Tag Archives: Photography

NEWS and UPDATES

So it’s been a while since I lasted update this. Like everyone else, I have been spending much of the last couple of years trying to avoid the virus. Some of the stuff I’ve been doing since I covered Glastonbury back in 2019 includes my work with The Bob Marley Saachi exhibition and The Postman, The Bob Marley Musical, and the incorporation of the late Jean-Bernard Sohiez photo archive into Urbanimage.

The Bob Marley One Love Experience

Bob Marley

This wasn’t my exhibition. It was the brainchild Of Cedella Marley and the family. An exhibition immersing audiences on a journey through his lifestyle, passions, influences, and enduring legacy. I did contribute many of the photographs and collaborated with the Brighton art collective The Postman a cool bunch of people creating some great street art. It opened at London’s Saatchi Gallery this February and is now set to tour the world. View a short video from the opening HERE

One Love
Bob Marley

GLASTONBURY

I talked myself into photographing some of the 2019 Glastonbury Festival .. It’s been a very long time since I was last at a rock festival, so I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. Ran into lots of old friends and even discovered some amazing new (to me) artists. A biblical multitude of people, many stages and so many artists. I tried to plan and shoot just a few but often my efforts were thwarted by uncooperative artists. I thought Kyle Minogue might be fun to cover but she had a very strictly controlled closed photo pit. No doubt fearful of all those 600 mm zoom lenses magnifying any cosmetic flaws.

Baby Metal

Then came the rush to cover a rather odd but visually interesting Japanese girl band called Baby Metal. They were sold to me as a sort of Manga meets a heavy metal version of the spice girls. Anyway, it wasn’t to be, the band’s management wanted all photographers to sign a contract giving control of the pictures to the band’s management, and this was only moments before the band came onstage.

Talk about signing contracts under duress .. i didn’t sign so this is all I got as Baby Metal tries and escape the photographers.

Super Heroes at Glastonbury 2019

Thankfully most of the artists were relaxed and enjoyed the photographer’s attention. MILEY CYRUS that stadium superstar actually complained to security as the photographers in the pit were ushered out after the regulation first three numbers. The photographers even dressed up as superheroes. Miley insisted that they should all be allowed back in for the 8th, 9th, and 10th, etc. songs. Her show was great .. what a cool lady.

MILEY CIRUS GALLERY

The show I enjoyed most was the surprisingly good Billie Eilish performing on Glastonbury’s Other Stage. The biggest audience ever for this stage and the crowd knew all the lyrics. Thousands of people singing along to “Bad Guy” a bizarre mega karaoke.

Billie  Eilish Live at Glastonbury 2019
The remarkable 17 year old Billie Eilish live on the Other stage Glastonbury 2019.

BILLIE EILISH GALLERY

And of course, STORMZY headlining the Pyramid stage with his Banksy-designed stab vest. Stormzy became the first black British solo artist to headline Glastonbury in its 49-year history. Stormzy wore the vest as a comment on Britain’s knife-crime crisis and racial inequality in the criminal justice system. The show was an urban spectacular.

Stormzy
Stormzy Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. known professionally as Stormzy, Grime music at its best. Performs at Glastonbury 2019. Headlines the Pyramid stage

Some of the other notable acts I photographed over the three days include a new outfit called DARKMATTA performing on the Glade stage, The brilliant Irish rock band HOZIER, The legendary JOHNNIE MARR, a serious-looking LIAM GALLAGHER, a not quite working for LAURYN HILL as she struggled with technical issues, a lovable and exciting MAGGIE ROGERS, a not very good GEORGE EZRA, a reasonable VAMPIRE WEEKEND and the British Synth-Pop band YEARS AND YEARS. To finish check out the Glastonbury 2019 audience and atmosphere GALLERY Photos by myself and Rosie Temple.

BASS CULTURE

Talking about the success of Stormzy and Grime music our exhibition celebrating British Black Music – 70 years since Windrush and 50 years of reggae opened at the end of last year. We spent most of last year building this exhibition. If you missed it check HERE

Bass Culture exhibition
Researching the Bass Culture exhibition

GRACE JONES .. Back in 2016

2016 and I flew from Exeter airport to Dublin for this show. The gigs were being filmed as part of an upcoming documentary about the 68-year-old Jamaican Diva. The project, involving Irish production companies Blinder Films and Sligoville, had been on the go for over ten years under the direction of Sophie Fiennes, the sister of actors Ralph and Joseph. The film was shown on the BBC in 2017 and I last saw Grace at Goldeneye Jamaica in 2018.

Grace Jones
Grace Jones

VIEW GALLERY

RANKING ROGER

The late great RANKING ROGER was the enigmatic frontman of the multicultural band THE BEAT, representing the youthful and joyous sound of the post-punk 2 Tone movement. Rogers book “I Just Can’t Stop It” and his untimely death in 2019 generated a lot of activity around the Beat. Urbanimage supplied photos for the book as well as numerous online and print magazines and features.

Roger Rankin and the Beat
Roger Rankin and the Beat

Visit the BEAT GALLEY and then Check out the BOOK

DREADZONE

They headlined our mini-festival close to home in Bridport. It was called The Jurassic Fields Festival. Jurassic because this is The Jurassic Coast .. dinosaurs and fossils, etc. I have known Greg and Leo from back in the Big Audio Dynamite days. Click on the image to view the gallery.

Dread Zone
Dread Zone Live at the Jurassic Fields event

QUADROPHENIA

Researched and supplied many of the images for Simon Wells new book on Quadrophenia. The 1979 classic mod movie loosely based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera of the same name, directed by Frank Roddam and starring Phil Daniels as the protagonist ‘Jimmy’.
The book is heavily illustrated throughout and with a selection of previously unpublished images and released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the film.

Riot Scene - Quadrophenia Brighton 1979
Riot Scene – Quadrophenia Brighton 1979

QUADROPHENIA GALLERY

THE CLASH

Lots of activity around The Clash. Colin Coulter’s new book on The Clash and Belfast during the troubles “Working For The Clampdown”. A Clash exhibition at the ONO Gallery in Bologna Italy and a picture book by Martin Popoff “The Clash – All the Albums – All the Songs”.

For more information on The Clash Archive and for some of the stories behind these photosessions visit The Clash Story

Adrian Boot Photography News and Updates 2019

PRINT GALLERY

A gallery of some my most popular prints.

This is an online exhibition of photographs that customers and friends have chosen this year to hang in their homes and offices around the world. Click on an image if you are interested in buying a print or click on the view gallery link and browse.

Prints are in signed editions of 25. Here is a basic price/size guide for printing on 270 gsm archival photo lustre paper.

16X24”  ( 400X600 mm ) on 17X26″ paper £ 350 signed edition / 16X12” ( 400X300 mm ) on 17X15″ paper £ 250 signed edition – FRAMES NOT INCLUDED – Larger 24X34″ editions printed on 320 gsm Platinum Baryta fine art paper are available. However not all image can be enlarged .. please ask – Family friends and FB friends can ask for a discount. All prices quoted include EU or UK shipping. USA and rest of the world please add £15

Bob Marley. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U17050 Bob Marley and the Wailers group shot taken at the Kensington Hilton London 1980 – Signed edition fine art pigment print. current edition 4/25 image size 15X17″

VIEW GALLERY >
Grace Jones at a Studio 54 party New York 1981 A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U02144 Grace Jones at a Studio 54 party New York 1981 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X20″

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The Clash. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U17958 The Clash, London Westway 1977 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X20″

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Peter Tosh at Hellshire Beach. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U07804 Peter Tosh at Hellshire Beach Kingston Jamaica 1978 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 6/25 image size 15X15″

VIEW GALLERY
The Sex Pistols. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints.
U06851 The Sex Pistols, London Oxford Street Glitterbest photosession 1977 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 4/25 image size 15X20″

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Billie Eilish Glastonbury 2019. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U18174 Billie Eilish live on the Other Stage Glastonbury 2019 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 3/25 image size 15X20″

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Jerry Garcia. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U02111 Jerry Garcia at Saqqara. The Grateful Dead Egypt 1978 – Signed edition fine art pigment print. 15X20″ edition SOLD OUT .. available as 24X34″ only

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Swing-a-Ling mobile record shop. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U07917 Charlie Ace’s Swing-a-Ling mobile record shop and recording studio. Kingston Jamaica 1973 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 8/25 image size 15X17″

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 The Clash. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U07029 The Clash Photosession in Belfast 1977 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 16/25 image size 15X20″

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Led Zeppelin. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U10689 Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Led Zeppelin at Earls Court Arena London 1975 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 21/25 image size 15X15″

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Blondie. A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U07156 Blondie contact sheet. Debbie Harry live in London 1977 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X16″

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Kate Bush A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U04039 Kate Bush during a 1980 video shoot – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X20″

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Paul and Linda A gallery of some of the years most popular prints
U07264 Paul and Linda McCartney at Soho Square office 1980 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 4/25 image size 15X20″

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Johnny Rotten an online exhibition of photographs
U16888 Johnny Rotten – Sex Pistols Oxford Street Glitterbest photo session – 1977 Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 12/25 image size 15X20″

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Bob Marley
U11769 Bob Marley in His Tuff Gong studio Kingston Jamaica 1979 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 15/25 image size 15X20″

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The Buzzcocks
U00990 Buzzcocks in Manchester 1979 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X20″

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Prints  Eric Clapton - Sting and Jeff Beck
U14486 Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton – Sting and Jeff Beck 1982 Secret Policeman’s Ball 1982 – Signed edition fine art pigment print current edition 7/25 image size 15X20″

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BUILDING BASS CULTURE

Working for the last year with the production team at Standard 8 and Mykaell Riley director of the Bass Culture Music Unit at the University of Westminster to try and make this slightly over ambitious exhibition project happen.

Bass Culture 70/50: UK’s largest Jamaican music exhibition highlighting the Windrush generation’s impact on Britainc70 years since Windrush and 50 years of reggae.

London, 25th October 2018: Bass Culture 70/50 – a four-week exhibition exploring the impact of Jamaican and Jamaican-influenced music on British culture finally opened and was very sucessful with great press and reviews .

BASS CULTURE
BASS CULTURE EXHIBITION

The Bass Culture exhibitionfeatured previously unseen artwork, specially commissioned film, top industry speakers, UK reggae label pop-up showcases, live performances, and over 70 hours of individual testimonies, linking – for the first time – the memories and experiences of black British musicians, industry practitioners, academics and audiences.

Research

Bass Culture photography was selected from the extensive historical archive at Camera Press, Ramesh Sharma, Herbie Knott, Oliver Waterlow, Chris Poole, Jean Bernard Sohiez, Adrian Boot, Richard Saunders, The Bristol Archive, Don Letts, Mark Painter, Urbanimage Media and many more.

The exhibition was staged by Bass Culture Research, a three-year Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project set up to explore the impact of Jamaican music in the UK. The project made headlines last year after issuing The Grime Report, which led to the withdrawal of Form 696, a controversial risk assessment form criticised for being discriminatory and targeting genres such as grime.

While Jamaican music has been fundamental to the development of multicultural Britain, its influence has arguably never been recognised. Following recent moves to ramp up police stop and search powers, together with claims that Jamaican-influenced genres such as drill are fuelling gang wars, marginalisation and discrimination risks being on the rise again. Bass Culture 70/50 seeks to challenge these negative interpretations and rather recognise the impact of Jamaican culture on not only the musical canon but on British culture and identity itself.

CRUCIAL LINKS

Black Music Research Website

BASS CULTURE youtube                     BASS CULTURE facebook

This exhibition is one of several outputs from the Bass Culture Research Project, a three-year AHRC-Funded exploration of the impact of Jamaican music in the UK