cover image What Presence! The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos

What Presence! The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos

Edited by Ken McCluskey, photos by Harry Papadopoulos. Polygon (IPG, dist.), $33 trade paper (120p) ISBN 978-1-84697-256-0

In the late 1970s and early 80s, Glasgow and Edinburgh were hotbeds for punk and indie rock, and it was former math teacher turned photographer Papadopoulos who documented the scene's energy, fashions, and bands, from Orange Juice and Josef K, to Aztec Camera and The Fire Engines. An unpretentious body of black and white photography%E2%80%94with an excellent introduction by McCluskey, formerly of the band The Bluebells%E2%80%94the book is an overdue tribute to a lesser-known rock photographer, Scottish youth culture, the defunct music weekly Sounds (where Papadopoulos worked), as well as the influential independent label, Postcard Records. What defines Papadopoulos's work is its informal, DIY quality, which suited the period. The book's highlights include a close-up live portrait of a dour Peter Murphy of the English goth band, Bauhaus, along with run-of-the-mill, though rarely seen, live shots of The Clash, David Bowie, The Ramones, and a dazzling image of Gil Scott-Heron, his face lit with infectious laughter. With brief reminiscences from musicians such as Edwyn Collins, and a foreword by Peter Capaldi, the collection will be prized by music buffs. Photos. (May)