Stone Roses Until Sally Adored Reversible Bucket Hat – 4 Colours

IAN TILTON ROCK N ROLL PHOTOGRAPHER

Capturing the moment, stealing the soul, and flashing it back in brutal black and
white or an expansive colour, Ian Tilton infuses his photos with a flair and a
lust for life, underlining them with distinctive bled borders. These are photographs
that spit energy and vigour, mirroring a genuine love for the subject, which is all
too rare in the increasingly hack media pool.


Tilton moved to Manchester in the mid-eighties; this vibrant northern city a perfect
place to cop some rockin’ shutter action as the Manchester music thing exploded.
Tilton was well-placed to capture its protagonists; grabbing the truest
carefree leer of the young Liam Gallagher and early Oasis gigs, the studied cool
of the Stone Roses, the abandon of a youth culture free of shackles.


Tilton also photographed Nirvana after being the first European photographer to
form a relationship with them. His shot of Kurt Cobain crying was voted the
6th best Rock shot ever by Q magazine amongst others.


Ian Tilton comprehensively documented the famous Manchester club the Hacienda
and his colour shots of the interior, alongside fantastically atmospheric photos of
the club in full swing capture the design and excitement of that legendary place.

 
Not that all action has been confined to the ‘rainy city’, Tilton has removed his lens
cap all over the world, from the struggling half-assed dimwit at the bottom of the
circuit through to the fatoid
lazing walrus at the peak of an
ill-deserved career, and a host
of cool, mean music action in-between.
This includes numerous books and
exhibitions on The Stone Roses, Guns N Roses,
Nirvana, The Charlatans and Manchester
music, and work undertaken for Sounds,
Select, Melody Maker,
Mojo  and Q magazine.

                                            (JOHN ROBB)