I Will Follow

After I decided to stop shooting rock, the first show I went to see was a U2 concert from the WAR tour at the Palladium in 1983. I went with a record company exec friend who was a big U2 fan. We were sitting upstairs on the side-really good seats--but  as I was used to being at the edge of the stage, I felt like the show was a mile away. Without my cameras, I didn't know what to do with my hands. The show was great, I was in awe of the way Bono handled the crowd, but I really really missed the cameras and the ability to do something more than just watch and listen. I could see that it would have been a great show to photograph. Right then I knew I wouldn't be going to that many more live concerts, at least, not without my camera. 

My photographic interests these days are more in the gallery world. So in 2005 when a photographer friend  from my rock days invited me to go to an exhibit of photographs of U2 by Anton Corbijn at Stellan Holm Gallery in Chelsea, I knew I wanted to go to the opening and see the exhibition. And when he said the band might be there, I knew I'd bring my camera. 

The gallery was full of photographers, there to shoot the band and the other guests, and didn't seem that interested in the photographs on exhibit. It was amazing how different it was from the old days. People brought ladders to shoot over the heads of the other photographers and you could barely find a place to stand. I was glad I wasn't doing this so much anymore. (I still shoot the occasional concert, but I don't mingle much with the paparazzi) 

Corbijn's photographs in the exhibit were really good. 

And I did finally get to photograph Bono. 

No Regrets

Once upon a time in a place long gone (and now NYU dorms) there was a girl who was trying to figure out what to do with her cameras. She didn't want to carry them around and make photographs in the street (how times have changed). She loved music, that good old-fashioned rock and roll music.

When people asked her what she did, she would say she shot rock and roll. Then they would say,  "oh, you're a groupie." 

Every single time.

And every single time I'd have to say "I'm not a groupie. I'm a photographer."

Somehow, that was what most people thought of female music photographers at the time, and I could name the photographers who gave us all such a wonderful reputation. (Don't ask, I won't tell)

So I felt there was a line I shouldn't cross. I was a professional photographer dammit,  and worked hard to make sure I was thought of in that way. I admit it, I crossed that line once really early on (nope, I won't tell you who), and maybe I came close a time or two, and I definitely had some good times with a record company guy I worked with (won't name names there either), but mostly I tried to separate love and work and I considered the musicians I photographed off limits.

Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll

I also photographed Lou backstage with Garland Jeffreys in November 1979. Garland had just given a concert at the Bottom Line and Lou was visiting after the show. If you don't know Garland's music, you should. Wild in the Streets is probably his best known song, but he is still an active, exciting performer, with a new CD coming out soon. Can't wait! He'll be playing a show in New York this fall. Of course, you can find videos of his songs and performances on YouTube. Go. Listen. It's worth it. 

Lou Reed and Garland Jeffreys backstage at the Bottom Line in 1979.

Here's Garland posing backstage at the Dr. Pepper Music Festival in Central Park in 1977.

And here he is performing at the Bitter End in 2007. The place was packed. And yes, he's still a man who wears many hats.

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

Rock and Roll Heart

I don’t like opera and I don’t like ballet
And new wave french movies, they just drive me away
I guess I’m just dumb, ’cause I knows I ain’t smart
But deep down inside, I got a rock ’n’ roll heart. - Lou Reed- Rock and Roll Heart

Copyright 2010 New York Photo Festival, LLC. All rights reserved. 

Well, Lou Reed might not like opera or ballet, but he definitely likes photography. Not only have his own photographs been published in books (Lou Reed's New York and Romanticism) and exhibited in galleries, but this weekend he's the curator of one of the exhibitions at the New York Photo Festival. His show is called Hidden Books, Hidden Stories and is shown in three parts at the festival in DUMBO, which ends today.

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?