Legendary Australian rock photographer Tony Mott is about to be the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the State Library of New South Wales,What A Life! Rock Photography By Tony Mott.
Ahead of its opening, we asked Mott to name his top five artists to photograph, in career that’s seen him work with everyone from Marilyn Manson and Slipknot to 5 Seconds Of Summer. Here’s what he had to say…
1. Chrissy Amphlett
“I was far from being a professional photographer. I was just purely a passionate music fan, and it was in the early ’80s when Sydney had the greatest rock’n’roll scene in the world. You could go and see a great band seven nights a week in any suburb. The Divinyls had a residency – they played every Monday night at the Piccadilly Hotel in Kings Cross.”
2. The Rolling Stones
“I’ve only ever done one portrait of the Stones. It was quite amusing, because they all just stood there in sunglasses and after about three minutes I said, ‘Maybe a shot without the sunglasses?’ And there was just a stony silence.”
“The live Stones photos, on the other hand, I am completely proud of.But also, they weren’t that difficult to shoot, insomuch as it is Keith [Richards] in front of you being Keith, so it’s pretty special to start with.”
3. Tex Perkins
“I first started photographing Tex in the late ’80s. At that point, I believe, he was in about 20 bands. Confusing? Maybe, but brilliant onstage.”
4. Sarah McLachlan
“I did a Sarah McLachlan portrait for an album cover. Sarah had sold 30 million records, been around for a while, so she’s quite experienced, [but] unbelievably uncomfortable in front of a camera. It’s not a pleasure for her at all, and that took much more work on my behalf. So I had dinner with her, we talked about music – she couldn’t be a nicer person.”
“I was having a joke with her, telling her I’m going to shoot her in the toilet, but the toilet was actually the State Theatre and it’s the Butterfly Room – one of the most beautiful rooms in Sydney. And when we actually shot it, as much as she was still quite shy, finally I was happy with the results.”
5. You Am I
“Great melodies, great lyrics and a genuine rock star out the front, You Am I influenced God knows how many bands. Why, oh, why, are they not bigger? Beats me. This photo was taken at the home of Tim Rogers when he lived in Annandale.
Tim Rogers says of Tony Mott: “Whatever notion people have of a rock photographer, he was far bigger than any of us were, because he had stories, he had enthusiasm and he was quick. Thank God!”
What A Life! Rock Photography By Tony Mottopens at the State Library of NSW on Saturday October 17.
