Joy Division ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's now forty-six years since I took these pictures of Joy Division, and I post them again in memory of Ian Curtis. Here's a little video I made of my photographs ..

Getting fresh ..

 

 

 

 

 

It was forty-six years ago today that eighteen-year-old me spent a couple of hours walking the mean streets of Sale with The Freshies. This was the band fronted by Chris Sievey, who transformed himself into Frank Sidebottom a few years later. On February 28th, the group had played Bowdon Vale Youth Club - scene of my 'famous' Joy Division photographs - and, after the gig, I asked if I could do a shoot. Why I didn't ask Joy Division I will never know!! ..

Anyway, here are three of the lads, larking about in Tesco's car park and outside the Blue Rooms disco in Sale. Great memories, great times ..

Forty-five years ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 14 .. and it's now an unbelievable forty-five years since I took my pictures of Joy Division at Bowdon Vale Youth Club. After a dodgy start - nobody was interested in using the shots at the time - the photographs have now been used in magazines, books, exhibitions and, like the image I'm showing you today, on T-shirts. The band's music is as powerful as ever, and I'm so lucky to have seen the group three times. Rest in peace, Ian.

Wednesday 14th March 1979

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've found an old diary. I am 18 years old and just five months into my new life as a press photographer. The date is Wednesday 14th March 1979 ..

We can see that I had a driving lesson at 2pm and worked from 9.30 to 5.30. (As an aside, I wrote recently about the flexibility of press photography and look at this .. I had to keep a record of my own working hours! I see I worked 54 hours that week and claimed expenses for three dinners and two teas!) I recorded the fact that I bought a new note-book (I could claim for them on expenses, too) and reminded myself to ask Gill about the band Squeeze (I presume we went to see them!) I also made a note to phone Chris Sievey and Steve Murray. Chris was lead singer of The Freshies, who I'd photographed at Bowdon Vale Youth Club on February 28th. I remember we arranged a photo-shoot and spent a fun few hours mucking about around Sale. (Chris went on to become Frank Sidebottom). Steve Murray was lead singer with The Fast Cars, who played the same venue on March 7th, and he and the band are still going strong to this day ..

There's another entry, too. Joy Division at St. Luke's. I've no idea why I wrote St. Luke's instead of Bowdon Vale - perhaps there was a church youth group associated with the club - but I certainly know what happened after that .. 

Gone in twenty seconds ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The lady from the band smiled sweetly. "Hi," she said. "Quick question. Have you ever photographed any musicians?" My gulp was audible, the grimace on my face a picture to behold. "Er, hello .. " I gasped. "Joy Division, The Smiths, Siouxsie Sue?" (Etc., etc., etc ... ) "Why do you ask?" I enquired. "Well, we wanted some new shots of the group," she said, (still smiling sweetly) "but, judging from your Instagram posts, we thought you only photographed flowers!!" It was like having my entire career wiped out in one twenty-second conversation .. 

Anyway, here are some more flowers for you. (Oh, and a musician) ..

 

 

Big in Japan ..

Well, what do you think of these bad boys?

A whole new range of T-shirts using my Joy Division photography!

I'm delighted to announce their launch, after months of planning and design. Not that I planned or designed, of course. That was all done by my friends at Lad Musician, a top-end fashion house based in Tokyo, Japan. This is the second time they've chosen my work to grace their garments, and I'm absolutely delighted ..

They're the real deal, too. Top quality printing on beautifully soft cotton, they feel great and look fantastic, even on a skinny bod like mine. How do I know? They sent me some samples, of course ..

 

The price? From about ￥12, 000 .. ! (Put it into a currency converter. It's not as bad as you think!) 

Showtime!

A sliver of new moon appeared in a darkening sky, Venus glowing above it as the sun went down on Saturday night. In the old French town of Guîtres, the 11th century Abbey of Notre-Dame took on its own majesty as lights came on in the square. A crowd gathered as music began to crackle from a pair of speakers. Divine music, uplifting music, joyous .. The Pop Group, The Cure, Virgin Prunes!

It was the opening of my Joy Division/Manchester exhibition, and a cold-wave (post-punk!) disco sparked the evening to life after speeches by myself and the mayor. I was so delighted with the turnout, as well as the interesting questions I attempted to answer in French. I can only thank the lovely people from 'Asso Biodynaboum', the organisation that offered me the show, for the great job they've done in promoting it. (And the mayor with the funky Converse trainers!) ..

The show is now on view at the Marie (town hall) in Guîtres until the end of June. I hope you manage to see it .. 

Get ye to Guitres ..

 

 

 

 

 

There's a village in France called GuÎtres, a quiet little place with an ancient abbey, an old town hall .. and a Mayor in trendy trainers who's decided to stage a photography exhibition!

He and his cultural association have invited me to be the first person to display my pictures in their 'mairie', and are going to kick off my two month show there with a 'vernissage' - or opening night - at the Abbey, with a post-punk DJ playing music alongside a selection of my work.

What started as a small show of my Joy Division pictures has grown to include an extra 20 or so images from my archive of 1970s Manchester photographs, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share my Manchester upbringing with the lovely people of rural France. (Copies of my new photography books will also be available to purchase! End of commercial break ;-) .. )

The show opens to the public on April 22nd and will run until the end of June. Guitres is just an hour from Bordeaux, in the wine-growing area close to the fantastic Chateau de Geai (Best red I've ever tasted!).

It would be great to see you there .. especially if you're wearing Converse One-Stars!     

Eternal ..

 

 

 

 

 

Astonishing to think that forty-four years have gone by since I took these photographs. Great to know that people are more interested in them than ever ..

I was just eighteen when Joy Division played at Bowdon Vale Youth Club on March 14th 1979, and I made a set of photographs that has come to play a big part in their legacy. Four of the images have just been used in a MOJO magazine Joy Division special; a fashion company in Tokyo is just about to launch a range of t-shirts featuring my pictures, and the complete set of prints will go on display in an Abbey near Bordeaux towards the end of next month.

Lead singer Ian Curtis killed himself just over a year after I took these shots. I'm proud to play my part in keeping alive his memory  ..

Now we are three ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's all happening at once ..!

 I've finally finished my latest book! Tofalofalos is the story of a man who takes a two-week holiday to forget about his wife .. the wife who's just left him for another man. It's available now on Amazon. Why not give it a try .. ?

I have also agreed to the use of my Joy Division photographs on a new range of clothing from Japan, and the press release is about to go out on a new exhibition I'm having near Bordeaux.

Three's a crowd? Man, I'm loving this crowd ..

And in other news ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Happy New Year, and it's started well. Please allow me a moment to blow my own trumpet, as I go into 2023 with exciting news. I've been asked if I can stage an exhibition of my photographs, and have been offered the chance to have my work used on a new range of clothing ..

A town near Bordeaux has invited me to show my work in a Spring solo show staged in a vineyard .. details to follow .. and a fashion designer in Japan wants to use my Joy Division photographs on a new range of clothing. All very exciting ..

In other news, our car's broken down and a friend just told me he's got prostate cancer. Life sure has a way of keeping you grounded ..

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Joy ..

I'm feeling rather special at the moment. A very nice French chap has just driven 330 miles to bring me a box of chocolates!..

Ok, perhaps I should give you a little more detail. I was contacted in the summer by a guy who asked if I'd be interested in a project of his concerning Joy Division. He's had a very intriguing idea and wants me to be on board. To that end he drove from his home .. 165 miles away .. to have a coffee and a chat with me, and very happy I was to sign up with his plans. This week he returned .. bearing the lovely box of goodies from his local artisan chocolatier .. to flesh out his project a little further. A lot more people are now involved, and it's starting to sound a proper 'goer' ..

So, we had our coffees, and another lovely chat, and off he went to drive the 165 miles back. He left me with the chocolates .. and a really good feeling about my work. I'll let you know how he gets on with his project. What joy .. 

All hail, Bowdon Vale

Two packages have arrived in the post this week - a DVD in one and a magazine in the other - and I'm pleased to say they both feature some of my music photographs from Bowdon Vale Youth Club in Manchester. It was there in 1979 - aged just 18 - that I photographed Joy Division and The Freshies - two 'up and coming' local bands. The rise and sustained popularity of Joy Division is known to all - the 'oh-so-near' failure of The Freshies not so well documented ..

'Louder Than War' magazine features one of my shots on its cover and two other images of Joy Division in a celebration of the 40th anniversary of one of their albums, and I have several of my pictures of The Freshies used in a brilliant new documentary film about their lead singer. 'Being Frank' is a fascinating look at the life of Chris Sievey, the man inside the head of the comedy character 'Frank Sidebottom'. He turned to 'being Frank' after getting nowhere with The Freshies but it was whilst he was still trying to make it with the band that I set up a morning's photography with them on the sunny streets of Manchester. One of the stills is featured here - the lads running down the spiral car-park entrance to Tesco's in Sale. Gosh, what memories ..

The magazine article is really good and the DVD is incredible. I highly recommend them. Sad to think that Ian Curtis and Chris Sievey are now both dead but lovely to think my work is playing a part in keeping their memories alive. Thank God I went to that little club all those years back.
All hail, Bowdon Vale ..
  

It was 40 years ago tonight ..

I was a skinny, spotty 18 year old photographer when, exactly 40 years ago tonight, I took my camera to a gig in a local youth club and shot a set of photographs that are still relevant to this day.

I can still remember the shock as Ian Curtis started his wild, whiplash dancing, and I can still remember getting onto the stage, standing behind Peter Hook and being told, in no uncertain terms, to "Fuck off!"

This photograph is the poster from the first exhibition I had of these photographs - an incredible 25 years after the death of Ian. Now another 15 years have passed. It gives me great pleasure that these photographs are still used in magazines and other publications - a tribute to the late, great lead singer.

RIP Ian Curtis. 

And then ..

It's been a photographic roller-coaster of a day today, starting with an overnight e-mail from a gallery in New York telling me one of their clients wanted to buy one of my Joy Division photographs. Great start to a Monday. Then, before I'd even had my cornflakes, I discovered there's a guy selling one of said photographs as a poster on Ebay. Cheeky bastard! Then, I had a meeting at the library in our local town, which has offered me their space for an exhibition of my work in the summer. Great pick-me up! Then, a lab I used to print my work in the UK sent me a shot of an order they'd received. It was for another of my Joy Division prints - and they sent in their own digital file from which to have it printed. A complete and utter rip-off of my work ..

My summer exhibition will be from my Florescence series of flower photographs and I'm so pleased to have been asked to exhibit. In fact, thinking of the show has taken me back to the top of the roller-coaster. I like it up here ..

Ma première exposition ..

'Small, but perfectly formed' is the best way to describe my first ever exhibition in France, now open at a punk club called El Doggo in the French city of Limoges. I've only managed to squeeze in eight pictures - it's a small bar - but it will give visitors a taste of my Joy Division photography and, hopefully, lead to more shows in my new country.

You might be seeing a trend here. As I sat down to write this blog, Facebook flashed up one of those 'Your memories on Facebook' things from three years ago. It was a blog about the opening of a Joy Division exhibition!..

May Day, May Day ..

My Mum used to tell us that if we washed our faces in the dew on May 1st then we'd have great complexions in later life. Obviously, it didn't work for me but, as a mist rolled over our garden this morning, I couldn't resist going out to photograph the new month's cool freshness. It's the first day of May, our first May in France, and the first time I've ever celebrated a Bank Holiday 'Tuesday'. Yes, the French do things on the day, which means a lazy day for us and a chance to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow is another first - my first exhibition in France. Ok, it's more like 'hanging a few pictures in a bar', but it all counts and I'm so pleased to be getting my Joy Division shots out to a new audience. They'll be on show all month at a Punk club called El Doggo in Limoges. Hope you can make it ..

Ps: I washed my face anyway. It's never too late ..

What joy ..

Thirty nine years! That's how long it is since I shot my Joy Division photographs at Bowdon Vale Youth Club in Manchester. Thirty nine years ago today, as a callow 18 year old junior photographer just 5 months into my career. Now I wouldn't normally have mentioned this anniversary, but ..

Tomorrow I'm off to meet with a chap in a town near here to discuss an exhibition of my pictures, and I was literally taking them out of storage this morning when today's date dawned on me. Funny how things work out ..

Moreover, I had an email last weekend from a Blogger, asking if he could use some of these photographs to go with a piece he was writing. The fee to me? Zero. My answer to him? No, you can't! Funny what people for free expect these days ..

Also last week, an email came from the Visitor Centre in Macclesfield - Joy Division's home town. I'd had some prints and booklets for sale there but the Tourist office has decided to return them to me. They weren't "selling well enough"! What joy ..

(Just as a matter of interest, today's shot shows an original scan of a strip of negatives from the gig. Interesting to see that, in those days of shooting film sparingly, four out of those five shots were selected for the exhibition!)

Love will ..

It's a pretty auspicious day .. the Wedding anniversary of Ian and Debbie Curtis. Joy Division and Weddings - two of the themes that feature heavily in my world (You may have noticed!) Well, we all know what a mess being married made of Ian's head, so I'll just skip lightly along this petal-covered path and say what a kick I get to see all 'my couples' tie the knot ..

Just for today, let's balance Ian's brilliant 'Love will tear us apart' with Captain and Tennille's equally worthy 'Love will keep us together' .. I'll bet you've never heard those two songs mentioned in the same sentence before ..

Nice ..

Children and animals. They were the portrait briefs yesterday and, to be honest, they all went rather well. Two nice sets of shots, if I say so myself. Click on the pix to have a gander ..

Hey, I had to invoice for 45,000 this week! Sadly, it was Japanese yen so I'm not quite as loaded as it sounds, but it was a nice little payment from a very welcome email. "Would I mind .." said my pal in Tokyo " .. if my company uses one of your Joy Division images on a Limited-Edition T-Shirt?.."

Can I have one of the t shirts?
Yes, you can ..

Nice ..