Michael Spencer Jones was the original Britpop photographer.
He was there before Oasis became the global behemoths that they went on to be, he went out with them on their first tours, he was in the trenches, and has the snaps to prove it. Plus he did all the Oasis album covers, loads of the Verve covers, etc etc.
Last year he put a load of his best and lesser known pics together and put on an exhibition of them at the Royal Albert Hall in London. After he took them down our friends at the Posh Teckel somehow persuaded him to bring them to Berlin and put them up in what has become one of the cooler scene hangouts in Kreuzberg.
Michael Spencer Jones will be there in person
That was four months ago, and I think some of the hangovers from that night have only just worn off. Just in time really, since this Saturday night is the Closing Party – the Finissage – of the exhibition. Michael Spencer Jones will be there in person, taking part in a Q and A session run by none other than John Robb, musician, personality and the man who first coined the term Britpop.
And as if that’s not enough, anyone remember Souxsie and the Banshees? Hard to forget really…well, their drummer was a man named Budgie. Budgie will be guest DJing at the party. This is doubly special since it’s also the first time he’s ever DJed anywhere. Stewart Copeland of the Police listed Budgie as one of the 16 most interesting drummers ever, Spin Magazine put him at No. 28 in their list of the 100 best drummers of alternative music, and NME had him as the best drummer of 1983.
A little history in the making
So, not only your last chance to see this exhibition of behind-the-scenes Britpop snaps, but also a little history in the making. It starts at 7pm, the Q and A runs at 8pm. It’s going to be packed, so get there early.
Article by Noel Maurice
