Oasis were an English rock music band formed in Manchester in 1991. They evolved from an earlier band called the Rain, composed of Paul McGuigan (bass guitar), Paul Arthurs (guitar), Tony McCarroll (drums) and Chris Hutton (vocals). Unsatisfied with Hutton, Arthurs invited and auditioned acquaintance Liam Gallagher as a replacement. Liam suggested that the band name be changed to Oasis. This change was inspired by an Inspiral Carpets tour poster that hung in the Gallagher brothers' bedroom. One of the venues the poster listed was the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire.
Oasis played their first ever live gig on 18 August 1991 at the Boardwalk club in Manchester. Liam's brother Noel Gallagher, who was a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, went with the band to watch his younger brother's band play. Whilst Noel and his friends did not think Oasis sounded particularly spectacular, he did begin to consider the possibility of using his brother's group as a possible outlet for a series of songs he had been writing for several years.
Noel approached the group about joining with the proviso that he would become the band's sole songwriter and leader, and that they would commit to an earnest pursuit of commercial success. "He had loads of stuff written," Arthurs recalled. "When he walked in, we were a band making a racket with four tunes. All of a sudden, there were loads of ideas." Oasis under Noel Gallagher crafted a musical approach that relied on simplicity, with Arthurs and McGuigan restricted to playing barre chords and root bass notes; McCarroll playing basic rhythms, and the band's amplifiers turned up to create distortion, Oasis created a sound "so devoid of finesse and complexity that it came out sounding pretty much unstoppable." Oasis have had eight UK number-one singles and eight UK number-one albums, and won fifteen NME Awards, nine Q Awards, four MTV Europe Music Awards and six Brit Awards. By 2009, the band had sold over 70 million records worldwide.
Our unique collection of Oasis photos includes iconic images by renowned photographer and Rockarchive founder Jill Furmanovsky. Jill's Oasis prints are exclusively produced and sold by Rockarchive
This was taken during a break in filming the Oasis Wonderwall video.
Johnny Marr had given Noel one of his guitars in the early days when he was broke. Now he was able to buy any guitar that took his fancy
This was the second day of a 2-day press shoot for the release of Be Here Now. It was the day Tony Blair became Prime Minister
Noel & Liam Gallagher from Oasis backstage before performing onstage at Wembley Stadium in July 2000
Taken during the Oasis 'Definitely Maybe' Tour in Detroit, USA in 1995
Contact sheet of Noel & Liam Gallagher larking around during the recording sessions for 'Be Here Now' at Abbey Road Studios in October 1996
Iconic shot of Liam Gallagher onstage during Oasis's debut gig at Slane Castle in July 1995
Liam Gallagher onstage in Cambridge in December 1994 during Oasis's Definitely Maybe Tour
Oasis performing onstage during the first of their legendary Knebworth gigs in 1996.
Noel and Liam Gallagher photographed in Nice, France whilst recording Oasis's fourth album 'Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'
Noel recalls "Maine Road was where we all used to go as kids. So I was standing there, trying to make sure I never forgot this moment"
Terrible vibes between Noel and Liam produced a wonderful set of pictures. Taken in Paris in November 1995.
Noel Gallagher tuning his guitar on the floor of Studio Two, Abbey Road Studios during the recording sessions for Be Here Now in 1996
Noel Gallagher rehearsing in Studio Two at Abbey Road in October 1996 during the recordings for the Oasis album 'Be Here Now'
Liam downs a pint while Noel watches and waits. That sums up their working relationship!
Oasis captured at Manchester Airport in May 1994. Noel cheekily sticks his tongue out behind Liam's back!
Oasis were supporting U2 in America. I think this is one of the best live images I've ever taken.
This was taken on the first Oasis American tour. Twin benches on the boardwalk were ideal for this back-to-back portrait of the brothers
Terrible vibes between Noel and Liam produced a wonderful set of pictures. Liam drunk, Noel thoroughly fed up, but the session continued.
George Martin was involved in the making of a TV documentary about Air Studios while Oasis were recording there
Rehearsals at the Music Bank, a regular haunt, would see Liam take pleasure in giving his famous two finger salute to trains speeding past
Taken on the video shoot for one of Noel Gallagher's greatest songs 'Wonderwall' in September 1995. A beam of evening light hits the spot.
"I love to shoot musicians in hotel rooms, bland furniture, bland pictures on the wall - so much part of the lifestyle of a rock musician."
"To wear your woman's white cable knit sweater in front of a crowd of 125,000 takes some guts but Liam wore it with a swagger" Noel said
Taken at a full lighting and sound dress rehearsal. Liam is sitting cross-legged on the floor listening intently to his favourite band
Part of a cover shoot for Q Magazine shot backstage at The Point Dublin in March 1996 before the gig.
This was taken in Schipol Airport while we waited for the luggage. I rounded them up and asked them to sit on the edge of the conveyor belt.
At the time of Wonderwall Oasis not only sounded like The Beatles they looked like them too.
This was taken during a break in filming the Oasis Wonderwall video in September 1995.
Noel & Liam Gallager at Air Studios, London in 1997. This image has been used as poster art for the 2016 Oasis exhibition 'Chasing the Sun'
Noel and Liam take a break from recording in a pub near Abbey Road. The atmosphere between them had been tense in the preceding weeks
I was asked to shoot a band session at Abbey Road, about a month after the media furore that was going on at the time.
Liam wearing the famous brown check coat that never seemed to come off during the tour and watching the sound-check intently as was his way.
The chalk blackboard and blood red wall were a gift to this session. Liam wrote the words himself.
Early in October 1996 fans found out that Oasis were recording in Abbey Road, and the graffiti outside started showing Oasis content
Guitars and equipment on display in Studio Two at Abbey Road during the recording sessions for the Oasis album 'Be Here Now'
Contact sheet of Liam Gallagher singing during a recording session for 'Be Here Now' at Abbey Road Studios in October 1996
Studio Two in Abbey Road Studios, Liam Gallagher performing during a recording session for 'Be Here Now' in 1996
Noel Gallagher photographed by Jill Furmanovsky whilst recording the Oasis album 'Be Here Now' in 1996
Noel Gallagher setting up before his Oasis gig at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in December 1994.
Noel Gallagher performing at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in 1994 during Oasis's Definitely Maybe Tour.
Oasis captured during their Definitely Maybe Tour in 1995 with San Francisco as a backdrop
Liam Gallagher beautifully captured whilst sleeping on Oasis's tour bus during their US Tour in March 1996
Iconic image of Liam Gallagher used on the cover of Jill Furmanovsky's Oasis book 'Was There Then
Stunning photograph of Noel Gallagher used on the cover for Jill Furmanovsky's Oasis photography book 'Was There Then'
Liam Gallagher squating on the stage at Knebworth Park during the rehersals for Oasis's historic gigs
Liam Gallagher captured by Jill Furmanovsky at the NEC, Birmingham during rehearsals for Oasis's historic Knebworth gigs.
Stunning silhouette shot by Jill Furmanovsky of Oasis rehearsing at the NEC, Birmingham prior to their huge Knebworth Park gigs.
Liam Gallagher captured at the NEC, Birmingham during Oasis's rehearsals for their historic Knebworth gigs.
Noel Gallagher adusting the sound during Oasis's sell-out gigs at Knebworth Park in August 1996
Noel Gallagher rehearsing onstage at Knebworth Park before Oasis performed their famous two day gigs in August 1996
Jill Furmanovsky photograph of Noel Gallagher taken in France during the recording of their 4th album 'Standing on the Shoulder of Giants'
Oasis show off their new scooters outside London’s Earls Court Arena in November 1995, when they played two shows at the venue.
Liam Gallagher captured by Jill Furmanovsky during the shoot for Oasis's Wonderwall video.
Noel Gallagher photographed at Ridge Farm Studio in 1996 whilst Oasis were recording their album 'Be Here Now'.
Liam Gallagher relaxing in his hotel room in Rhode Island whilst Oasis were touring the USA in March 1996.
Contact sheet featuring images of Oasis taken at the NEC Birmingham during the rehearsals for their iconic Knebworth Park gigs in 1996
Noel & Liam Gallagher captured during a quick shoot outside the exhibition halls of the NEC during Oasis's Knebworth rehearsals in July 1996
Liam Gallagher performing on-stage at Knebworth Park in August 1996 during Oasis's iconic gigs. Cover image for the book 'Oasis: Knebworth'.
10th August, 1996 Noel Gallagher onstage at Knebworth Park during Oasis's landmark gigs
Liam Gallagher photographed on the Main Stage at Glastonbury when Oasis headlined the Festival in June 1995.
Liam Gallagher photographed by Jill Furmanovsky whilst Oasis were recording their album Heathen Chemistry at Olympic Studios in 2001.
Oasis photographed by Jill Furmanovsky in June 1995 when they headlined the Glastonbury Festival
Noel Gallagher captured in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in 1996 whilst Oasis were recording 'Be Here Now'
Captivating photograph of Noel Gallagher rehearsing in Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios during Oasis' recording of Be Here Now
Liam Gallagher shot whilst recording Oasis' third album Be Here Now at Ridge Farm in 1996.
Liam Gallagher recording Oasis' 'Be Here Now' at Abbey Road Studios in 1996.
Noel & Liam Gallagher photographed by Jill Furmanovsky in the baggage reclaim area of Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam in November 1997
Exclusive Oasis Montage print comprised of Jill Furmanovsky photographs, released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Be Here Now
Noel Gallagher performing with Oasis on The Main Stage in 1995 during Glastonbury's 25th Anniversary Festival
Liam Gallagher owning the stage whilst headlining with Oasis at the Glastonbury Festival in 1995
Blue limited edition screen print of Liam Gallagher by David Studwell embellished with diamond dust
Orange limited edition screen print of Liam Gallagher by David Studwell
Underwater photo of Krist Novoselic in a LA swimming pool whilst on a Nirvana publicty shoot
Stunning image of Amy Winehouse taken in a North London launderette during a photo shoot in winter 2004.
Limited edition screen print of a mugshot of Prince created by artist David Studwell
Led Zeppelin performing at Madison Square Garden, New York, USA 1977.
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Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best
Album covers can define a band almost as much as the music itself. Now you can put this great art on your wall as well as your turntable
