The definitive photographic history of the Manchester music scene from 1976 to today, was chronicled by Kevin Cummins and features some of the most iconic music photographs of all time .
Manchester, its bands, its fashions, its attitude, has defined pop culture for the best part of four decades. Joy Division, The Fall, Buzzcocks, New Order, The Smiths, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Oasis. These were the bands that shaped two generations of teenagers and changed the course of pop music.
The exhibition “Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain” at the Richard Goodall Gallery on High Street this September, is a stunning record of these individuals, the city, and their times. Whether it be on a rain-soaked stage in Brazil, a rented room in Whalley Range, or on the dance floor of the legendary Hacienda, Kevin Cummins' exquisite photographs capture the anarchic energy of the Manchester pop moment. What is it about that city that makes it the Memphis of the UK? Cummins' photographic record of the past 30 years captures the highs, the lows and the transcendent pop moments of Manchester's most famous sons.
Kevin Cummins was photographer on the NME for two decades. He now takes pictures for The Times, Guardian, and others.
The opening of the exhibition “Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain” will also see the official launch of the book of the same name published by Faber. This stunning visual record of the city and its pop history is complemented by four textual contributions from Paul Morley, Stuart Maconie, Gavin Martin and John Harris.
‘We did some famous photos with Kevin Cummins wearing [Man City] shirts and by the time we did our first Japanese tour, everybody seemed to have them on.They must have thought they were Oasis shirts or something and a while later I asked Franny Lee how many City shirts they’d sold in Japan and he told me the club had been constantly sending out mail orders after being inundated with requests’.Noel Gallagher
‘Manchester? coolest city I can think of’ Eva Mendes
‘All Manchester's lacking is a beach. If there was a beach it'd be a great city’ Ian Brown
‘Manchester: so much to answer for...’ Morrissey
‘I would like to live in Manchester.The transition between Manchester and death would be unnoticeable’. Mark Twain
