I SHOT QUEEN at Maple Leaf Gardens, in downtown Toronto, in 1982, when I was fourteen. I had brought my uncle’s camera with me only because my cousin said it would be a good idea. It was. The concert hall was packed with fans, and even though I was quite tall for my age — and just five to seven rows back from the stage — I had to stand on my seat to snap the pictures I wanted. I took those images to get processed at the Japan Camera shop that used to be on Yonge Street, and I waited in one of those shops that sells posters to rock-and-roll heads. The guy working the counter had been at the Queen concert too, and when I told him I’d taken pictures, he offered to buy a roll for $150. It was a lot of money for a kid.
And, for the many years after that, shooting live music is what I did.
This story is from the January/February 2022 edition of The Walrus.
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This story is from the January/February 2022 edition of The Walrus.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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