New Years Eve 2005

This is obviously my last post of the year. I have spent the day scanning old negatives. I have found some rather nice old Pink Floyd shots from Knebworth in 1975 and some James Brown from 1978 and some Buzzcocks from November 9th 1979 at the Rainbow Theatre, London.. Also some nice shots of Ringo Starr (Beatles) in 1978. Here are a couple of shots..

The Buzzcocks 9th November 1979
Copyright 1979 Danny Clifford. All right reserved


Ringo Starr
Copyright 1978 Danny Clifford. All rights Reserved


I hope you all have a very happy and healthy New Year.

Hungover Stuntmen & Babyshambles

The day started with me aiming at Soho in London and getting very stuck in traffic.. Very frustrating.. I eventually arrived in Greek Street and met up with Angie Jenkison and the Hungover Stuntmen. Also with is was Simon Donald. Simon is from Viz Magazine and a really nice bloke. So, I met the band for the first time and immediately we got on with the photos.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

They were great fun to work with and vbery nice fellows. From what I have heard they are going to be a band to watch. I have heard the demo that Angie had sent me, but haven't had enough time to listen to it again properly. But must say what I have heard was bloody great.. So, another exciting band on the way up. Paul Weller recenly had them support him at his gig in Newcastle, he loves them too.. That is pretty cool in itself. We finished the shoot as quickly as we could as Angie, Simon Donald and the boys were rushing over to have lunch in Chelsea with Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. I headed off to Oxford Street to download the images and meet up with my little girl for lunch. After our Japanese lunch which was great we headed back to her office. I checked my emails etc and then ran her out of town. I was going to have a late night tonight. I was meeting up with Pete Doherty and Babyshambles. They were playing a gig at the Rhythm Factory in East London, which is nice, but they were going on stage at about 2am.. Oh how nice is that.. So, we got to the Rhythm Factory at about 11pm and watched the Paddingtons perform. They are another great band. We did a quick shoot backstage, they are proper blokes.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Pete was on form as well. There was no Patrick Waldren tonight, so, tonight, like Ibiza, Babyshambles will be a 3 piece band. Pete and I did a quick shoot then we got all three together for more photos.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Then after this at about 2:30 they went on stage.. It was very exciting. They really are an amazing band.. I really love there songs.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

I thoroughly recommend that you go out and buy their new CD. Also, if you get the chance to see them live, you have to go..

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Be prepared for madness, but go...

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

I ended up at home at about 6am and got to be at about 7:30 am.. Boy was I exhausted.. I woke up 4 hours later and couldn't get back to sleep. Just my luck..

Take That.. Here They Come....

I should have been photographing the Pogues or Joss Stone tonight.. Both of them were playing in London tonight.. But No.. Neither were really on my radar.. It was to be Mark Owen formerly and soon to be again of Take That. Mark was finishing his UK solo tour in London at the Carling Academy, Islington. I had originally spoken to Mark's publicist about this gig a week or two ago. We arranged that I could do a very swift exclusive shoot backstage before the gig. So, off I went to Islington to shoot this. I got there quite early and watched the two support bands. I was then called by Paul (publicist) who came and found me in the photo pit. He took me downstairs to shoot Mark Owen. We were extremely limited for somewhere to do the shoot. Anyway, I did the best I could in the area and few seconds that.

Mark Owen

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford.

All rights reserved.

Mark is a really nice chap we did have a very brief chat after taking the photos. He was saying that he really needs to get away after this tour. He was off somewhere were the sand is white and the weather is hot.. Ummm, that sounds nice.. What a good idea. I quite fancy that as well. So, finished the shoot backstage and headed off back upstairs to the venue. Got into the photo pit. No sooner had I got in there and on Mark came. I must say, I thought he was really good. I was pleasantly surprised. Sorry to moan though, the lighting was bloody horrible... All red and dark. A nightmare for us photopgraphers. I haven't seen him perform since he was with Take That, I don't quite know when..Maybe 1994/5.. Anyway he was really good.. Afterwards I headed off to the Mean fiddler Xmas bash at the Garage. Didnt stay there for long, probably 15 mins.. Then headed up to the Boogaloo in Highgate to have a drink with my mate Gerry O'Boyle. Stayed there until about 2am then headed off home.

Ocean Colour Scene

I had a front page photo on London's Evening Standard newspaper plus another photo inside the paper of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. I also had a nice photo, again of Dave Grohl in The Times newspaper in the UK as well.. So, that was nice...

Later in the day I headed off to see one of the greatest bands of the last 10 years or so, Ocean Colour Scene. I really love them. If you havent heard them, then get out there and buy some of their CD's. I think one of my fav CD's is North Atlantic Drift. Mind you, they are all brilliant. They are also fantastic musicians. Guitarist, Steve Cradock, is quite amazing. When he is not touring with Ocean Colour Scene, he is usually with Paul Weller. His style of guitar playing is very different from the rest. He is amazing.. Anyway, there I was at Shepherds Bush Empire in west London. The crowd were being entertained, not by a support act, but a DJ. He was playing some great old songs I seemed to know them all. I wasnt alone, the crowd seemed to like them as well. Mind you there was one very impatient bugger who kept shouting get off.. He was drunk and calling for the band to hurry up and get on. Finally at about 9pm they came on... The crowd went mad.. That one drunk punter still shouted get on with it at any opertunity he had. He also, shouted for them to play some Rock n Roll.. That isnt what they are known for though. He was a bit odd.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

The lighting was quite low to start with. Mind you we were allowed to shoot the first 9 songs. Now that is more like it. After about 5 or six of the songs the lighting got much better.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

In fact it was really nice. So, all in all I got some great shots. Well I thought so anyway. A funny thing happened in between one of the songs. Simon Fowler, vocalist and main writer in the band. Looked at me in the photo pit and said I know you and asked me if my name was Tom.. Obviously me not having a microphone I could really explain that my name was Danny. Simon does know me, we have met on many occasions.. I think he must have just recognised me and not quite figured out where.. Who knows eh !!

The Foo Fighters

Earls Court on a Saturday night, tonight it's the Foo Fighters. I really like them, I have shot them a few times this year. I shot them in Japan, Portugal and in the UK. Anyway, enough of my travels, I just think they are a great band. I arrived at Earls Court and went to collected my pass. Met up with a few other photographers, all nice and familiar faces.. In we went and got ourselves ready. Very son after this the band came on.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Each time I have shot them this year the lighting has been very bad and guess what.... It was bloody awful tonight as well. I remember just looking around the photo pit and seeing all of the other photographers just standing with their cameras in the hands and looking at Dave Grohl. There was hardly any light on him at all.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

All pretty poor really. During the 3rd and final song a little more light appeared.. Well bout time too I thought. A few mins after the light appeared, the song ended. So, that was that and we were out of the pit and out of Earls Court and just like when I left Alexander Palace last night, it was freezing..

The Magic Band & Stereophonics

The day started quite early for me. I headed down to Forest Hill, in South East London. I met up with Drumbo & Rockette Morton who are in The Magic Band (Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band). So, I arrived an Drumbo & Co were in the studio mixing some tracks on the new Druimbo project. After a while we started to get ready to do some photos.. We firstly did some shots actually in the studio area. John French a.k.a. "Drumbo" - Drums and Mark Boston a.k.a. "Rockette Morton" on Bass. When we finished in the studio, we did some shots of them indiviualy and together. These shots were more posed studio style (Photograhic studio, that is). In fact they were really moody shots, just they way I like them.

Rockette Morton & Drumbo

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Anyway, The guys had more recording to do and I had plenty to get on with as well. So, I said my goodbye and buggered off. I headed off and got rid of my camera equipment and lighting etc.

I then headed off to Alexandra Palace, North London to watch the Sterophonics. It was mighty unusal for me to be going to a gig without camera's. But nice to be asked. Anyway, wtched them and must say, they were abosolutly fantastic, really brilliant. There wasnt a dull second during the 2 odd hours that they performed. At the aftershow party spent a bit of time chatting to Virginie and her boyfiend Jim, really nice people. All in all a brilliant gig and great aftershow. I headed off home after this. As I left, I must say, being at Alexandra Palace, which is so high up, (above Sea level) anyway, it was bloody freezing.. Winter is here alright.. It was a long walk to my car, so a was frozen by the time I got there. Roll on summer.. I love summer and warm weather.

The Fugees in London

Dont know much about them, although I do like their music. I arrived at Hammersmith Carling Apollo. When I arrived I discovered that my pass wasnt waiting for me.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

I wasnt on the list.. This doesnt often happen, but when it does it's usually a pain. Anyway, this time it was sorted out quite quickly. In we went to the photo pit gpt ready and on they came. The lights were all pretty good. Mind you the photo pit was very crowded.

Copyright 2005. Danny Clifford

The pit there is quite narrow as well. So, added together and you have quite a small area each to operate in. But, we all get it done anyway. It not that difficult really.. I would like to think that it's quite comlpicated in a confined area, but, the truth is that it isnt a problem. Anyone can do it. On the way out of the venue there was a reall nutter standing in the middle of the road trying to stop the traffic and shouting abuse at all driving at him. What a fruit and nutcase. All quite amusing really.. So, then after alerting the police to the escapee from the local nut house. I cleared off out of there and headed off home.

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart was on form tonight. He was performing at Londons Earls Court Arena.. We were shooting from the mixing desk 2/3rd's of the way back in the arena. When shooting from that sort of place (the mixing desk) I can never be creative. You can only really take aim and fire so to speak..

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Anyway, I did it got some shots and buggered off out of there.. We were all only allowed to shoot the first two songs. So, it was all quite quick, if you know what I mean.

XFM WInter Wonderland

Been a mad few days recently.. Lots of meetings etc etc etc.. So, today, I was off to Brixton Academy to shoot a load of bands in one venue. The Editors, Hard FI, Maximo Park and The Kaiser Chiefs.

Maximo Park

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

This concert was all in aid of the charity, Shelter. There were loads of other Celebes there as well.

Hard Fi

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Quite a few of them introducing the bands, like UK comedian, Jimmy Carr. All of the bands performing were all fantastic.. All of these bands are going to be very very big.

The lighting was really good and I got some great shots of all of them. Well that's what I thought anyway, so there.

The Kaiser Chiefs

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Doves at Carling Apollo Hammersmith

Rushed down to Hammersmith Odeon (now called Carling Apollo) parked up nearby for a change and headed into the lobby to collect my photo pass. Whilst I was waiting I turned round and bumped into Jude Law. We hadnt seen each other for a while. He had just come straight from some kind of an Arty launch or something. He was on good form, We chatted for a min or two and he was quite excited to see the Doves as they are one of his favourite bands.. I must admit, I did suggest that we did a quick photo. Jude really wasnt up for it so, obviously I didnt take one. He really appreciated that fact that I asked him though and didnt just shoot. But I wouldnt ever do that anyway, it aint my style if you know what I mean.. I always ask first. Anyway, into the venue and shot the show. We got inside and the band were already on stage.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

They were almost at the end of the first song.. The lighting was very poor as well..

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

Extremly dark in fact.. So, just got on with it and made the most of it.

Copyright 2005 Danny Clifford

When I looked at my shots, they were quite nice really..

Babyshambles Exhibition Launch Night

I arrived at the gallery in 10 Greenland Street, Camden, London at about 6:15. It looked fabulous. Russell Parker had done a great job hanging the prints. They wernt framed, thiugh. This is something that the Proud Gallery thought would be a better way of speeding up the show. It would have taken quite a while to get them framed in time. Anyway, it all looked great. At 7pm it started to fill up. This happened very quickly and very soon it was quite rammed in there. I did a few interviews, ITV, GMTV, LBC radio, etc etc etc. Also did a few brief interviews with some newspapers. I understand that the ITV TV interview went out at 10:45 pm. I didnt see it myself, but heard from a lot of people who saw me on TV.

Down to the Proud Gallery - Camden

That day started earlier than normal for me. I was up at around 8am.. Blimey that hurt.. Well, I do go to bed quite late, so, that's why it hurts..

I had a phone call from Lisa Stokke. She called me from Olso, Norway. Lissa is a very very talented singer. I met her earlier in the year when I was up in her home town of Tromso, Norway. She was telling me today, that she has soon got a new album out in Norway. Which is great news as she has such a fantastic voice.. I only hope that EMI release it in the UK and USA. That would be FAB. Lisa is launching her new website this week and I need to send her some photos that I took of her a few months ago, up in the Arctic, with her and Nelson Mandela and her performing as well. So, when I get a second in the next day or so, I wil get that done.

I left home and went down to the Proud Gallery, Greenland Street, Camden, London. I met up with Russell Parker. He is the fellow who is pulling the show together. I then left the Gallery and jumped on the underground and headed off to Leicester Square. I was going into XFM Radio station for a quick interview. The interview didnt take long, about 20 mins.. It's going out on the air tomorrow morning at 6am, 7am, 8am etc etc. I then headed off back to the Proud Gallery in Camden to collect my car which was parked there. Whilst I was on the underground a British Transport Police Officer boarded the train and slowly walked through the carriage checking everyones bags luggage etc.. This was the first time I have ever seen this. Mind you, I rarley travel on the underground, so, that might explain why I have seen any policmen on the trains. When I arrived at the Proud Gallery, Russell and his assitant Sarah (I think), were busy putting all of the Babyshambles photos on the walls.. It all looked pretty damn good.. I had to sign a few photos and also mark them as Artist Prints and number the editions.. After that I headed off home. I have still got things to do before tomorrows launch

Sunday Sunday

I went to bed last night at about 5am.. Woke up at about 10am and I am shattered.. I have still got loads of work to do. So, got straight on with it.. Decided at about 3pm to actually go to the Gym. So, the very good looking Jonathan Clifford and I headed off for a serous workout. Well he was serious anyway, I did a bit in the Gym then, must admit, had a late lunch. Ahh your thinking, what a loser, well it was a salad.. I then got a call from The Hotpress in Ireland. This is a great music magazine. I seem to remember doing shots for them as far back as 1978 ish. So, the call today was to intervoew me about the Babyshambles exhibition etc. This interview lasted about 45 mins. I fineshed the interview and headed back home to continue working on the exhibition. Tomorrow I have an interview on XFM Radio Station in London. I also have an interview that should appear in The Independent Newspaper in the UK tomorrow as well.

Franz Ferdinand Again

Today started like yesterday, with my phone ringing and then ringing again again.. One of the calls was to arange a telephone interview, tomorrow at 4pm with Hotpress (Irish Music Magazine). Late afternoon, I headed into central London.. Had to go to Selfridges (Big store on Oxford St, London). Anyway, I didnt stay in there too long, it was mobbed. I swiftly headed back out of town to get my cameras, as I am off to Franz Ferdinand again at Alexangrda Palace.. Which will be nice, coz they are great.. When I got there I met up with Dan Rogers and we spent a little while chatting. After a while, NME's photpgrapher, Andy Wilshire came over to us. He is a really nice guy. I have sort of been bumping into him all year in varoius places. One of those places was up in th eArctic Circle. This was back in the summer some time. He flew up just for one band, Razorlight, then flew straight out.. Poor sod, he must have been exhausted.. Anyway, shot Franz and headed home. Loads to do there. I really done want to shoot anything over the next few days. Or in fact next week if I can help it. I want to concentrate as much as I can on the exhibition.

It's all hotting up...

Today started with my phone ringing off the hook. It has been quite a day. The Times newspaper ran the story and my intervoew today. It was a full page. There were also 5 of my photos there as well. I have had loads of magazines, Newspapers ringing me today asking for an interview.. All quite odd for me. I am normally the other side of the camp here if you know what I mean. I am overseeing the printing of the photograophes for the Babyshambles Exhibition. The exhibition opens to the public at The Proud Gallery on Wednesday 7th to 18th of December at The Old Sony Ericsson Proud Galleries 10 Greenland St,Camden, London NW1 0ND 0207 839 4942 www.proud.co.uk

I understand that the interest in the exhibition has been quite remarkable.. So, this should be an interesting event.

Here is the full page article that appeared in The Times in the UK today.

I spoke to my mate Gerry O'Boyle today. He was heading to the airport. He was off to meet up with Shane MacGowan and his Butler in Tangiers. I thought about going down there to do some shots of Shane and his Butler, but sadly I really didnt have enough time. I still have too much to do before the exhibition launch on Tuesday. I really would love to have gone down there for a day or two. Can you imagine the amazing photos I could have got of Shane in that environment.. It would have been fantastic. When the exhibition is out the way, I will start to concentrate on shooting more of Shane. Oh and his Butler of course!!

Shane is due to be back on Tuesday. He has threatened to come to my exhibition launch and sing a few numbers with The Lancaster Bombers. Gerry said he will probably do a punk version of 'She'l be Comin Round The Mountain When She Comes'. I cant wait, it sounds like its going to be mad...

The Prodigy

I had another interview today. This one was for The Independent newspaper in the UK. Again like the interview I did for The Times, it was quite nice. They were also quite sympathetic to the Babyshambles cause.. This I find quite refreshing.

After the interview I grabbed my cameras and rushed off towards Camden in North London. I had to do a quick shoot with The Lancaster Bombers.. The shot, I understand is for Kerrang Magazine.. So, did the shoot in record time. Probably 1 minute.. On my way to meet them, I hit so much traffic that caused me to run really late. So, finished the shoot and headed straight off through the wonderful London traffic to.. guess where, yes Brixton. I only just got there in time. In I went and got my cameras out and virtually got straight on with it. Well, they are AMAZING. I love them, if anyone out there doesnt know much about The Prodigy, I would strongly suggest that you go and buy there recently released greatest hits CD.. Honestly, its fantastic.. When you see shots of them, you can be forgiven for thinking that they look a little odd. They are very very different and brilliant...