Brothers and rock 'n' roll are a historically volatile combination, as Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher are proving once again, leading many to wonder if there's a future for the tempestuous Brit-pop group.

Although their Beatles influence has been well chronicled, perhaps it's more fitting to compare them with another band out of England, the Kinks. Much like the Kinks' Ray and Dave Davies, whose acrimony was such that they would try to trip each other onstage, the brothers Gallagher have shown no signs of tempering their long-running feud.

A recent interview the Gallaghers gave to London's Time Out magazine has fueled speculation that the band will not live forever. Shortly after the story was published, the brothers' onstage bickering during shows Saturday and Sunday at Wembley Stadium led some to wonder if they had just witnessed Oasis' swan song.

According to published reports, Liam was noticeably drunk, calling Wembley a "sh--hole" while antagonizing Noel, saying he'd been touring the world making money while Noel sat at home. The band's main songwriter and guitarist, Noel left the band two months ago, only to return for the UK leg of their tour earlier this month.

The reason: "We had a fight," lead singer Liam told Time Out. "And he won, I'll give him that. I was out of order, and he was out of order."

To which Noel responded, "If I wasn't related to him, I'd have sacked him f---ing four years ago."

A Surfeit Of Bratty Brits?

While they continue to play to sold-out stadiums in Europe, success in the States has been short-lived for Oasis. Their latest album, Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, including the single "Go Let It Out" (RealAudio excerpt), was released Stateside in February with little fanfare. Within two months, Standing had fallen out of the Billboard 200 albums chart.

"They've missed their window of opportunity," said Mimi Griswold, program director for WKRL-FM in Syracuse, N.Y. "All the turmoil hasn't helped. I think people have gotten sick of the whole bratty-Brit thing. Right now, I could care less."

It's been hard to keep up with all the infighting, although they've never kept it much of a secret. When the band was at the height of its popularity, enjoying hits with the songs "Wonderwall" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Champagne Supernova," off 1995's multiplatinum What's the Story Morning Glory?, Liam skipped out on an "MTV Unplugged" appearance, complaining of a sore throat.

"We've had arguments before," Liam told Time Out, suggesting that the latest feud would not break up the band. "And we were never that close anyway."

Although Noel told a Dublin, Ireland, crowd "we ain't splitting up" earlier this month, he sounded a different tune in the Time Out interview. (The brothers declined sonicnet.com's request for further comment.)

"It's easy to say you're sorry, and it's a different thing meaning it," Noel told the magazine. "So he's apologized, big deal. Until the next time, but this time there isn't going to be a next time because I've had enough of him."

Meaning? ...

"I have no idea," Oasis publicist Terri Hall said. "To me, it's just another argument. But I think the article states that they love each other and need each other. I don't think it's really conclusive either way. Right now the two of them are talking. Things appear to be fine, but maybe I'm just being naive."

Turmoil And Rumors

Liam reacted angrily when asked about rumors that Noel was leaving the band for a solo career, saying, "It's not good for the band, and it's not good for me. You're not putting me on a f---ing shelf for a year."

However, he claimed the band is no longer the most important thing in his life these days, a fact he said contributed to his latest blowup with Liam.

"I'm married now, I've got a kid now, and watching my little girl grow up and go to school is more important than watching the band develop," Noel said. "He's got to get his head around that before we can go any further."

Whether the Gallaghers' rift leads to Noel quitting the band, Oasis have gone through other lineup changes recently — guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs and bassist Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, both founding members, left the band in August. The group's current lineup includes guitarist Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell (formerly of Ride) and drummer Alan White.

'The Future Doesn't Look Good'

Opinion is divided as to whether Oasis' music has suffered from all the turmoil.

"Their last album was weak," Griswold said. "Frankly, it sucked. And their label (Epic) did virtually nothing to support it. I didn't have anyone pushing me to play it. It just wasn't very radio-friendly."

But another radio programmer, Dave Richards of WMQT-FM in Chicago, was more forgiving, saying he liked Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, even if his station's listeners did not.

"I think they put together a great record, I really do," he said. "But the enthusiasm for that kind of music has dwindled."

While some say the Gallaghers' bickering has hurt the band, Richards said it saves them from near-anonymity in the United States.

"Bob Ritchie would be boring if he didn't have the persona of Kid Rock," he said. "I think their squabbling makes them more interesting. ... But will they ever be able to repeat their previous success? Probably not. You combine that with all their fighting, the future doesn't look good."

Oasis fan Bret Chaffee, 31, of West Hollywood, Calif., remains loyal to the band.

"There's some good songs on the new one, but I'm partial to Oasis even if it sounds the same," he said. "Bringing Andy Bell into the band was a good move. I think it's going to take the fans a little bit to get used to the new lineup. The next record should really be an improvement."

If there is a next record. In the Time Out interview, Noel said fans might have to wait another five years for something new from Oasis.

"We have to sit down at the end of this tour and have a big think about where we're going and how we're going to get there," said the elder Gallagher, who admitted he hadn't written any new songs in the last year and a half.

Even those close to the band say they have no idea what lies ahead.

"They may get to Christmas and say, 'That's all, we're finished,' " Hall said. "I don't think even Noel and Liam could answer that question right now."

Officials at the band's newly formed UK record label, Big Brother, declined to comment.

Oasis will complete their UK tour Aug. 28 at the Leeds Festival. However, Noel will not join the rest of the band on its other European stops (July 26 in Nyon, Switzerland; Aug. 6 in Algarve, Portugal; and Aug. 8 in Budapest, Hungary).