Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson)

I liked photographing Joe Jackson. He always made it interesting, like when he was performing with FUBAR the robot. Loved the songs, too. Is She Really Going Out With Him? Still makes me smile, every time I hear those chords at the beginning. Every single time.

Joe Jackson and FUBAR at The Palladium, 1979

I was warned about Joe Jackson though. He doesn't like photographers, they told me, gives them a hard time. You don't want to go backstage and bother him. Yeah, well. I went backstage anyway. He was great. Posed for me and everything. Don't believe everything they tell you. 

Backstage at the Bottom Line, 1979

Backstage at the Bottom Line, 1979

This shot ran in CREEM. Check out the receipt I got from the magazine. Low tech even for its time. I can't believe I still have stuff like this, but I do. More to scan.

Jackson's new live album is coming out next month. Should be interesting, he toured last year with his original bassist and drummer. Here's a link to his recent interview with Billboard Magazine. 

The Pretender (Jackson Browne)

My good friends Lisa and Tracy in LA have been going to small clubs recently to hear music ( Jacksh*t at McCabes, Watkins Family Christmas at Largo) and Jackson Browne keeps showing up and joining the bands onstage. Here's hoping he shows up again the next time I visit them. It's been a while since I photographed him here in NY at the Palladium.

Jackson Browne at the Palladium, 1976

Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love (Van Halen)

If I had photographed a band, and saw them somewhere after that, whether days or months later, I usually went and spoke to them. Like with Elton John at the Rocket Records party. I wasn't shy and I felt that photography gave me a perfectly valid reason to start a conversation. Made for a good shoot the next time, too. 

Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen

One of the few exceptions was Van Halen. I had photographed them the night before at the Palladium. They were actually the opening act (hey, everyone has to start somewhere) and you could tell they were going to be HUGE! REALLY, REALLY HUGE. The energy. The drive. The music. (ok, their kind of music wasn't my thing, but hey, when you see a performance like that… I have to say I was impressed) The next two acts, Montrose and Journey, were incredibly tame in comparison. 

David Lee Roth of Van Halen at The Palladium in NYC, 1978

So the next day I'm in Fiorucci on 59th Street in NYC. It was a really cool boutique from Italy. I'm trying on jeans, walking around the store looking at stuff, when I look up and realize some of the guys from Van Halen are just a few feet away. Can't quite remember who was there besides David Lee Roth, (hey, it was a long time ago) but he was not alone. And just guys, no girls hanging around them either. But I stand there. I know I can go up to them, maybe start a relationship that could keep me photographing them (remember, I was sure they were going to be BIG), and I just stand there. It was way before they became known for their attitudes about women, but somehow, I think I must have picked it up. I'm guessing that deep down, I felt they'd just consider me a groupie, and, well, you know how I felt about that.

But hey, at least I got photos from the show published in three different issues of Circus magazine.

All the Young Punks (The Clash)

I'd see the same photographers at many of the shows, and the guys who worked the door or house security were always there too. Some photographers treated them like dirt (they were only nice to rock stars), but I felt like we were all part of a family. So I treated them with respect and they were always good to me. Most of the time I was on the list, but sometimes there was a show I wanted to shoot and I couldn't get access from the record company. The guys at the door would just let me in. Sometimes we were only allowed to shoot the first 3 songs, but the guys doing security would let me stay in the aisle. I was nice to them. They were nice to me. Nothing more than that. They were good people. I wonder what they are doing now.

The Clash onstage at the Palladium Theater in NYC in 1979

I wrote about a Clash show earlier where the guys were so helpful when the crowd started to get out of control. This shot was from a different show, but they worked just as hard at that one. No one wanted to just sit and listen to music anymore. The mosh pit was taking over. At this show, there was a kid standing behind me, moving to the music. A little too close. A little too much movement. I think he was having just a little too much fun bumping into me. Security helped me with that one, too. That boy just needed to get back to his seat before I smacked him. 

Train in Vain (The Clash-and Ian Dury)

I photographed in New York. In December 1979, eleven rock music fans were crushed to death by the crowd at a Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio. I wasn't there, but we were all a little freaked out. Crowds rushing the stage, aisles filled with people, we were all used to this, but now it was particularly scary. Not too long after, I was photographing a Clash concert at the Palladium. All of a sudden, the aisles were full and people were pushing towards the stage. Security had their hands full, and they were certainly outnumbered. I was in the aisle at the foot of the stage in the area that made up the photo pit and people were starting to push me. Hard. Into the stage wall. I started to wonder if this was going to be a repeat of Cincinnati. All of a sudden, one of the security guys made his way over to me and told me to sit on the stage and get away from the crowd. He helped push me up there. That's where I spent the rest of the show. Sitting on the edge of the stage. It's good to have friends in the castle.

Oh, and while I was sitting there, Ian Dury showed up and sang with the Clash. Oddly enough, I did not remember that until I saw the negatives all these years later. Too much stress that night I guess. 

Joe Strummer and Ian Dury

But no one got hurt and that was a good thing. And I got some great pictures sitting on the stage. That was a good thing too.

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?