Who - Fifty Years of The Who, Proud Galleries, London

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 23 / 2 / 2014

intro

Dave Goodwin attends a new exhibition of photographs on The Who at The Proud Galleries in London

One of the things I've discovered over the years shooting from the pit is that there is a great deal of dedication that must be put in to get good shots of bands. Not just that but putting yourself about to get a good portrait is essential and the chances of pulling off THAT shot are quite remote. Unless you have full access to a band to photograph them at any time that is. Sometimes I wish I could just spend a fortnight on tour with a band to get some good photos, but, of course, other things in life get in the way. One sort of photographer I admire to the full is the guy that spends the time and is fortunate enough to be able to get on tour and behind the scenes. One of these photographers is a chap named Colin Jones. When I first discovered the Who I not only studied the album covers as you did back then, but also the abundance of photos around too that caught the eye both on posters in the street and in magazines such as ‘NME. Some were good and some not so good. There were some photos of course that defined the band itself. A view of the band through someone else's' eyes and ultimately through the lens of a camera. Proud Galleries in Camden in London is a haunt of mine. They have had some wonderful exhibits on over the years. Imagine my delight when I got wind of the next one to be shown, "Fifty Years of The Who by Colin Jones". One of my favourite bands shot by one of the most iconic photographers of that era. So, I packed my bag and off I went to opening night. The shots on show are a snapshot into a time gone by but of a time well remembered. The iconic shots of the Who and the Union Jack with Townsend’s Union Jack jacket shot in '66 are just phenomenal. There are some cracking studio shots from the same year as well as some brilliant crowd shots. There's one taken of Mods at a ‘Ready Steady Go’ show that depicts the style of the time. Other highlights are a shot of John Entwhistle playing a tuba at his mum’s home, Daltrey waking up and another of Entwhistle playing guitar while sitting on the floor beside his mum. There are some shots of the gallery itself which is housed in the grand environment of Stables Market in Camden, and some great images of Colin Jones himself and Dave Davies with Alex Proud of Proud Galleries. It will appeal to not just fans of one of the biggest bands in the world but of photography and its capabilities in a time when technology was progressing slowly. This is a chance to see a set of images (some for the first time) all in the same place. If you get the chance, this is a must see.

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