(12"x12" version) Many different criteria were used when choosing photos for this book. Of course I had to be proud of them and I had to feel they might appeal to the general audience, for the subject, the atmosphere, the uniqueness.
But besides that, I also wanted to include some photos that carried meaning for me.
Be it a magical unique moment, like the violin serenade with Blaine Reininger in a cemetary in front of a preliminary draught of Rodin’s Thinker.
Or meeting very special people like Peter Becker and Martyn Bates of Eyeless in Gaza who would play at my wedding a few years later.
Or an emotional storm like meeting Nathalie Curtis and photographing her in front of a wall sized print of my photo of her dad.
Or that Peter Hook gig in Macclesfield, home town of said Ian Curtis.
Or Frank Tovey who inspired my wife and I for the name of our first born daughter.
Or Modern English who kindly composed and recorded a jingle for my radio show and played it when they saw me enter the venue several months later.
Or U2 who recognised me and rushed, shouting and waving, to say hello in an airport bagage claim.
Or Vini Reilly who composed a number for my wife and I, «The Eye And The Hand».
Or Siouxsie & the Banshees, my personal favourite, whom I saw more than thirty times.
I could go on and on. The point is: music played such an important part in my life, I tried to pay back with my photography, using it to pay a sincere tribute to music and musicians.
But in the end, these photos were all chosen because I just like them. I hope you do too.