Motorhead’s former tour manager from the late ’70s and early ‘8s, Graham Mitchell, has released a new, large-format, tabletop book entitled, Fast & Loose: Snapshots from the Graham Mitchell Archive, 1977-1982, showcasing nearly 100 of his snapshots from his private collection, many of which have never been published.
Expect Motorhead in the studio, on stage, in rehearsals, partying in dressing rooms, clowning around in the van, and even getting into a shaving cream fight with fans. Did I mention Lemmy with a slice of turkey eye patch? Tip of the iceberg, folks.
Mitchell was not only the band’s tour manager but, in his own words, “…the, ir babysitter, their procurer of women, their procurer of drugs, procurer of everything …” He snapped amazing images of the group that document Motorhead in the raw with an intimacy only a trusted member of the inner circle could capture. These aren’t promo photos; Graham’s images are raw and gritty, no touch-ups, all warts included.
Graham Mitchell states:
“I somehow knew how important it all was,” Mitchell says. “I knew I needed to capture at least some of those moments. I’d see the band to the stage and then immediately go out into the house, jostle with the punters, and get what I could.
“Most of my images are one-shot photos, and there’s no flash on any of them. They were done at 400 ASA to speed up the film and take advantage of whatever natural light I could get, so I was always flying by the seat of my pants whenever I clicked the shutter. You know, there used to be a Motorhead saying, ‘Take no fucking prisoners.’ It always made sense to me, and I like to think these photos capture that in all its (occasionally grotty but never boring) glory.”
Order Fast & Loose: Snapshots from the Graham Mitchell Archive, 1977-1982 here.
