Robbie Williams accuses Oasis of being 'gigantic bullies'

Isle of Wight Festival 2023 headliner Robbie Williams has accused Oasis of being “gigantic bullies” at their commercial peak in the 1990s.

The former Take That singer famously partied with Oasis at Glastonbury Festival in 1995, however things soon soured as Robbie Williams’ solo career took off and they regularly traded insults in the media.

Their caustic relationship has softened as the years and decades have passed, however, in a new interview, Williams has hit out at Oasis for intimidating him.

Initially praising Gallagher brothers and co., Williams said: “Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of Oasis and (always) was. I was there, and I was part of it, and it was f---ing unbelievable: Incredible hedonism, reckless abandon and rock ’n roll, and, ‘Let’s turn it to 11, 12, and let’s see where this goes.’ It’s part of that competitive nature of me, too.”

Pointing out the negatives of their relationship, Williams continued to Zane Lowe on his Apple Music show: “And also they were gigantic bullies too, to the whole industry, everybody in it - and I didn’t like that.

“A lot of that still remains inside me. They’re probably different people now, but there’s a lot of me that’s like, ‘They’re f---ing bullies, them. I don’t like bullies.’”

Williams went on to say he was a fan of Liam Gallagher’s solo career in particular, explaining: “The great thing about being a fan of Oasis is when Liam comes out with a great album, I can be a fan. The great thing about being resentful toward them is when they don’t, I’m happy. I win on both sides.

“It’s so genuine, Liam’s last album that he put out: there’s like five or six tracks on there that are just like … I’m so glad he exists. I’m so glad that he is a personality out there that’s vital, because there’s not many of them about. And especially in this day and age where pop stars can’t say and do and be personalities, it’s fantastic that there’s a Liam Gallagher in the world.”

At the height of their bickering in the 1990s, Noel Gallagher branded Williams as the “fat dancer from Take That.” Williams infamously challenged Liam Gallagher to a fight at the 2000 Brit Awards, but it didn’t come into fruition.

Robbie Williams headlines the Sunday night at Isle of Wight Festival in June 2023. He appears alongside fellow headliners Pulp, George Ezra and The Chemical Brothers.

Other artists appearing across the weekend include Courteeners, Blondie, Manic Street Preachers, James Bay, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Enemy, Human League and Groove Armada.

Tickets to Isle for Wight Festival 2023 go on sale from Absolute Radio Tickets at 9am on Friday 4th November.

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• Isle of Wight Festival
• Robbie Williams
• Oasis
• Liam Gallagher
• Noel Gallagher