Paul Arthurs

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Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs
Bonehead (back), Oasis founder and former rhythm guitarist (1991 - 1999); with Noel Gallagher
Born	May 23, 1965 Manchester, England

Paul Arthurs, (born on 23 June 1965, Burnage,Manchester, England) is one of the founding members of English rock group Oasis and rhythm guitar player from 1991-1999. He is almost exclusively known by his nickname Bonehead, a reference not to his baldness, but to his childhood haircut (at nine years old his father always made him have a crew cut).

[edit] Childhood and early musical career

Arthurs was born in Manchester to Irish Catholic immigrants. His father worked in the demolition industry. He supports the football team Manchester United [1].

He left school in 1981 and worked as a plasterer. He started his first band in 1984 - called "Pleasure and Pain". Around this time he began a relationship with Kate, who he would later marry. In the late 1980s, whilst working as a building contractor, he started a band with his friends, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (bass), Tony McCaroll (drums) and Chris Hutton (vocals). They called themselves "The Rain", after the Beatles' B-side. During this period, Arthurs owned a van which he used to transport the band's equipment to Hutton's garage where they would perform. The van was nicknamed "The Bonemobile" and was decorated by Guigsy with a psychdelic mural when they took it to The Stone Roses' legendary 1990 gig at Spike Island.

[edit] Oasis and role therein

When Hutton quit, he was replaced by Liam Gallagher. Liam changed the band's name to Oasis. Gallagher and Arthurs teamed up as co-songwriters. However, the band was still unsuccessful until Gallagher 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 played to him being "Live Forever" and "All Around The World". He claims his favorite Oasis song to play was "Columbia" as the rhythm guitar part only consists of three chords. However, tour manager Ian Robertson has claimed that the first time Noel performed "Champagne Supernova" for the rest of the band - an acoustic version on the tour bus - Arthurs broke down and cried.

The Arthurs' front room was used on the iconic cover of Oasis' debut album Definitely Maybe. It is believed Bonehead did the floors himself.

When Oasis performed the song for Top of the Pops, they mimed and one of the cello players from the symphony was replaced by Arthurs, who clearly had no idea how the instrument is supposed to be played. Towards the end of the song, he gave up the pretense and started using the stick to conduct. A woman plays his rhythm guitar.

Nonetheless, Arthurs is a multi-instrumentalist and is credited as having played piano and mellotron on (What's the Story) Morning Glory? and can be seen on piano in the video for "Don't Look Back in Anger". He was supposed to take lead vocals on one Oasis track, "Bonehead's Bank Holiday" - a jocular ode on the double vinyl issue of (What's the Story) Morning Glory. However, in the end Noel sang the song as Arthurs' voice was too poor. Noel claims to enjoy the song for its comedic value "Particularly the way he sings it, because he's beyond tone deaf." He highlights it as Oasis' "Ringo track." Arthurs can be heard singing the backing vocals. On top of his role as musician he also fulfilled the vital role of band diplomat, saying "If it ever kicked off between Noel and Liam I was never scared to dive in. I was known for it."

The cover to Oasis debut album Definitely Maybe was shot in Bonehead's living room. Bonehead can be seen second from the left.

Though Noel has downplayed his relatonship with Arthurs in recent years (claiming to have shared only a few hours of conversation with him in their six years in the same band, a claim he has always made - more convicingly - about Guigsy), he gave rather a different impression in 1995, stating "being in a band with Bonehead is not miserable, 'cos that guy is like Peter Sellers and Rigsby combined, with less morals with either of them - he's just outrageous." Noel is also godfather to the Arthurs' first child, Lucy Oasis Arthurs (born January 23, 1995) and sometimes claims to have written "Don't Go Away" at his request, for his mother, Delia, who was dying of cancer at the time, suggesting a stronger bond between the two.

[edit] Post-Oasis

Arthurs left the band in 1999, during the recording of Oasis' fourth album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. In his official statement he claimed he wanted to spend more time with his family (his first son, Jude Arthurs - named for the Beatles' song "Hey Jude" - was born August 12, 1997). However, Noel Gallagher claims Arthurs left for after a drunken row with Noel regarding a drink and drugs ban set by the band during recording. Noel had intended to ease the recording process by keeping Liam sober, and to make it fair, he insisted the rest of the band do likewise. Arthurs could not cope and took to taunting Liam, drinking red wine and kicking other crew members doors in the early hours to pour booze over them. When Noel turned the tables and broke into Arthurs' room, waking him up by pouring wine over his head, Arthurs was so angry that he quit. His guitar parts were subsequently re-recorded by Gallagher. He was replaced by Gem Archer, who was thereafter pointedly referred to as a "professional". The rest of the band downplayed the reaction to his departure, Noel commenting "it's hardly Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles". However, his status in the band was underlined when Guigsy also left, less than a month later, unwilling to continue without him.

Arthurs now lives in Manchester where he has built a studio under his house and formed "Moondog One" (named for "Johnny and the Moondogs", one of the Beatles' former titles, before they rose to fame), which also includes The Smiths' Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke.

As of 2004 Arthurs teamed up with Thai superstar Sek Loso to play rhythm guitar alongside Loso's new English bandmates. The group is touring Asia, Europe, and the US in search of a label deal.