They have fought with other bands and even each other, given the finger to the musical establishment, and told the press where to stuff it. But up until now the rock group Oasis have drawn the line at insulting their own fans.

The bad boys of Britpop crossed that final threshold on Wednesday night when the lead singer, Liam Gallagher, succeeded in antagonising thousands of the group’s Swiss followers with some colourful insights of his own into their national characteristics.

They responded by pelting him and the band with bottles and cans. The band claim that Gallagher and drummer Alan White were hit though the organisers of the Paleo Festival insisted that only water bags and bits of rubbish were thrown. The concert in the French-speaking town of Nyon was later abandoned.

Last night the organisers, who were incensed at the band’s behaviour, vowed they would never work with Oasis again and revealed there were even considering suing.

This is the latest disaster to have beset the Manchester group, which has hit the self-destruct button since taking a critical pasting for its latest album, Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. It lost two of its original line-up last year after internal squabbles.

Last week Noel Gallagher, the group’s principal songwriter and steadying influence, who had become semi-detached of late, admitted that if Liam “wasn’t me brother I’d have kicked him out of the band years ago”. The singer’s behaviour, never predictable, has become still more erratic since his marriage to the actress Patsy Kensit collapsed last month. Crucially, Noel Gallagher was not on stage in Nyon.

Last night it was revealed that the band was so scared at what their fans might do to them that they rang the British consulate in Geneva to ensure their safe passage out of the country.

Oasis were headlining the one day festival, which included such diverse acts as the Buena Vista Social Club, Skirt and the band of the Yugoslav film director, Emir Kusturica.

Trouble started after the organisers claim Gallagher in sulted the 35,000 crowd. As objects flew towards him he walked off, and it was later announced that the band would only come back on if the crowd settled down.

After a brief break, they returned but two songs later – and after an exchange of insults between the stage and the crowd that centred on Gallagher’s rival Robbie Williams – the band halted the gig.

In a statement last night Oasis blamed a small group of hooligans in the crowd. “The band had taken the stage to a roar of anticipation from the audience. Approximately 30 minutes into the performance, several bottles, cans and coins were thrown on the stage, hitting several band members. A small group ruined it for the real fans.” Oasis have returned to Britain, where they are due to play in Edinburgh at the weekend.

But Daniel Rossellat, who runs the festival, blamed Liam Gallagher’s “arrogant and provocative attitude” for stoking the trouble and lashed out at his “paranoid reaction” when the crowd reacted to his insults. “He insulted members of the audience on several occasions. As far as the Paleo Festival organisers are concerned, Oasis’s decision to cut short their concert was totally irrational and the result of a paranoid reaction by the group, and not based on a calm analysis of the situation.

“By cutting short their concert in this way, Oasis not only ruined what was to be have been a much awaited musical performance for thousands of members of the audience, but also totally disregarded the public safety risk involved in depriving such a huge crowd of the band they had come to applaud.”

Oasis were paid £66,000 – the largest sum received by any of the acts at the event. Mr Rossellat said he was trying to determine the exact wording of all of Gallagher’s exchanges with the crowd.