‘This book really brings those early years back to me. Kevin’s photographs captured us at the very beginning. This is a must-have book for every Oasis fan.’ – Noel Gallagher
‘As iconic photographer, adventurous fan and inside eye-witness, Kevin Cummins has always been where the cultural action is.’ – Paul Morley
‘Cummins, typical Manc, combining art with a good time, a sense of beauty, which explains the iconic shots of Liam and Noel in Man City shirts: memorable, defining images.’ – Miranda Sawyer, Observer
‘No one has captured the look of alternative UK music over the past half a century more tellingly than Kevin Cummins.’ – Simon Armitage
How does a band come into being? What are the myriad forces that shape their sound, look and identity? In 1993, Oasis signed to Creation Records and were shortly to begin recording their first album. The following year began with a masterplan – the creation of Oasis. At the centre of this enterprise was celebrated photographer Kevin Cummins, brought on board to help the band find a look that fitted their sound. In Oasis: The Masterplan we follow Cummins as he photographs the band as they cement their identity.
Noel Gallagher’s thoughts on football, fashion and music and his recollections of that formative year sit alongside those of Cummins himself. Throughout, we see how Oasis played with fashion and were taught how to pose and present themselves as they approached the summer when their first album, Definitely Maybe was released. The story from that moment on is well-known. Featuring 75% previously unseen images the book reveals just how effective the masterplan was to get them to that point.
Profile
Kevin Cummins
Manchester-born Kevin Cummins has an international reputation as one of the world’s leading photographers and is famed for his iconic portraits of musicians including Ian Curtis, Bowie, The Smiths, Iggy Pop, Bjork, Debbie Harry, Bob Marley, Public Enemy, Patti Smith and Oasis.
These photographs have appeared on magazine covers and in galleries and museums worldwide, including: Brooklyn Museum, Sydney Opera House, Pace Gallery, and other cities including New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Berlin, London, and Bologna. His work is included in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, V&A Museum and Manchester City Art Gallery.
Cummins had a 20 year association with British Rock ‘bible’ NME, where he created many of the best-known images in modern music history. He was awarded an honorary doctorate (arts) by Manchester Metropolitan University in 2015. His monographs for Octopus include Joy Division: Juvenes, Morrissey: Alone and Palely Loitering, Britpop: While We Were Getting High, Telling Stories: Photographs of The Fall and David Bowie: Mixing Memory & Desire.