Paul Benjamin Arthurs (born 23 June 1965),[1][2] better known as Bonehead, is an English musician. He was the co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Oasis, playing with the band from its inception in 1991 until his departure in 1999. In 2025, he joined the reformed Oasis for their Oasis Live '25 Tour.
After Oasis, Arthurs released albums as part of two duos, Parlour Flames and Phoneys & the Freaks, and has toured as a member of Oasis bandmate Liam Gallagher's solo band.
Early life
Arthurs was born in 1965 at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester,[3] the son of Irish Catholic parents.[4] He grew up in Longsight until his family moved to Levenshulme at age nine.[5] He went to St. Peter's Roman Catholic Grammar School in the nearby town of Prestwich.[6] He earned the nickname "Bonehead" at the age of eight after his parents insisted he get very short haircuts. "It was only my mum and dad throughout my life, really, that called me Paul," Arthurs said.[7] Arthurs left school in 1981 and worked as a plasterer.[8]
Arthurs started his first band, Pleasure and Pain, in 1984.[9] In the late 1980s, while working as a building contractor, he started a band, the Rain, with his friends Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, Tony McCarroll, and Chris Hutton.[10]
When Hutton was sacked, he was replaced by Liam Gallagher, who suggested the band change their name to Oasis. Liam and Arthurs teamed up as co-songwriters. However, the band were still unsuccessful until Liam encouraged his brother Noel, who had just come back from travelling the world as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, to join the band. Noel brought with him a collection of songs that were to make the band famous. Arthurs remembers the first songs Noel Gallagher played to him, "Live Forever" and "All Around the World". Arthurs was moved to tears when Noel played "Champagne Supernova" to the band on their tour bus.[11][12]
"Bonehead was kind of the glue that held it all together. I would say he was the most forward thinking initially, beause he had been in bands before Oasis. If anything, I would say Bonehead was probably, in the early days, the spirit of Oasis."
On his role in the band, Arthurs said: "I always used to say to Noel, 'I'll do the rhythm, mate'. He'd say, 'I'm doing these bits. You just do the barre chords'. And no one could do those barre chords or rhythm better than me".[14] He also played keyboards for the band, including piano and Mellotron on (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. In 1995, Arthurs briefly shifted to bass guitar after Scott McLeod—who replaced McGuigan before he was convinced to rejoin—quit in the middle of Oasis' 1995 U.S. tour. The band's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman was as a foursome with Arthurs on bass.
Arthurs was originally supposed to sing lead vocals on "Bonehead's Bank Holiday", a bonus track named after him and included in the vinyl version of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? After he and Liam Gallagher got intoxicated on the day of the recording, Noel Gallagher sang lead vocals instead. Backing vocals from both Arthurs and Liam can be heard on the track.
Arthurs left the band in 1999, during the recording of Oasis's fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. His official statement said he wanted to spend more time with his young family. "Aside from the band, everyone had their own little thing they had to deal with, but no time to deal with it, which sort of made for an atmosphere that wasn't fun anymore," he said.[15] Arthurs was replaced by Gem Archer; the rest of the band downplayed the reaction to his departure, Noel Gallagher commenting, "it's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles",[16] though he later said of Arthurs and the also-exiting Paul McGuigan: "We've got to respect their decision as family men".[17]
In 2024, it was announced that Arthurs would be rejoining Oasis for their 2025 tour.[18][19]
Post-Oasis
In early 2007, Arthurs had a visible presence in the North West of England for the first time since leaving Oasis eight years previously. His support for Andy Rourke's Versus Cancer fundraising concert saw the pair busking together in Manchester's Cathedral Gardens to raise cancer awareness and to fund raise for Manchester's Christie Hospital. On 30 March 2007, the Versus Cancer concert was held at Manchester's MEN Arena. Arthurs played bass guitar (rather than the trademark rhythm guitar from his Oasis days) in a two-song set. He was in a band billed as 'Electric Milk Band', which also featured former members of Happy Mondays.
The group Parlour Flames, made up of Arthurs and Vinny Peculiar (Alan Wilkes), released an eponymous album in May 2013, Arthurs' first since leaving Oasis.[20] Guest musicians on the project included percussionist Che Beresford and brass-player Bob Marsh from Badly Drawn Boy and Anna Zweck from Samson & Delilah on flute and backing vocals.[20]
Arthurs' followed his Parlour Flames project up with a new group called Phoneys & the Freaks, started in 2014 with singer/songwriter Alex Lipinski. Their eponymous EP was released in May 2014 under Cherry Red Records; it included four tracks and was made available on vinyl and digital download.
Liam Gallagher
Arthurs (right) performing with Liam Gallagher at the Reading Festival in 2021
In 2013 and 2014, Arthurs performed with Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye filling in for Gem Archer, who suffered from a head injury. This led to Arthurs reuniting with Gallagher.
Arthurs also joined Liam Gallagher to play rhythm guitar on the song "Bold" and keyboard on "For What It's Worth" on Liam's solo album As You Were. He joined the band on their debut performance at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, playing rhythm guitar on the Oasis track "Be Here Now".
During November 2019, Arthurs joined Gallagher on stage to perform Oasis songs during Gallagher's UK and Ireland Why Me, Why Not shows, usually amounting to 10 or 11 songs in a set. As of 2020, Arthurs continued to tour with the Liam Gallagher band, later joining Liam for a virtual reality concert on 5 December 2020 called "Down by the River Thames".[22]
From 27 to 29 August 2021, Arthurs joined Gallagher to perform his set headlining Reading & Leeds Festivals, playing songs from Gallagher's solo career, as well as Oasis songs.[23]
Following a health scare, Arthurs bowed out of Liam's 2022 and 2023 tours, but returned for his 2024 tour.[24][25][26]
Equipment
Arthurs used the same 1982 Japanese-made Epiphone Riviera on every Oasis recording and gig throughout his tenure the band.[27] On the cover of Definitely Maybe, which was shot in Arthurs' living room, the Epiphone is visible propped up against the back wall.[28]
Personal life
Arthurs and his wife Kate are the parents of a daughter and a son.[29]
On 26 April 2022, Arthurs said he had been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and could not join Liam Gallagher on his tour in order to undergo treatment.[30] On 29 September, Arthurs said he was cancer-free.[31]
↑ Halfon, Simon (2021). Supersonic: The Complete, Authorised and Uncut Interviews. Great Britain: Headline Publishing Group. p.40. ISBN978-1-4722-8547-8.
↑ "Oasis – 'Definitely Maybe'; Five Crucial Facts". Clash. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2025. Bonehead's beloved Epiphone Riviera, which he used on every Oasis recording and gig during his tenure in the band, is propped against the back wall.
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