As we edge towards an Oasis tour next year, photographer Justin Thomas shares some of his incredible work with the band over the years
Three decades since the height of Oasis mania, 2025 will once again be the year of the Gallagher brothers as they reunite for one of music history’s most anticipated events.
Photographer Justin Thomas remembers well the hysteria around the Manchester band after they burst onto the Britpop scene in 1994.
And over the following years Justin got to first-name terms with Noel as he followed them around the world, beating many other photographers to exclusive off-stage pictures of the band.
Justin, 68, who also photographed stars such as David Bowie, Prince, Queen, and the Sex Pistols, has now published previously unseen photos of Oasis in his new book How Does It Feel?.
He recalls: “Oasis were one of the bands I liked to tag myself along to because they had so much charisma and seemed to epitomise the 1990s, which was such a great time to be alive. There was so much optimism and London was swinging again with new, youthful bands.
“I got to know Noel much better, and he always remembered my name, whereas Liam was the complete opposite, he had no idea who I was even though I photographed him loads of times.
“Liam was a bit like a wild dog, some days he’d come and lick your hand and other days he’d bite it off, you had to be a bit careful around him. But over the years both brothers allowed me to get close enough to get the photos of the world’s biggest band everyone else wanted.”
– How Does It Feel? Oasis 1995/2000 is out now. Buy at hangingaroundbooks.com
Making of Roll With It, July 1995
I heard on the radio that winners of a phone-in to be extras in their next video, Roll With It, needed to get down to a studio in King’s Cross, so decided to try to get in. Amazingly I managed to convince the security that I had won and got in with my camera. For the next four hours I was standing stage-front with the hottest band in town, and nobody blinked an eye when I started taking photos.
Glastonbury, June 1995
One unexpected arrival was Robbie Williams, who had left Take That and was making a very public display of wanting to be a proper pop star. I was amazed to see the camaraderie between Robbie and the brothers, with Liam even giving him a kiss and a cuddle. Noel was more true to form, though, announcing during their headline spot that night: “Anyone seen that fat dancer from Take That?”
T in the Park, Glasgow, August 1995
I was at Scotland ’s biggest music festival, and wanted to get a photo of Noel meeting Joe Strummer, the lead singer of The Clash. I asked the manager of the Britpop band Flowered Up to get them together, although I didn’t think he would stand right in the middle!
After show party, Break for the Border club, London, November 1995
After Oasis’s sold out show in Earl’s Court, I went backstage and saw bassist Guigsy giving out passes for an after party and asked if he had a spare. Security told me not to take photos, but I managed to get some before they took away my camera, including this of Noel with The Prodigy.
Music Industry Soccer Six charity football match, London, May 1996
It was a huge charity match when Oasis played against Britpop bands like Blur and Pulp at the Mile End Stadium. But Liam was drinking champagne and smoking God-knows-what pretty much all day. This was the moment he did a flying tackle on the lead singer of Northern Uproar, Leon Meya.
Rio de Janeiro, January 2001
Noel had just done a press conference at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where the band were staying. When the others were asked to leave I doubled back and found them by the pool, taking a few pictures from a distance before Noel beckoned me over.
I started snapping away but Liam was having none of it. Despite Noel telling him I was alright, Liam told me to f*** right off and I was asked to leave.