Lost in the Supermarket

My day job at the time was teaching music in a NYC public school in the Bronx. I  did a lot of vocal music and movement, mostly with really young kids, and I walked from class to class with my guitar. I covered the guitar case with my photo passes and band stickers. I was so upset when the guitar got stolen out of my closet at school! All those photo passes gone forever! 

But I still have a few left, old and faded but still readable. Not like today's laminated passes that are worn around the neck, these were fabric and stuck onto your clothing. I used to wear them on the thigh of my jeans-that way they didn't get in the way of the camera, which somehow would find a way to pull it off. Or leave glue forever on my leather jacket. Not a good thing. And it was the 70s. The rattier the jeans the better.

This is a photo pass from a Clash show at the Palladium. Oh the Clash, oh the Palladium. More about that show later. Oh yeah.

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, the movie about the life of Ian Dury, was recently at the Tribeca Film Festival. I really wanted to see it, and then again, I didn't. I've photographed a lot of performers who are no longer with us, but Ian was someone I spent a day with. I'll see the film eventually I guess, but right now it just makes me sad.

We rode in a limo together to a record signing that I was hired to photograph. I found him to be a lovely English gentleman. He had a Union Jack plaque on his teeth, which he loved to show off for photographs. He patiently signed record album covers for his many fans. David Johansen showed up at the record store too, and I got to photograph the two of them together. At the end of the day, Ian gave me a small Union Jack from the limo to take home.

The next night I went to see him perform at the Bottom Line. An amazing, somewhat scary performance. I think if I had seen him perform first, I'm not sure I ever would have gotten into the limo with him.

Street Hassle

I didn't see Lou Reed around anywhere when I went to the New York Photo Festival, but I did get to photograph him quite a bit back in the day. I love this shot from the stage at the Bottom Line, which was taken while Lou was touring to support the release of Street Hassle. Lou Reed smiling! And winking at me! Lou's people loved it too, and Arista Records bought 3 copies of the print. I heard they wanted to use it as his publicity photograph. But it just didn't fit with his image at the time, so there you go. The photograph did run in the June 1979 issue of the late, great Grooves Magazine. 

Lou Reed smiling at the Bottom Line in May 1978

Lust for Life

These were also taken at the Palladium, during the Lust for Life tour in October 1977. 

Well, here we are in the blogosphere...

Rock and roll. New York City in the late 1970's. The Palladium, CBGB's, summer nights in Central Park. Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, Blondie. I’d shoot a show for the record companies or do it on spec for magazines and there was always someone new and exciting to photograph. So much energy! And did I mention that the record companies gave out lots of free albums?

So many years later. Working on my archive of music images, I'm reminded of some amazing stories. I will attempt to share the photos and the stories with you.

Yes, I'm still taking photographs. Visit my website - www.slbehr.com - to see what I'm shooting now. But if rock is your thing, come back soon for more.

This is a photo of Iggy Pop performing onstage that I shot at the Palladium theater (now NYU dorms!) in New York City in March 1977. No stories attached, but I do have lots of pix of Iggy. One of those performers you can't take your eyes off. And didn't he look handsome back in the day? Have you seen him lately?