David Garcia – 1978
Self Published – out now
Photographer David Garcia took photos of many punk bands back in 1978 at University gigs, he now sells them in a fanzine format.
It’s inevitable that in the near half-century since punk first burst onto the scene that certain images have become fixed as immediately recognisable icons of the scene – the cover of the first Clash album and London Calling, the Clash playing to a sea of people at Victoria Park, bloodstained Sid on the Pistols’ US Tour, random safety pins and kidnap lettering …. After a while they all coalesce into a fixed image. So it’s always good news when anything previously unseen emerges.
The eighteen photos reproduced here feature the Clash, John Cooper Clarke, the Clash, Siouxsie, Spizzoil, the Ramones, Nicky Tesco, Gaye Advert and TV Smith – and some Bucks Fizz lookalikes called the Innocents (early 80’s “power pop” I believe). There are some live shots, mainly the Clash and Ramones, some nice impromptu off-the-cuff shots, like the cheery Gaye Advert caught off guard and a couple that look more posed and formal. Together they convincingly catch the feeling of the times – the intense excitement of punk gigs, stars to be, one-hit wonders and wannabes.
So there you have it – no frills, no extras. David Garcia told me that this was rounding up his old pics (see also dgarcia.com/1978-zine). It’s a pity, in my opinion, that there isn’t any accompanying text about when the pics were taken– I’m sure there must be a few cool anecdotes attached to them if the photographers I know are anything to go by. It’s great that he’s shared these photos and not left them in obscurity, so I hope that he might consider doing an expanded version in the future.
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More details at his website here:
Buy it here for £6.00 only:
All words by Den Browne, you can read more on his author profile here:
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