Oasis: Trying to find a way out of nowhere

Description

‘It’s been an honour to have been associated with Jill for 30 years’ Noel Gallagher ‘If you look at Jill’s Oasis photographs they form one of the great essays in the history of photography’ Gail Buckland, author, curator, photo-historian Dramatic, iconic, tumultuous: this is the story of Oasis, as seen through the lens of legendary photographer Jill Furmanovsky and edited by Noel Gallagher. Jill has been documenting the phenomenon that is Oasis since 1994 and the Definitely Maybe tour, through the tense and difficult shows for Dig Out Your Soul in 2009 and, following a hiatus, to a new beginning in 2025. Featuring more than 500 exceptional photographs from her archive, this book includes acclaimed and classic shots alongside swathes of candid, behind-the-scenes images, many of which are published here for the very first time. With unprecedented access, Jill was able to capture strikingly emotive images, recording the band’s raw energy, humour and – at times – their vulnerability. ‘Oasis permitted closeness,’ she commented, ‘and that was a great gift to me as a photographer.’ Weaving sequences together to craft stories and stitch montages, the book brings you right into the room with the musicians. Noel’s foreword is followed by an introduction by Jill, while three expansive pieces by acclaimed author Simon Spence, publicist and writer Johnny Hopkins and music columnist and novelist Laura Barton chart Oasis’s early, mid and late eras. Jill and Noel’s reflections, alongside the photos, give the inside track on key moments, revealing the intimate friendship between band and photographer and reminding us of a remarkable era in music history, right to the edge of their 2025 reunion tour. This is a book to treasure long after the final encore.