Jill Furmanovsky Captures the Calm Before Oasis’s Reunion Tour
The final image in Jill Furmanovsky’s new book, Trying to Find a Way Out of Nowhere, is not of Oasis performing but rather an empty rehearsal space in Twickenham, southwest London, captured on 27 May 2025, reports BritPanorama.
This photograph serves as a prelude to the band’s eagerly anticipated reunion at iconic venues like Cardiff, Heaton Park, and Wembley as part of the Live ’25 tour. It symbolizes a moment of stillness ahead of what promises to be a festive return to the stage.
Seated in her North London studio, adorned with archive photos of Oasis, Furmanovsky, now 72, elaborates on how she obtained that pivotal shot. Facing a publisher’s deadline for her anthology, which chronicles her 16 years with the band beginning in 1994, she reached out to Noel Gallagher, her long-time collaborator.
“Look,” she told Gallagher, who was busy preparing for the tour, “it’d be good to have something that alludes to what’s going on now.” However, as rehearsals had only started a week prior, access to the space was strictly limited. “I don’t think Liam had even started rehearsing,” she added.
Gallagher proposed a quick solution: capture the empty room. This approach allowed Furmanovsky, who had been intricately linked with Oasis during their 90s heyday, to encapsulate the anticipation building before the reunion. Once the tour began in July, Gallagher invited her back to join the band on the road for the first time since their split in 2009.
Reflecting on his first impression of Furmanovsky at a 1994 gig, Gallagher remarked that she initially reminded him of a “dinner lady,” a comment he prefaced with a note of affection, owing to his mother’s occupation. “After that initial shoot, she appeared at everything we did,” he said.
Quickly, trust was established between them, enhanced by the age gap—Furmanovsky being a decade younger than the Gallagher brothers’ mother, which positioned her as a mentor figure. Their collaboration extended into iconic moments, like the filming of the “Live Forever” video, where Furmanovsky employed her well-honed photographer’s banter to engage Liam Gallagher, albeit with mixed results.
Before long, Furmanovsky found herself accompanying Oasis on a North American tour as the band recorded their second album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, set for a deluxe reissue to mark its 30th anniversary. She documented the group’s evolution through candid shots and behind-the-scenes access.
However, not all moments were straightforward. During a Paris session marked by Liam’s late-night debauchery, tensions arose, leading to memorable images that juxtaposed moodiness and celebrity. Furmanovsky recalls snapping emotions and expressions that showcased a seldom-seen dynamic between the brothers.
Furmanovsky aims to join the band again this weekend at Wembley for what are currently their final UK shows. Despite the challenges, she believes an iconic image of the tour already exists—a photograph captured by the band’s tour manager that encapsulates brotherly support as they step onto the stage for the first time in years.
“It’s carried on in that vein,” concludes Furmanovsky, hinting at the potential for continued touring, with speculation surrounding a possible multi-night residency at Knebworth next summer. “Well, it would be nice to be invited,” she adds.
Trying to Find a Way Out of Nowhere (Thames & Hudson, £50) is out now. Oasis play Wembley on 27 and 28 September. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) is released on 3 October (Big Brother Recordings)
