Paul Benjamin Arthurs (born 23 June 1965), known professionally as Bonehead, is an English musician. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist, occasional keyboardist and co-founder of the
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
.
Early life
Paul Benjamin Arthurs was born at
Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester, the son of Irish
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
immigrants. He went to St. Peter's Roman Catholic Grammar School in the nearby town of
Prestwich. He earned the lifelong nickname of "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. Arthurs left school in 1981 and worked as a plasterer. He started his first band, Pleasure and Pain, in 1984. Around this time, he began a relationship with his future wife Kate. In the late 1980s, while working as a building contractor, he started a band, the Rain, with his friends
Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan
Paul Francis McGuigan (born 9 May 1971), known professionally as Guigsy (pronounced "Gwigzee"), is an English retired musician. He is best known as the bassist and co-founder of the British rock band Oasis.
Career
In the late 1980s, McGuigan st ...
,
Tony McCarroll
Anthony McCarroll (born 4 June 1971) is an English drummer and one of the founding members of the English rock band Oasis, as their drummer from 1991 until his dismissal in April 1995. He played the drums on their debut album, ''Definitely May ...
, and Chris Hutton. Unlike the Gallagher Brothers, Bonehead is a
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
supporter.
Career
Oasis
When Hutton was sacked, he was replaced by
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...
, who suggested the band change their name to
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
. Gallagher and Arthurs teamed up as co-songwriters. However, the band were still unsuccessful until Gallagher encouraged his brother
Noel, who had just come back from travelling the world as a roadie for
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1980, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist ...
, 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 broke down and cried when Noel played "
Champagne Supernova
"Champagne Supernova" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. It is the closing track on the band's second studio album, ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' (1995), and was released as the sixth and final single from ...
" to the band on their tour bus. On the ''Definitely Maybe''
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
, he said his favourite Oasis song to play live was "Columbia", as the song only consisted of three chords that create a hypnotic groove.
When Oasis performed the song "
Whatever" on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'', they mimed and one of the
cellists
A person who plays the cello is called a cellist. This list of notable cellists is divided into four categories: 1) Living Classical Cellists; 2) Non-Classical Cellists; 3) Deceased Classical Cellists; 4) Deceased Non-Classical Cellists.
The ce ...
from the string section was replaced by Arthurs. Towards the end of the song, he started using the bow to conduct.
Arthurs is a multi-instrumentalist, credited as having played
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
and
mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
on ''
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' and can be seen on piano in the video for "
Don't Look Back in Anger
"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis. It was written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris. Released on 19 February 1996 as the fifth single fro ...
", as well as pictures featured in the ''
Definitely Maybe
''Definitely Maybe'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Oasis, released by Creation Records on 29 August 1994. Oasis booked Monnow Valley Studio near Rockfield in late 1993 to record the album and worked with producer Dave Batchel ...
'' album booklet. Arthurs briefly shifted to
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
after Scott McLeod — who replaced McGuigan before he was convinced to rejoin — quit in the middle of Oasis' 1995 U.S. tour; he appeared with the band on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' playing bass.
Arthurs was originally supposed to sing lead vocals on the
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? vinyl bonus track Bonehead's Bank Holiday (named after him). After he and Liam Gallagher got drunk the day of recording the song, Noel Gallagher sang lead vocals instead. Backing vocals from both Arthurs and Liam can be heard on the track.
Post-Oasis
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 family (his first child, Lucy was born 23 January 1995 and his son, Jude Arthurs was born on 12 August 1997).
Arthurs was replaced by
Gem Archer
Colin Murray Archer (born 7 December 1966) is an English musician and singer, best known as a member of the English rock bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, making him, alongside Chris Sharrock, one of the only member ...
, who was thereafter pointedly referred to as a "professional". The rest of the band downplayed the reaction to his departure, Noel Gallagher commenting "it's hardly
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
leaving
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
" though he also said "We've got to respect their (Bonehead and Guigs's) decision as family men." Gallagher has admitted on several occasions to holding no malice toward the former rhythm guitarist and admiring him for the effort he put forth. In 2016, Gallagher said Arthurs was "the spirit of Oasis."
Arthurs now lives in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
where he has built a
recording studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...
under his house and formed Moondog One (named after Johnny and the Moondogs, one of the Beatles' former titles before they rose to fame), which also includes
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
'
Mike Joyce and
Andy Rourke
Andrew Michael Rourke (born 17 January 1964) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the Smiths. He is known for his melodic approach to bass playing.
Career
Rourke's father was Irish while his mother was English. He received an a ...
.
In 2004, Arthurs teamed up with
Sek Loso to play rhythm guitar alongside Loso's new English bandmates. The group toured Asia, Europe, and the US in search of a label deal.
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
Andrew Michael Rourke (born 17 January 1964) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the Smiths. He is known for his melodic approach to bass playing.
Career
Rourke's father was Irish while his mother was English. He received an a ...
's
Versus Cancer
Versus Cancer was an annual concert, reportedly then the largest annual charity concert in the United Kingdom. It raised money predominantly for Cancer Hospital Christie Hospital in Manchester to assist research for effective alternative treatmen ...
fundraising concert saw the pair busking together in Manchester's
Cathedral Gardens
Cathedral Gardens is an open space in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It is bounded by Victoria railway station to the north, Chetham's School of Music to the west, the perimeter of Manchester Cathedral and the Corn Exchange on F ...
to raise cancer awareness and to fund raise for Manchester's
Christie Hospital
The Christie Hospital in Manchester, England, is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. It is managed by The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
History
The hospital was established by a committee under the chairmanship of Richard Ch ...
. On 30 March 2007, the Versus Cancer concert was held at Manchester's
MEN Arena
Manchester Arena, currently referred to as the AO Arena for sponsorship reasons, is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. The arena has the ...
. 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
Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joine ...
.
He has been playing DJ sets in clubs, most recently in London. His playlist features Oasis songs such as
"Live Forever", and collaborations between the Gallagher brothers and
Death in Vegas
Death in Vegas are an English electronic music group, for which Richard Fearless serves as frontman. The band was formed in 1994 by Fearless and Steve Hellier and signed to Concrete Records under the name of Dead Elvis. Owing to an Irish record ...
and
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat genre t ...
.
He also presented a radio show on
BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Manchester is the Local BBC Radio, BBC's local radio station serving Greater Manchester.
It broadcasts on frequency modulation, FM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford ...
with
Terry Christian
Terence Christian (born 8 May 1960) is a British broadcaster, journalist and author. He has presented several national television series in the UK including Channel 4's late night entertainment show '' The Word'' (1990–1995) and six series o ...
, Natalie-eve and Michelle Hussey. The show is Manchester Music and has had fellow Manchester music artists as guests including members of Happy Mondays,
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
and
The Charlatans.
In 2018, Arthurs was set to appear on the ITV show
Dancing on Ice
''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series presented by Phillip Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby from 2006 to 2011, who then returned in 2018, and Christine Bleakley from 2012 to 2014. The series features celebrities and their profe ...
. However, he suffered an injury during training, after crashing into a rink-side vending machine.
Solo projects
Arthurs started this project in early 2013 with Vinny Peculiar (aka Alan Wilkes). Their 'group' Parlour Flames released an eponymous album in May 2013, Arthurs's first since leaving Oasis.
Guest musicians on the project included percussionist Che Beresford and brass-player Bob Marsh from
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Michael Gough (born 2 October 1969), known by the stage name Badly Drawn Boy, is an English indie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Gough chose his stage name from a character in the show ''Sam and his Magic Ball'', which he saw ...
and Anna Zweck from Samson & Delilah on flute and backing vocals.
Arthurs's latest project was started in 2014 with singer/songwriter Alex Lipinski. Their EP was released in May 2014 under Cherry Red Records. The EP includes four tracks and is available on vinyl and digital download.
Beady Eye
In 2013 and 2014,
Gem Archer
Colin Murray Archer (born 7 December 1966) is an English musician and singer, best known as a member of the English rock bands Oasis, Beady Eye and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, making him, alongside Chris Sharrock, one of the only member ...
left the band
Beady Eye
Beady Eye were an English rock band formed in London in 2009 by former Oasis members Liam Gallagher (vocals), Gem Archer (guitar), Andy Bell (guitar), and Chris Sharrock (drums). In 2013, former Kasabian guitarist Jay Mehler joined the band ...
twice due to a head injury. Gem was replaced by Arthurs and for the first time in 15 years Liam and Paul stood together on stage.
Liam Gallagher
Paul also joined
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starti ...
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
The O2 Ritz (originally known as The Ritz) is a live music venue on Whitworth Street West in Manchester, England. Built as a dance hall in 1927, it was designated a Grade II listed building in 1994. The venue is notable for its sprung dance floo ...
in Manchester, playing rhythm guitar on the Oasis track "Be Here Now". He also joined the band for the UK As You Were tour at the end of 2017 for a couple of gigs.
On 22 May 2018, Arthurs performed with Gallagher at the
London Stadium
London Stadium (formerly and also known as Olympic Stadium and the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford, London, Stratford district of London. It is located ...
as part of Gallagher's support slot for
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
.
On 18 August 2018, Arthurs along with his son Jude and
Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their original split in 1999. So ...
, joined Gallagher on stage to perform "
Live Forever" at Gallagher's gig at
Old Trafford Cricket Ground
Old Trafford is a cricket ground in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It opened in 1857 as the home of Manchester Cricket Club and has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. From 2013 onwards it has been known as ...
.
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 continues to tour with the Liam Gallagher band.
Arthurs also joined Liam Gallagher for a virtual reality concert on 5 December 2020 called “Down By The River Thames”.
![ReadingFest290821-102 (51414455357)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/ReadingFest290821-102_%2851414455357%29.jpg)
From 27 to 29 August 2021, Arthurs joined Gallagher to perform his set headlining
Reading & Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
, playing songs from Gallagher's solo career, as well as songs originally recorded by
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
.
On 26 April 2022, Arthurs announced a statement saying that he had been diagnosed with tonsil cancer and could not join Gallagher on his tour in order to do treatment. On September 29, 2022, Arthurs announced that he’s been declared cancer-free.
Equipment
Arthurs used the same 1982 Japanese-made
Matsumoku
Matsumoku Industrial was a Japanese manufacturing company based in Matsumoto, Nagano, between 1951 and 1987. Established in 1951 as a woodworking and cabinetry firm, Matsumoku is remembered as a manufacturer of guitars and bass guitars, includ ...
Epiphone Riviera throughout his time as Oasis' rhythm guitarist.
He still uses this guitar today. He has also been known to play piano as heard in the songs “Don't Look Back In Anger” and “The Masterplan”,
mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
on "Wonderwall" along with playing electric piano at the 1994 MTV Most Wanted for the songs “Live Forever” and “Whatever”.
References
Other sources
*''Oasis: What's the Story?''; Ian Robertson; Blake Publishing; 1996
*''Definitely Maybe''; Big Brother DVDs; 2004
External links
The official Parlour Flames website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthurs, Paul
1965 births
Living people
English rock guitarists
Oasis (band) members
Musicians from Manchester
People from Burnage
Rhythm guitarists
Britpop musicians
English rock pianists
English rock keyboardists
English multi-instrumentalists