Mick Rock
Mick Rock
Mick Rockis a British photographer best known for his iconic shots of rock and roll legends such as Queen, David Bowie, Syd Barrett, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Geordie, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Joan Jett, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Crossfade, Thin Lizzy, Mötley Crüe, and Blondie. Often referred to as "The Man Who Shot the Seventies", most of the memorable images of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust were shot by Rock, in his capacity as Bowie's official...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPhotographer
continue lived music somebody
I did not want to be somebody who lived off his reputation. I wanted to continue to be part of the modern music scene.
david
I do not use the word 'genius' lightly, but if David Bowie is not a genius, then there is no such thing.
although couple decided eager given hairdo pictures seen somebody starting
Somebody had given me a copy of 'Hunky Dory,' which had yet to be a hit, although it was starting to percolate. I'd seen a couple of pictures of David, with his interesting hairdo and outfits, and I decided to seek him out, which wasn't difficult back then, as he was eager to do any kind of publicity.
allegiance magazine owned record
My allegiance was always to the act. I wanted them to be happy. I wasn't owned by a magazine or a record label. And I was a very naughty boy to boot!
funny hardly interest money past seventies today unlike
It's funny because unlike back in the seventies when I made hardly any money, today I could just live off the past if I wanted to. I have no interest in that.
aura enamoured equivalent modern poets realised rollers subject
I'd photographed musicians before but this was different. Syd was very charismatic, and he had the aura of a poete maudit, which made him the perfect subject for me - I realised that rock n' rollers were the modern equivalent of all the poets I was so enamoured with.
miracle today reeds
It's a miracle that David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop are actually still alive today, given how hard they lived.
morning workout yoga
Every morning I stand on my head and do a yoga workout.
thinking important shows
I don't show every picture that I have, I think discretion is also important.
thinking people balance
People think: 'If this photographer's looking like a big jerk-off, maybe it's okay if I do.' I like to catch my subjects off balance a bit.
art destiny knowing
The true art of being young is knowing how to defy gravity and upset as many people as possible while doing it. How to penetrate the great secrets of the universe and damn the torpedoes. How to stir the demons of our destiny...
media magazines want
Newspapers and magazines didn't want pictures of musicians behaving badly back then. Now, because of the Internet, that's all the media wants.