By Evie Nagy
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher has quit Oasis, according to a statement he posted Friday night on the band's website.
The announcement came shortly after the last-minute cancellation of the group's scheduled performance Friday at the Rock En Seine festival in Paris.
"It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight," Gallagher wrote. "People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."
Noel's brother and Oasis lead singer/guitarist Liam Gallagher founded the band in 1991 with Paul Arthurs, Paul McGuigan and Tony McCaroll. Noel joined shortly thereafter and took over as Oasis' lead songwriter. The Gallagher brothers are the longest-standing members of the band; the rest of the current lineup includes guitarist/keyboardist Colin Archer, bassist Andy Bell and drummer Chris Sharrock.
The British band had performances scheduled Saturday at the Rock Am See Festival in Konstanz, Germany, and Sunday at the I-Day Festival in Milan, Italy, both of which are canceled, according to Gallagher's statement.
"Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz and Milan," he wrote. No further news on the band's future has been announced.
Oasis' most recent album, "Dig Out Your Soul," peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in October.
