Biography
In the realm of post-modern pop, tribute acts have long carved out a familiar niche, yet the mid-90s Scottish quintet No Way Sis pushed this convention toward absurdity through their chaotic renditions of Oasis material. While prior groups typically emerged to mimic major artists who had already disbanded—such as the Bootleg Beatles honoring the Beatles or Bjorn Again channeling Abba—or persisted long after peak relevance, as with the Counterfeit Stones, No Way Sis coalesced merely a few years after Oasis issued their debut album. Their dynamic with the original Manchester band proved especially peculiar, as Noel Gallagher repeatedly voiced admiration for the Glasgow outfit in ways never extended to competing mimics like Wonderwall or Champagne Supernova. Centered on the brotherly pair of Joe McKay, who assumed the ‘Liam’ persona, and Gerry McKay, cast as ‘Noel,’ the lineup further included James McLardy as ‘Bonehead,’ Tony McCarthy as ‘Guigsy,’ and Mick Reilly as ‘Alan.’ Adding another layer of irony, Oasis had faced occasional charges of derivativeness during their heyday, yet No Way Sis launched with a straightforward cover of the New Seekers’ ‘I’d Like To Teach the World To Sing,’ widely viewed as a sly nod to the source material behind Oasis’ ‘Shakermaker.’ Buoyed by promotional buzz for a potential Christmas number 1 in 1996, the venture quickly lost momentum; EMI Records terminated the group early the next year, preventing any progress on the opening release of an intended five-album deal.
Singles