Oasis Solo Years: Liam and Noel Gallagher Road Back to Reunion

Oasis spent the years from 2009 to 2024 apart, and each Gallagher brother built a separate career. Liam Gallagher fronted Beady Eye, then launched a solo career in 2017. Noel Gallagher built Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds from 2010, and both paths kept the brothers on stage.

For context, the reunion announcement on 27 August 2024 closed that long separation. The comeback tour then opened in Cardiff on 4 July 2025. Only Liam and Noel Gallagher carry confirmed billing by name for Live 27, and every other expected member stays unconfirmed.

The Paris split ends Oasis

Noel Gallagher quit Oasis on 28 August 2009 in Paris. The band cancelled its Rock en Seine show that night after a backstage row. Noel then said he could not go on working with Liam for another day.

Meanwhile, the split ended a band that had shaped British guitar music since 1994. Our Oasis split story traces that final night in Paris in full. The brothers then faced a clear choice, and each brother chose a different route forward.

Still, the split did not end either brother’s career. Liam kept a band around him, and Noel started a new project under his own name.

Liam builds Beady Eye first

Liam Gallagher formed Beady Eye in 2009 with former Oasis members Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Chris Sharrock joined them on drums, and the four men carried the Oasis rhythm and guitar sound forward. Beady Eye released two studio albums, and the band ran until 2014.

First, the band released Different Gear, Still Speeding in 2011. Then the band released BE in 2013. Both albums reached the top five on the UK Albums Chart, and both albums showed Liam leading a full band again.

For context, Beady Eye gave Liam a stage identity beyond Oasis. He sang lead, he fronted the band, and he toured with musicians who knew the Oasis catalogue well. The project ended in October 2014, when Liam announced that Beady Eye had disbanded.

Liam launches a solo career in 2017

Liam Gallagher started his solo career in 2017 with As You Were. The album arrived on 6 October 2017, and it topped the UK Albums Chart. Our Liam Gallagher profile covers his voice, his stage presence, and his solo rise in full.

Next, Liam released Why Me Why Not in September 2019, and that album also topped the UK Albums Chart. He then released C’mon You Know in 2022, and he also released a joint album with John Squire in March 2024.

Meanwhile, the solo years proved that Liam could carry a show under his own name. He built a new audience alongside longtime Oasis fans.

Noel builds High Flying Birds

Noel Gallagher formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in 2010. The project gave Noel a solo banner, and it let him write, sing, and lead a band on his own terms. Our Noel Gallagher profile covers his songwriting, his voice, and his post Oasis work in full.

First, Noel released the self titled debut album in October 2011. Then he released Chasing Yesterday in 2015, and he released Who Built the Moon in November 2017. He later released Council Skies in June 2023, and each album kept his songwriting at the centre.

For context, High Flying Birds also brought former Oasis musicians back into Noel’s orbit. Gem Archer played guitar in the touring band, and Chris Sharrock played drums in the touring band. The project therefore linked the solo years back to the Oasis story without reviving the Oasis name.

Two paths lead back to reunion

The two solo paths ran in parallel, and they rarely crossed on stage. Liam built momentum as a frontman, and Noel built momentum as a songwriter and bandleader. Both brothers toured, both brothers released albums, and both brothers kept large crowds coming to their shows.

Meanwhile, the public feud between the brothers cooled only slowly. Fans debated a reunion for years, and both brothers dismissed reunion talk at different times. The solo years therefore matter because they show two working musicians, not two retired stars waiting for a payday.

Above all, the reunion announcement on 27 August 2024 changed the story in one day. Oasis announced a comeback tour, and the band opened that tour in Cardiff on 4 July 2025. The Cardiff opener marked the first Oasis show since the 2009 split, and it gave both solo paths a shared ending.

What the solo years mean for Live 27

Live 27 runs from 21 May to 26 September 2027 across 11 cities. All 42 shows sold out in the September 2026 ballot, and the tour never used a general sale. Richard Ashcroft serves as special guest at every show, and the Paris second night falls on 23 July 2027.

For context, the solo years explain why the reunion carries weight beyond nostalgia. Liam returns as a proven solo frontman, and Noel returns as a proven solo songwriter. Our Oasis history page places that arc inside the full band story, from Manchester to the reunion stage.

In short, fans who follow Live 27 should watch how the two roles fit together again. Liam leads from the front, Noel leads from the songs, and the Live 27 setlist debate already turns on that balance. No Live 27 setlist exists yet, so fans should treat every prediction as a prediction, not a confirmed list.

Fans planning a trip should check show dates early through the Oasis tickets page. The ballot already closed, so official resale remains the safe route for any spare ticket.

Liam Gallagher on stage. Photo: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.