Bob Gruen and Leee Black Childers: 'Legendary Moments' Photography exhibition at D’Stassi Art, 12-18 Hoxton Street N1 6NG July 29th to August 19th 2022 If the 1970s were a pimple that burst on Punk in 1976 then Bob Gruen’s and Leee Black Childers’ photos perfectly capture the transformation from the preening, prancing rock gods of Bowie and Jagger to the blood-spattered Sid Vicious at the Longhorn Ballroom, Dallas in 1978. Sadly Leee’s no longer with us but Bob is very much here tonight in Shoreditch’s D’Stassi Gallery and as he says himself, he was “in the right place at the right time.” Virtually all the time it seems looking round at the iconic, era-defining snaps on show. There’s Led Zeppelin, posing in front of their private Boeing Jet, there’s Lou Reed, cropped bottle blonde plus aviators, there’s The Clash on stage looking like gunslingers at some frontier shoot out and there’s Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious clowning on a plane to Brussels in ‘77. It’s hot down here in the basement as Bob removes his jacket and reads a few stories about some of the pictures. It may sound like he’s told these stories on many occasions before but the details are still compelling. Notably his 1973 New York jaunt to photograph Salvador Dali and Alice Cooper as they are captured in a hologram. Perhaps unsurprisingly Dali has brought with him some props...a diamond-encrusted necklace worth about $30 million in today’s money and a ceramic sculpture of a human brain decorated with ants, oh and a security guard with a machine gun to make sure the necklace doesn’t wander. The brain, he announces is ‘The Pop Star’s brain’ as he holds it above Alice’s head. As you can imagine it’s quite a shot. As are some of the previously unseen works by the late Leee Black Childers also unvieiled tonight. These include rare images of an impish Debbie Harry before she was blonde, the only shots in existence of the Sex Pistols on stage in Manchester and Leeds during their notorious “Anarchy” UK Tour and the King himself, Elvis flashing his inimitable sideburn/grin combo at a 1972 press conference. However, for all the fully-formed iconography on show perhaps the most haunting picture of all is of a young 8-year-old kid on stage playing the congas. He’s lost in the moment and unaware of the fairy tale / horror story just around the corner. His name is Michael Jackson but for now he’s just a kid having fun in a photo.
Band Links:-
https://www.bobgruen.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063661503760
https://twitter.com/bobgruen01
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leee_Black_Childers
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063502293564&sk=photos&_rdr
Play in YouTube:-
Picture Gallery:-
intro
Dastardly travels to the D'Stassi gallery in Shoreditch to hear legendary rock photographer Bob Gruen talk about some of the iconic images on display in a new exhibiton.
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Secret Shine - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Liam Gallagher and John Squire - Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 16/3/2024
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPMichael Lindsay Hogg - Interview
Pere Ubu - Interview
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Soho Dolls - Interview
Big Black - Profile
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Echo And The Bunnymen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Barrie Barlow - Interview
Peter Paul and Mary - Interview with Peter Yarrow
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadKula Shaker - Natural Magick
Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart