Jon Shard

Photographer Jon Shard took these photographs on his first assignment for the NME in the winter of 1995–96, documenting Oasis fans queueing outside Maine Road in Manchester for tickets to the band’s now legendary homecoming concerts. Long before online sales, securing a place meant turning up in person and waiting in the cold. Shard’s pictures capture that moment with clarity: the anticipation, the style and commitment of fans determined to be there.

Oasis played two sold-out shows at Maine Road on the 27th and 28th April 1996, at the height of their rise and just months before Knebworth. For many, the concerts marked a defining point in the story of Britpop. 

Jon Shard:

“This was my first ever commission for the NME in the winter of 1995/96. I was asked to capture the dedication of fans waiting in the freezing cold for the hottest ticket in town. Those were the days before online ticket sales dominated, and queuing in person had its charm. People were willing to stay out and brave the cold; it was a bit of an event itself, almost a rite of passage for fans.”