak Starkey has revealed that Noel and Liam Gallagher “never even argued once” during his time in the band.
Starkey, who was The Who’s long term drummer until last year, performed with the band from 2004-2008.
The Gallagher brothers’ reputation for bust ups and fall outs over the years was well documented.
During Starkey’s time with the band Liam stormed offstage mid-way through ‘Champagne Supernova’ during the Heineken Jammin’ Festival in Italy, in June 2005. Liam and Noel were also seen having having crossed words in the band’s 2007 documentary Lord Don’t Slow Me Down during the ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ world tour.
Despite that, Starkey said they never argued in his company. “I played with them for five years, and all we did was laugh. They never even argued once. Not one time,” he told the New York Post.
“We toured for 140 shows. We made two great records. We rehearsed. We hung out all the time. Never one. Never one cross word in five years.”
He also said that the band “never complained about anything, ever” and they were always on time for every gig, adding: “And they’re never late. If it says on the sheet 5:30, at 10 [minutes] past 5:00, they were there.”
Starkey had left the band before the bust up that led to their split in Paris in 2009, with Chris Sharrock taking up drumming duties.
Starkey was left disappointed when he wasn’t invited to rejoin Oasis for their reunion tour last year, with Jay Waronker stepping in on stick duties instead.
He told NME at the time: “Noel called me on my birthday to tell me I wasn’t in [Oasis]. He didn’t know it was my birthday though! I would like to be in it, because they’re my favourite group of my generation. The thing about groups that you love – like The Who or Oasis – is that it’s not a job. It’s about protecting music so that no c**t does it wrong, because for so many people it’s a job and they don’t really care.”
Starkey went on: “When it’s your favourite band, you pick up the phone and you’re like, ‘Fucking hell!’ It’s completely different to everything else. I fucking love Oasis. I always did. I always had this thing with Liam for years from the mid-90s where I’d go, ‘Alright Daffers? Still the greatest rock’n’roll singer in the world?’ and he’d go, ‘Alright Zakky Wakky, still the greatest rock’n’roll drummer in the world?’
“This went on for years until I was in [the band]. I couldn’t believe it.”
He also reiterated that they he never saw them argue adding: “We went to America and we fucking destroyed it. Those boys never argued, they didn’t want to ruin it. We were just having a laugh and it was great rock’n’roll.”
Elsewhere, Noel recently reflected on Oasis‘ historic reunion run, and fuelled rumours of new music with the admission that he was “back at work”.