While We Were Getting High: Britpop and the '90s

by Kevin Cummins

A photographic portrait of Britpop, featuring the most iconic bands of the genre, with many never-before-seen images.

Remember the rise and fall of Britpop - the seminal UK-based music and culture movement of the 90s - through its most striking images, with many never published before. Also featuring interviews with the heroes of Britpop, including Noel Gallagher.

Hundreds of photographs taken by renowned photographer Kevin Cummins, chief photographer at the NME for more than a decade, showcase Britpop's greatest stars at their most creative and iconic.

Artists photographed

- Oasis
- Blur
- Pulp
- Kula Shaker
- The Verve
- Suede
- Elastica
- Happy Mondays
- The Stone Roses
- The Bluetones
- The Boo Radleys
- Dodgy
- The Charlatans
- Echobelly
- Gene
- Kenickie
- Mansun
- The Divine Comedy - Supergrass
- Sleeper
- Menswear
- Marion
- The Seahorses
- Shampoo

...and many more.

Genres: Music

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2020

Reviews

[Jordan Phizacklea-Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of photographs from one of the most divisive periods in British popular music taken by someone who was there to document it from birth to demise has some truly iconic and striking shots, interspersed with interviews from some main players (Brett Anderson, Noel Gallagher, Sonya Madan, Martin Rossiter... and Paul Morley pips in, as he likes to) offering various reflections on what the period meant; spoiler - it ain't aged that well. If you were there, sang in the arenas, in the indie discos, in the terraces, or like me were slightly too young but for whom Britpop offers the first memories of popular culture, you'll enjoy the nostalgia.

[phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

my own personal pinterest board in a book

[Eva Simorangkir · Rating 3 out of 5]

"... a band will naturally acquire a focal point and one face is easier for the public to process than four."

Obviously finished this in one sitting. Great unseen photographs, with a nice shot of Liam Gallagher of Oasis on the cover, and straight up showcases a picture of Damon Albarn of Blur on the first page. This book kind of introduced me to bands that I've never heard of before (as I'm obviously not an avid listener of music from that era), and I think it's kind of nice to gain some sort of knowledge this way😋. I'd like to note that it's such a nice usage of a lyric from Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" as the title of this book.

This also has interviews with some of the Britpop (LOL) stars; Brett Anderson of Suede, Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Sonya Aurora Madan of Echobelly, and Martin Rossiter of Gene. I had a hard time reading the interview with Brett Anderson as he gave long answers with big words. If I had to choose, the one with Noel Gallagher is my favourite because his answers are just too straightforward. It's kinda interesting to find out that he chose “Live Forever”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, “Champagne Supernova”, “Common People”, “Girls and Boys” as songs that'd be on his playlist from this era.

I didn't know that NME had like a tradition of creating a theme every Christmas by getting bands remaking album covers. Blur's cosplay as Blondie's 'Parallel Lines' was actually for that NME theme. Reading this book also made me learn the effort they did for Blur's 'Modern Life is Rubbish' photoshoot which seems so annoying that I can't believe they did that. Also, I really enjoyed the photos of Justine Frischmann of Elastica (and the one with Damon Albarn) here, she's just too pretty!

Here are some of my personal favourite quotes taken from the book because they just sound too cocky that it's too laughable and entertaining:

1. “Look, I know why people resent me. It’s because I’m confident.” Damon Albarn, Blur, NME , 27 April 1996

2. “If you took a kid from the Bronx and a kid from Brixton who probably have absolutely nothing in common, well the one thing they’d have in common is they’d own a copy of ... Morning Glory .” Noel Gallagher, Oasis, NME , 17 February 1996

3. “I couldn’t write something like ‘Wonderwall’. I just can’t bring myself to write simple stuff like that …why on earth would I want to?” Damon Albarn, Blur, NME , 27 April 1996

[Scott Cumming · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with awesome photos of the Britpop staples from the successful to those swept up in the "scene". They are elevated by Cummins asking a series of questions to some of the main players. Brett Anderson and Noel Gallagher provide the type of answers you expect of them while Martin Rossiter and Sonya Madan provide a bit more nuance in what they provide.

The best photo in the book is of Madan that comes off like an Audrey Hepburn portrait and initially had me thinking it was the latter.

I think the book adds to the period and shows off the attitudes and arrogance as well as the art. I was a child during the time and I connect with the art of the music and the major characters and rivalries of the time rather than the lager and lads culture that Britpop legitimised in its way, so the added layer was something that caught me off guard, but that I couldn't disagree with.

[Brianna Westervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed out loud at the image of Blur as Blondie.

[Joyce E Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cummins photos are fantastic. However the photos seem to be mostly of Oasis, Blur, and Suede. There are a few photos of some other Britpop bands, but I thought there would be more bands represented.

[Ethan Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page 215. The iconic nature of that photo sums up the greatness of the book. You feel so close into the whole Britpop movement from the early nature to the dying embers of 1998.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Persia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damon Albarn’s face card never declined

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential cultural snapshot

Kevin Cummins is always the keeper of the zeitgeist and is much more than just a photographer. His collections of images and interviews capture a cultural snapshot of British music and social change that was ultimately short lived. But KC was there to capture it.

[Steve Angelkov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst this period of music was central to my youth, I look back on it as karaoke and the panto that was blur vs oasis.

There was much more to this period of time.

Nice selection of photos.