By Lianne Kolirin, CNN

London (CNN) — Noel Gallagher has dished out rare praise for his brother Liam, saying he is “smashing it” on Oasis’ reunion tour.

The siblings have had a famously acrimonious relationship since their band dramatically split in 2009. But now, in an interview with UK radio station TalkSport on Tuesday, the Oasis songwriter and lead guitarist expressed his admiration for his younger brother.

“Liam’s smashing it,” Gallagher said of his brother’s performances as lead singer during the reunion tour so far. “I’m proud of him.”

The brothers have publicly traded barbs in the 16 years since Oasis’ breakup, with their spat regularly making headlines around the world.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2019, Noel accused his brother of making “unsophisticated music” and said “I can’t stand his voice.” Those comments came two years after Liam said of him in the same newspaper: “When I think about it, being in a band with him bores the death out of me.”

So it was big news when the band announced last year that they were getting back together. They kicked off a 19-date tour of the UK and Ireland in Cardiff, Wales on July 4.

They are due to play their first North American date in Toronto on Sunday, before heading to other cities in North and South America, Asia and Australia, with a finale in São Paulo on November 23.

The Gallagher brothers were pictured hand in hand at the end of their opening night in the Welsh capital last month. Just how emotional was that moment?, the TalkSport interviewer asked Gallagher.

“We’re not those kind of guys really,” said the singer-songwriter, who set up his own band, “High Flying Birds,” following Oasis’ split.

Nevertheless, he went on to tell the hosts that he was pleased to be back on stage with his original band, which started in Manchester in 1991. They went on to become one of the biggest groups of the 1990s, hitting the number one spot in the UK with eight of their albums.

“It’s great just to be back with Bonehead and Liam and you know, just be doing it again. I guess when it’s all said and done we’ll sit and reflect on it but it’s great being back in the band with Liam — I forgot how funny he was,” he said.

And that was not the only compliment he paid his little brother.

“I’ve been fronting a band for 16 years, I know how difficult that is,” he said. “I couldn’t do the stadium thing like he does it. It’s not in my nature but I’ve got to say, man, I look around and I think good for you, mate. He’s been amazing.”

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