Who is Bonehead?
Short Answer:
Guitarist. Founding member. Barre Chord Bandit.
Long Answer:
Full Name
Paul Benjamin Arthurs.
Born
23 June 1965, Burnage, Manchester. Older than the rest. Wiser? Possibly. Louder? Never.
Occupation
Rhythm guitarist. Founding member of Oasis. The bloke who made the racket sound right.
Known For
Being there at the start. And crucially, being the one who stayed out of the way.
Played on Definitely Maybe, Morning Glory, and Be Here Now.
Quit in 1999. Didn’t flounce. Just walked off before the circus fully collapsed.
Voice
Rarely heard. When it is, it’s calm, dry, and sounds like it’s coming from someone who’s seen it all and still finds it funny.
Family
Wife: Lisa Arthurs.
Children: Yes, but he kept them well out of the tabloid blast zone.
Has always seemed like a man with a proper home life. Which in Oasis terms makes him a unicorn.
Career Highlights
Helped build the early Oasis sound in a Manchester rehearsal room with barely working gear and barely sober ambition.
Played live on every iconic early tour.
Quit mid-recording of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants when things were less about tunes and more about tension.
Re-emerged playing live with Liam’s solo band in the 2010s. Same stance. Same attitude. No drama.
Signature Look
Bald head. No nonsense. Often in a parka, looking like your mate’s reliable older brother who lets you nick his records.
Signature Move
Standing stock still while Noel noodles away. Then casually powering the chorus back in like a demolition crew. O
Barre chords, thick and unrelenting, holding everything together like scaffolding at a half-built cathedral.
Public Image
The grounded one. The grown-up.
Never chased the spotlight, which made him more respected than half the blokes who did.
The sort of man who still pops down the shops without making it a press event.
Legacy
Part of the holy trinity that made Oasis work: Liam’s mouth, Noel’s songs, Bonehead’s guitar holding the whole thing upright.
Never tried to be more than he was. That alone makes him rarer than gold these days.
Proof you don’t have to scream to be heard.
