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Capturing City's Rock Icons



















Photographer Ian Tilton has captured some world-famous images in his time.

From iconic shots of rocker Iggy Pop almost kicking the camera out of his hands to Morrissey having his shirt torn to shreds, his stills take a proud place in rock history.

And now the Northern Quarter's Stroon gallery is showcasing shots from the 43-year-old's rich portfolio.

They include images from his vast archive of Manchester's influential quartet The Stone Roses and never-seen-before shots of a fresh-faced Oasis.

The Roses are fondly remembered as one of Manchester's most influential and exciting bands.

They were for a long time hailed in hushed tones as the saviours of British music before it ended in tears when the band imploded in 1996.

But Tilton's shots capture a sullen, boyish-looking outfit at the start of their careers.

"My job is all about getting the atmosphere across and I think they do that. They capture the fashions of the time," he said.

"And the band were great - they would always come to me with ideas - they always wanted to do things differently."

The shots appear alongside images of a similarly youthful Oasis at the Thomas Street exhibition.

They capture Liam, Noel, Bonehead and Guigsy performing at a city centre bar in 1993 - months before they exploded into the mainstream.

"It was at a place I think called the Canal Bar just down the road from the Hacienda," said Ian.

"There were about 30 people there and lots of room. I think they show that Liam always had the swagger if not the fashion sense.

There's even a shot of him coming off stage with spit on the front of his jumper!"

But the display stretches further a field than Manchester.

Also on show will be shots of American band Nirvana. The early 90s outfit are credited with being the fathers of the grunge movement and sold over 50 million albums. Their run ended in tragedy in 1994 when frontman Kurt Cobain committed suicide.

And one of Tilton's more powerful shots on display, voted the sixth best rock image of all-time in a top music magazine, captures the troubled icon in tears with his head in his hands after a high-energy performance.

Source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

All the infomation about the gallery can be found at www.stroon.co.uk and you can also visit Ian Tilton's site at www.iantilton.net to view some of the brilliant photographs.

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