One of the biggest headlines in music this week gets the gong for being both highly anticipated and hardly surprising. Noel Gallagher has confirmed his split from Oasis.

The Manchester music-scene revivalists cancelled their slot at French music festival Rock En Seine last week minutes before they were due to take the stage. Famous for their sibling spats, Noel has made his apologies known for what looks like the end of the highly successful 90s vehicle that was Oasis. Noel offered the following regrets in a statement to fans:

“The details are not important and of too great a number to list. But I feel you have a right to know the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family and friends and comrades has become intolerable,” says Gallagher.

“I would like to thank all the Oasis fans all over the world. The last 18 years has been truly, truly amazing, a dream come true. I take with me glorious memories. Now if you excuse me, I have a family and football team to indulge. I’ll see you somewhere down the road.”

Oasis followers, and the rest of the world for that matter, are all too familiar with the ongoing tension between the two Gallaghers. Constant in-house fighting, controversial marriages and physical assaults on paparazzi, airlines, you name it, all seemed to be regular fare for the band who have sold over 50 million records to date. Just recently things were looking up for the boys with successful tours in the bag and taking out NME’s Award for Best British Band for 2009.

Doubt is lingering over this latest turn of events and whether it has and will decidedly end Oasis as a band, especially since Liam Gallagher split from the group in 2000 following a fall-out in Spain only to return once again. Time will tell but by all accounts, don’t hold your breath.

- Carley Hall