Behind The Gallery presents 'Captures' by Scarlet Page
Thirty years ago internationally acclaimed, award-winning photographer Scarlet Page captured Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell at the 1994 Big Day Out.
Having just completed a photography degree at the University of Westminster at the time, Scarlet was assisting a photographer during the Big Day Out Australian leg, when her shot of Chris landed her a back cover of Raw magazine. This Cornell capture ‘really helped open some doors’ for Scarlet back in the UK, effectively launching her career working for some of the most prestigious music publications including MOJO, Q, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Classic Rock and Kerrang!.
Having travelled around America with the 1994 Lollapolooza tour photographing the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins and Beastie Boys and over three decades of touring with The Darkness, Placebo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones and Stereophonics, Scarlet boasts an impressive backlog of some of the most iconic music portraits, photographs and album covers. Her debut Australian photography exhibition Captures held in Sydney’s Behind The Gallery launches this week, exhibiting Scarlet’s most loved archives and some previously unseen photographs. There is also a Q+A with the lady herself on Saturday for anyone who would like to pick her brains. We sure did, so we asked for the story behind some of her favourite photos below.
Amy Winehouse 2006
‘Just as Back to Black was about to be released Amy was doing press and was in a great place. This was a moment I captured at Koko’s, Camden London. I also got some great shots of her sitting with her whole band in the green room, what an incredible voice she had.’
The Verve, 1994
‘In 1994 I was just starting out and covering a few of the Lollapalooza dates as a novice. I was introduced to The Verve just before they were due to hit the stage. They were pretty stoned and it was raining outside. I experimented with my fish eye lens and cross-processed film but this image ended up on their Northern Soul artwork and opened many doors in my early career.’
Brian Molko - Placebo, 1997
‘One of the first shoots I had with the band for Kerrang magazine I decided to bring some props, one was a cheap set of angel wings I had found at the Portobello Road Market. Brian brought the image alive with his beautiful sparkly eyes and fallen angel glance.’
Noel and Liam Gallagher, 2001
‘In 2001 I was commissioned to photograph the Gallagher brothers, the location was a corridor at the Scala venue in London. I transformed it into a studio looking mugshot, zoom out and you would have seen cans of red stripe and cigarettes discarded on the floor. I think these images are really iconic with the passing of time.’
Taylor Hawkins - Foo Fighters
‘I’ve been struggling to remember which venue this was shot at but wherever it was I love the energy in this shot of Taylor and how the kick drum boldly said Foo Fighters. I was asked by the band to photograph the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in London last September, it was a real honour for me and a very emotional day for all.’
Keith Richards, 2003
‘This image of Keith Richards was shot on the stage of a venue in Munich, we used the stage curtain as a background and I back-lit it to add some oomph to the darkness. When editing my shots I noticed just how bulbous his knuckles had become. I love noticing things after the shoot.’
Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails, 1999
‘This shot was based on a concept by the singer of the band Kelly Jones, we approached it like a test shoot and had to work fast with so many people as we had only hired the football pitch on the west way in London for an hour. The weather wasn’t great but the rain held off. Many of the extras were record company staff.’
Captures opening night at Behind The Gallery this Thursday 4th May, 5 - 8pm. Q&A session with Scarlet Page this Saturday 6th May, 10am - 12pm. RSVP here or more information here.