I was given my first camera – a Rolleiflex 35 mm SLR – for my 18th birthday in the summer of 1981. A few months later, I started at Birmingham University and quickly began taking concert photgraphs for the university newspaper Redbrick as a way to get free tickets. Later on, I also took photographs for Musique, a local fanzine/music paper.
This was a time when very few people took photos at gigs and I was lucky enough to capture several soon-to-be-huge bands playing small venues, including Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, New Order and Duran Duran.
The photographs sat unseen in bags and boxes for decades until I started sharing them on Twitter a few years ago…
Orange Juice – 19 Feb 1982 – Imperial Cinema, Birmingham
Orange Juice – 19 Feb 1982 – Imperial Cinema, Birmingham
Orange Juice – 19 Feb 1982 – Imperial Cinema, Birmingham
New Order – 23 Jan 1982 – Imperial cinema
JoBoxers – May 1983 – Birmingham University
JoBoxers – May 1983 – Birmingham University
The Jam – 20 March 1982 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham
The Jam – 20 March 1982 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham
Haircut 100 – 16 March 1982 – Locarno
Haircut 100 – 16 March 1982 – Locarno
Psychedelic Furs – 7 Nov 1981 – Imperial Cinema, Birmingham
Psychedelic Furs – 7 Nov 1981 – Imperial Cinema, Birmingham
Eurythmics – 7 Dec 1981 – Holy City Zoo, Birmingham (tiny audience – around 30 people)
Eurythmics – 7 Dec 1981 – Holy City Zoo, Birmingham (tiny audience – around 30 people)
Eurythmics – 7 Dec 1981 – Holy City Zoo, Birmingham (tiny audience – around 30 people)
Duran Duran – 3 Dec 1981 – Rum Runner, Birmingham
Duran Duran – 3 Dec 1981 – Rum Runner, Birmingham
Duran Duran – 3 Dec 1981 – Rum Runner, Birmingham
Depeche Mode – 4 Nov 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Depeche Mode – 4 Nov 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Depeche Mode – 4 Nov 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Blancmange – Sept 81 – High Hall, Birmingham University
The Beat – 24 Nov 1981 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham (after ‘Jobs For Youth’ march)
The Beat – 24 Nov 1981 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham (after ‘Jobs For Youth’ march)
The Beat – 24 Nov 1981 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham (after ‘Jobs For Youth’ march)
The Beat – 24 Nov 1981 – Bingley Hall, Birmingham (after ‘Jobs For Youth’ march)
Bauhaus – 27 Oct 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Bauhaus – 27 Oct 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Bauhaus – 27 Oct 1981 – Birmingham Locarno
Aztec Camera backstage – 16 Oct 1982 – High Hall, Birmingham University
Aztec Camera – 16 Oct 1982 – High Hall, Birmingham University
Altered Images – 6 Nov 1981 – Aston University
The Alarm – 13 May 1983 – Birmingham Poly
All pictures courtesy of @Birmingham_81
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