Richard Bellia - Un œil sur la musique / Photographies 1980/2016

Photographer Richard Bellia was there when it mattered carrying his trusted camera to capture moments in music’s vast cannon of historical importance, some which now forms his own tapestry of work in Un œil sur la musique 1980-2016 i.e. An eye on music 1980-2016.

The intro to the book says ‘’a thousand photos: breathe the same air as the musicians, feel the bass, the riffs and the silences, sixtieth of a second per sixtieth of a second.’’ With this in mind its hard not to get stuck straight in with the mammoth heavyweight volume of photos infront of you. The first striking images come from prime Punk era via Denmark Street, John Lydon looking grimacingly at the camera in the studio and on stage with PiL, Joe Strummer looking cool as holding his guitar towards the camera, Topper Headon, Mick Jones and leather clad Paul Simonon all looking equally stunning in separate shots.

There’s the usual reprobates but all seen from angles and images you have never seen before The Stranglers backstage at Festival Elixir, Guéhenno, 1983; Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke looking as nightmarish as he ever did on stage Mont-de-Marsan, 1985; Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil on his knees on stage at Festival Elixir, Guéhenno, 1985; mullet wearing David Bowie suited and booted on stage at Wembley Stadium, 1987 and Robert Smith and The Cure look as iconic as ever taking over 10 pages of the book in a number of locations, backstage, on the road and just having fun through the 80’s and early 90’s. - Matt Mead, Gigslutz - Read full review here