AS the sun rose over the BIC yesterday morning, tired and weary Oasis fans, who'd been waiting outside from as early as Tuesday lunchtime, were rewarded for their patience as tickets went on sale for the band's gigs in October.

It was testament to the fans' resolve and the unfaltering popularity of the band, that people were prepared to queue for up to 21 hours for tickets - which went on sale at 9am and had sold out by lunchtime.

Ipods and murderous renditions of Oasis classics, which could be heard from the pier, helped pass the long night as well as plenty of alcohol and tales of the band's previous gigs.

The scenes were reminiscent of Oasis' last visit to the area in 2004, when hundreds of people queued overnight to buy tickets to the Glastonbury warm-up gig at the Poole Lighthouse.

Many of the people present that night were back again for another overnight wait, standing in line to try and guarantee their place in the crowd when Oasis play at the BIC on October 20 and 21.

"I was in the queue for the Lighthouse gig for 16 hours," explains Jay Taylor, a sales executive from Bournemouth, who arrived at the BIC at 2.30am yesterday.

"I don't mind waiting. There have been moments of hilarity while we've been in the queue and it will be worth it in October."

Among the excited Oasis fans were also a few unhappy faces who didn't manage to get hold of tickets.

Andy Harvey, a painter and decorator from Bournemouth, was relieved he wasn't one of those people, although he knows only too well how frustrating it is.

"I queued up for the Poole gig from about 4.30am but I didn't get a ticket," he said.

"I have no regrets about coming here at half one this morning - as long as I have a ticket I don't care."

Phone lines jammed, website crashed

MASSIVE demand for Oasis tickets crashed the BIC website and jammed phone lines.

Tens of thousands of frustrated fans tried for hours to secure tickets for the Bournemouth leg of the group's UK arena tour this autumn.

But many were left disappointed after being unable to get through to the box office.

Furious Chris Gedling, of Kingsway Close in Christchurch, slammed the venue's ticket arrangements and said: "They can't cope and this happens every time a major concert is on."

But ticketing manager Gail Collins said everything possible was done to help those trying to get through.

The centre received 20,000 hits to its website and 150,000 phone calls.

All 6,000 tickets were sold by mid-afternoon.

Gail said the last event to attract so much interest was Lee Evans last year.

The BIC plays host to Oasis, one of the world's top groups, on October 20 and 21. Other venues include London, Glasgow, Liverpool and Birmingham.

The tour has been organised in support of the eagerly awaited album, Dig Out Your Soul, to be released on October 6. The first single from the album, The Shock of the Lightning, will be released a week earlier.