Documenting one of Manchester music's defining events on the 30^th anniversary of Oasis’ landmark Maine Road concerts…

To say Oasis’ April 27 and 28 ‘Homecoming Gigs’ were seismic moments in both the band’s history and Manchester City’s, is something of an understatement.

30 years ago, two worlds not so much collided, but intertwined as never before, as football and rock music seamlessly blended into one at Maine Road over two unforgettable nights in Moss Side.

Cliched maybe, but seeing Oasis at Maine Road in 1996 was not so much the hottest ticket in town, it was the music event of the decade.

Around 84,000 fans would have the opportunity of watching British music’s biggest band since The Beatles as the long and much-envied association between the band and their beloved football club finally merged on a global scale.

It was a connection that began in the Gallagher's modest home in Burnage, Manchester 19, and ended less than two miles away in their spiritual home of Maine Road, Manchester 14.

Noel and Liam Gallagher had followed City from their childhood, travelling home and away to watch the Blues as music and football shaped their early years.

An embryonic Oasis had started life in 1991 as ‘The Rain’ – fitting for a bunch of young Mancunians used the perpetual grey skies and damp, with Liam, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll.

By  August 1991 of that year, Noel, who had been a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets, had joined the raw, but enthusiastic quartet, taking on the songwriting control and reshaping the group.

Reformed as ‘Oasis’ – a name Noel took from a venue on and an Inspiral Carpets tour poster – the band were off and running, and never really looked back.

"Noel and Liam Gallagher had followed City from their childhood, travelling home and away to watch the Blues as music and football shaped their early years."  

Word spread around Manchester quickly, and the tour-de-force that was the Gallagher brothers – explosive, outspoken and brimming with confidence - added an unusual, aggressive and streetwise energy to the now rock quintet, and in 1993, having honed their sound, played their songs to wildly enthusiastic but modest audiences, Oasis, armed already with a career worth of outstanding songs, signed to Creation and began working on their debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’.

The release of ‘Supersonic’ saw a positive response from the critics and fans alike, though it would only reach No.31 in the UK Top 100. But it was just the beginning.

And the Gallaghers made no secret of their love of Manchester City whenever they were interviewed or when the band played live. Paul McGuigan was also a Blue, while Bonehead and McCarroll followed United.

In April 1994, cashing on the buzz, influential UK music magazine NME commissioned Kevin Cummins to get a definitive image of the Gallaghers - and with City sponsored by electronics giant Brother at the time, Cummins got Noel and Liam to pose in City shirts in the streets around Maine Road. Brothers. Genius.

The image, undoubtedly the most famous and loved, adorned the cover of the 9 May  1994 edition of the NME, cementing Oasis and Manchester City forever.

For City fans, it was a cherished badge of honour. A huge, loyal supporter-base steeped in a love of music and fashion, it was a match made in heaven, particularly at a time the team were really starting to struggle on the pitch.

By August 1994, Definitely Maybe was released going to No.1 in the UK, selling more than 15 million worldwide over time  with instant classics such as Live Forever, Cigarettes & Alcohol, Supersonic and Rock ‘n’ Roll Star included on arguably one of the British rock’s greatest first albums. Or ever, come to that.

Oasis were a phenomenon.

They followed their debut long play release with What’s the Story (Morning Glory)? – so much for the ‘difficult second album’ syndrome – which many believe was even better than their first.

It would sell 22 million copies worldwide, including more than five million in the UK and spawned such classics as Roll With It, Hello, Live Forever, Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Some Might Say and Champagne Supernova.

The brothers from the Burnage council estate had the world at their feet and City, as a club, embraced it all, with the team running out to Roll With It and a fan version of Wonderwall serenading under-fire manager Alan Ball.

As Oasis soared, so the Blues made disastrous start to the 1995/96 Premier League season, failing to win any of our opening 11 games, nine of which were defeats.

Misery on the pitch, pride off it. But at least Oasis were a City band and the strong links between the two were the envy of rival fans across the land.

It seemed inevitable that one thing in particular would happen as a result of this love-in collab and in February 1996, Noel and Liam revealed their lifelong ambition was about to come true with two Maine Road gigs pencilled in for April 27 and 28 of that year with Manic Street Preachers and Ocean Colour Scene supporting.

The clamour for tickets, priced at £17.50 each with 42,000 available for each night, was off the charts and were sold out as quickly as they went on sale.

Each ticket had an image of Noel, Liam and Guigsy  sat in the seats of the Main Stand at our old home – United fan Bonehead opting out while new band drummer Alan White was a Londoner with no affiliation to either Manchester team.

City would be away to Aston Villa ahead of the first night at Maine Road, with Ball’s beleaguered side bidding for what would be the great escape as a Steve Lomas goal secured a 1-0 win in the penultimate game of the campaign. There was hope with a home game to finish the campaign off against Liverpool a week later.

Back home, a huge stage erected at the Platt Lane end greeted those lucky enough to have tickets as thousands filtered in and wrestled for spaces near the stage.

There were City shirts everywhere… this was a homecoming like nothing before and the concert itself, Oasis’ first stadium gig as the headline, was a complete triumph, bouncing with energy, attitude and an explosion of noise and celebration as the Gallaghers went through their catalogue of anthemic collection of self-penned classics that were barely two years old.

Ahead of the opening night, Noel recalled: “I remember sitting behind the stage … taking the moment in. They had been saying, ‘You can't play outdoors in Manchester in April, it'll rain!’… ‘It (expletive) rains in August! … Well, wear a coat!”

The Gallaghers could finally say they had played at Maine Road, with guitars instead of boots, but the rush was no less as the brothers faced out to the North Stand, with a packed Kippax to their right and a full Main Stand to their left.

It was a had to be there moment, as was the second night which was equally memorable.

Liam, all swagger and attitude, Noel, effortlessly cool on his union jack guitar and his always stylish Manc attire that, the NME reported,  “Even Noel’s Penfield cagoule became iconic following the gigs. The clothing brand recently reissued the jackets as part of their 40th birthday celebrations, saying they were “made uniquely recognisable by Noel Gallagher in the 1990’s”. Vogue, meanwhile, credited Noel’s attire at Maine Road with “elevating the anorak from trainspotting mundanity to the realm of streetwear cool.”

A particularly iconic moment came during Live Forever, when led portraits of legends like John Lennon, Sid Vicious, and Elvis played on the big screen, seeming to catch even Liam off guard while electrifying the crowd.

The band signed off their Maine Road gigs with what would prove to be a rare encore – a cover of Slade’s 1973 classic Cum On Feel The Noize.

In 2017, Liam opined: “To play at the ground of the football club you’ve supported all your life is without doubt the icing on the cake. It’s downhill after that even Knebworth doesn’t come close.”

After the band’s brief tenure ended, the stage was deconstructed and there seemed to have been some minor pitch subsidence due to the weight of the temporary construction as well as thousands of fans that had jumped up and down to almost every track played over two nights.

Oasis were probably never better. City, however, would lose top flight status a week after the final Sunday night gig, drawing 2-2 with Liverpool when a victory was needed.

If ever there was a ‘Typical City’ moment, this was it, as the biggest rock band in the world soared, the Blues were about to embark on a journey to English football’s third tier while across the city, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Reds were celebrating another Premier League title. The lot of a Manchester City fan back then was rarely dull.

Noel would be asked in 2006, three years before the then intensely bickering Burnage brothers would finally call it a day, what his career high was.

He replied: "I guess, it is playing at Maine Road in Manchester because it was the ground of the football team I’ve supported since I was a child. It was the first stadium we played, and it was amazing. It was where we all used to go as kids, It looked like a big front room, except there were 42,000 people in it.

“We always signed on about a year before we were walking out into football stadiums that I’d grown up in. They were really great gigs. The Knebworth one was the biggest, but those Maine Road shows — that’s it. That’s what Oasis was at that time. I had seen Pink Floyd playing there, and I’d seen Guns N’ Roses, and now I was playing there. It was a bit mad.”

A decade later, Bonehead concurred: "Maine Road was where we all used to go. So I was standing there, trying to make sure I never forgot this moment. And now I can’t remember a thing about it, and yet I stood there for an hour and a half.”

Remarkably, Liam, only 25 at the time, was the subject of a kidnapping threat that the police treated seriously. Bonehead added: “You always have security knocking about, but at Maine Road we had security with Doberman’s and Rottweiler dogs. We were like, ‘What the…?!’ and someone said ‘Yeah, there was a serious threat that they were gonna kidnap Liam, so – extra security.’”

The Maine Road Oasis concerts were a huge moment in the history of the Manchester music scene, the Gallaghers and Manchester City.

And the reaction of anyone Mancs lucky enough to have witnessed them? ‘They were mad fer it!’

Words: David Clayton
Photographs: Kevin Cummins/Getty

Full Setlist & Stage Moments (night #1)

The full setlist for the first night, as captured by Setlist.fm, included:

The Swamp Song, Acquiesce, Supersonic, Hello, Some Might Say, Roll With It, Morning Glory, Round Are Way (with Up In The Sky outro), Cigarettes & Alcohol, Champagne Supernova, Whatever (ending with All The Young Dudes), Cast No Shadow, Wonderwall, The Masterplan (tour debut), Don't Look Back in Anger, Live Forever, D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman? (aborted), and I Am the Walrus, with an encore of Cum On Feel the Noize by Slade.

Be There Then

NME photographer Jon Shard, now one of the top photographers in Europe and beyond, was tasked with the job of documenting the ticket demand for the fast approaching Oasis’ landmark Maine Road concerts on 27 and 28 April 1996.

Here, Jon recalls capturing the thousands of Oasis fans queuing up around Maine in anticipation of acquiring a prized ticket in February 1996.

It’s a fascinating snapshot of life three decades ago, which captures the mood, fashion and moment of what is an historic time in both Manchester music and, of course, our former Moss Side home…

Jon, how did the Oasis job come about?

“I was just starting out as a young photographer when I had a portfolio meeting with The NME, in the hope of landing my first commission. A few months later, they got back in touch and asked me to photograph Oasis fans queuing for tickets for their upcoming gigs at Maine Road. That’s about it!”

What do you remember about the job you had to do that day?

“I was asked to shoot portraits of the fans and capture the overall scene of them queuing. I remember starting at the front of the queue, where I found a group of fans huddled together, braving the bitter cold and having slept out all night. I managed to get some great shots of them together before the opening of the box office, and then a couple of hours later photographing them holding their prized tickets.”

How were the Oasis fans you were taking pictures of? Responsive?

“The fans were extremely welcoming and in good spirits despite having to queue for hours. They were very approachable and happy to have their photograph taken, Especially when I mentioned the images were for The NME.”

Did you see many City shirts among the thousands waiting to get in?

“There were certainly City shirts among them, but it was mostly warm jackets, hats, scarfs - and cigarettes!”

Did you actually ever get to see the gigs?

“Unfortunately I didn’t get to go to those gigs, but I did see Oasis on many occasions Most notably for me was a show at Manchester Academy in 1994, which I have great memories of.”

Do you know if Noel or Liam ever got to see the pics and if so, did you ever hear what they thought?

“I’m not sure if Noel or Liam ever saw the pictures. I’d like to think they have. I’m sure it would put a smile on their faces and maybe remind them of just how special that period was to them.”

Was this arguably the real start of your journey as a top photographer?

“Yes it was, It gave me the start I needed. Following on from that shoot, I was commissioned to photograph multiple bands all over the world, which opened a lot of doors for me into other areas of photography, including  global advertising campaigns, fashion and celebrity portraiture. I’m very thankful for that first commission. It got the ball rolling for me.”

Over the past 30 years, you’ve done some of the biggest names in sport – including some City players?

“Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph some of the greats in the sporting world. It’s  been an amazing journey meeting and working with so many sports stars, especially in the world of football and that includes many Manchester City players. Some of my earliest sport commissions were at Man City. One that sticks in my mind was for the official merchandise catalogue 1996/97 where we had Take that’s Jason Orange on the cover alongside players Richard Edghill & Paul Lake. Since then I’ve worked with numerous City players over the years, with my favourite shoots being with Sergio Aguero. More recently I’ve worked with Phil Foden as well as with the great Pep Guardiola who was a real pleasure to meet.”

Finally, which team do you follow, Jon? Are you a Blue?

“Sadly not – I’m a Plymouth Argyle  fan. The Green Army. And I’m hoping for a play-off spot this season!”

Interview: David Clayton

See more Oasis pics here

You can also discover more about Jon Shard at www.jonshard.com or find him on Instagram: @jonshard

Cover Stars

City fanatic and world renowned photographer Kevin Cummins recalls meeting Oasis for the first time...

2 years prior to Maine Road, in April 1994, I was commissioned by the NME to shoot a cover feature with Oasis. It would be their first cover. Most bands are on their best behaviour when we deem them fit for the cover. Not Oasis. The interest in the band had exploding in just a few months.

They were already too big for the venues they were playing on this tour. I managed to get a few photos during the soundcheck prior to the doors opening. Then, within seconds, the 400-capacity Wedgwood Room was packed, hot, and sweaty. The stage was far too small. It was absolute chaos.

I had to shoot from the stage as there was no room anywhere else, then half the punters thought they should be on stage too. I was amazed and relieved when we finally got out of the building and back to the relative calm of the Marriott in Portsmouth Harbour. How wrong could I be. East 17 were having a quiet drink in the bar when we arrived. They saw 21 Mancunians and disappeared quickly. Well at least we had the bar to ourselves.

Whoever designed the interior of the hotel, hadn’t considered the fact that rock bands might stay there.

If they had, they would not have put the bar on the ground floor next to the swimming pool.

Liam, still honing his bad boy Rock ’n’ Roll persona, proceeded to throw all the plastic table and chairs into the pool.

Noel, quite reasonably pointed out to him that we now had nowhere to sit and have a drink. He then told his younger brother to get in the pool and get all the furniture back in position. Liam did as he was told, then tried to kick it off with Noel. The road crew stood around taking no notice of this regular performance.

Finally, they hugged, and we all sat down. The barman was looking increasingly worried. He told us it was last orders. Noel then ordered six drinks each for all 21 of us. The barman decided it made more commercial sense to stay open, but he needed the toilet. When he came back, someone had already served everyone a range of drinks from his bar. It was going to be a long night.

Many drinks and tall stories later, at around 5am, one of the crew, remembering that we soon had to drive to Newport, Gwent, decided to wrap things up. Someone must have signed the five-hour bar bill to Brian Harvey’s room, because as we were leaving, I remember hearing the barman say,” Goodnight Mr Harvey” to one of our party. I wonder if the East 17 frontman paid it for us. If so, thanks Bri. I owe you for 15 G&T’s.

Words and Pics: Kevin Cummins

 

 Oasis: The Masterplan by Kevin Cummins is published by Cassell in the UK and available in translation in many other countries. It’s available wherever good books are sold.

Competition

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The hit UK sitcom 'The Royle Family features which Oasis track on its opening titles?

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