Let's Rock

You've probably heard his name and most definitely seen his photos. A new book, Shot! by Rock, celebrates the work of legendary photographer Mick Rock. Dubbed The Man Who Shot The Seventies, he went on to snap some of the most iconic rock images for five decades. Peter Dench asks rock stars of photography to pick their favourite Mick Rock photo

- Peter Dench

London-based sports and music portrait photographer Tom Oldham has shot some of the world’s biggest and best names in music including, Paul Weller, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, Prodigy, Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Ed Sheeran, M.I.A., Rudimental, and Primal Scream, among many others. For his unique portrait project ON/OFF (to raise money for War Child UK) he photographed artists the moment before a big gig and immediately after.

‘Choosing one single image from this astonishing book full of absolute bangers was, I admit, a challenge, but it had to be this one for me. There isn’t a rock fan in the world who doesn’t know this portrait, and not a music photographer alive or dead who doesn’t wish they’d shot it. To capture iconography like this, graceful, noble, bold and – importantly – very simple, is the dream for us all. It’s an image the status of which we’ve aimed for ever since, and I know I’ll struggle to achieve something even slightly close for the rest of my days.

‘I get asked all the time to rip it off (it’s a super-handy configuration for a four-piece) and it was interesting to discover that the “inspiration” for it came from a 1930s portrait of Marlene Dietrich, further evidence that no great ideas are ever truly original – something I find of mild relief. As if its standing wasn’t already strong enough, Mick’s portrait was then put into motion for the video of Bohemian Rhapsody, which has kept it relevant way into the now and beyond, I’m sure. Mick said Freddie’s single criteria for anything was “Is it fabulous?”, to which in this case the answer could only ever be, yes Freddie – really f***ing fabulous.’