Story
80srockshots ‘The Unseen Collection’ – is entirely the work of Nik Milner, a rock ‘n’ roll photographer…
...this is his story
After a disastrous attempt to be a banker in the city and time spent numbering bus stops in Plymouth, in 1979 I found myself obtaining gainful employment as an apprentice assistant to a heavy-weight advertising photographer in London – I had an interest in photography but had no idea just how much I had to learn!
With 12 months under my belt, I felt I was starting to feel like a ‘proper’ photographer and as luck would have it an opportunity arose from the strangest of places: my local pub, which was also the boozer of choice for Zenith Lighting LD’s, riggers and roadies, where, one evening, sitting enjoying a pint, I was approached by a chap by the name of Jeff Harold who worked for Zenith who asked me if I was Nik the photographer?
Upon agreeing to this question, he stuck his hand in his pocket, withdrew a photo pass for Graham Parker and The Rumour – stuck said on my black leather jacket and spoke the immortal words “then get yourself down to the Hammi Odeon and shoot the lighting rig for us”.
And thus began my career shooting live rock ‘n’ roll gigs from which these images are now being seen for the first time in the public domain.
Just to clarify, my clients were lighting, sound, and production companies as well as the bands themselves, so my images showed the rigs and effects – not just the ‘hero shots’ used in the likes of NME, Melody Maker and Kerrang.
Assignments rolled in from thereon – my take on shooting working really well for both lighting and staging companies – and as my network grew it began to get me access to places others could not. I had remote-controlled cameras in the trussing and built a R/C car with its own remote-controlled camera to drive on stage to shoot up at main guitarist etc – fun indeed! – and used to shoot free-range chickens in a field for a leading UK supermarket chain… don’t ask!
And why ‘The Unseen Collection’?
Well, my pictures were very rarely published in the public domain, being used in the Professional Audio World for ads, in tour brochures and as framed prints hanging on clients’ walls. And it is only now that I’ve finally got around to opening up the books so to speak.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
