There's rock photography and rock photography, David Corio's shot both. Born in London in 1960, David attended Gloucester College of Art & Design when he was 16. Through his sister’s then fiance Wreckless Eric, David was introduced to the fledgling Stiff Records and photographed their first tours featuring Ian Dury and Elvis Costello, along with the pub rock and burgeoning punk scene.
Whilst working in an industrial darkroom, David began freelancing for New Musical Express and worked for them on a regular basis from 1979 till 1984 getting to photograph Bob Marley, Jerry Garcia new unsigned bands like U2 and The Birthday Party. He worked for The Face, Time Out and Black Echoes and was photographer, music listings and nightclubbing editor of City Limits in the early eighties. He also took portraits for the Telegraph, The Times and The Guardian.
In 1992 David moved to New York City working for the New York Times and shooting for several UK papers, magazines and record labels. David’s work has featured on hundreds of CD sleeves particularly in the reggae field and in many books. In 1999 his first book ’The Black Chord’ (Rizzoli/Universe) with Vivien Goldman was published featuring over 200 of David’s photos of black musicians that he had shot over twenty years.
In 2003 David published ’Megaliths’ (Jonathan Cape) , a fifteen year project with author Lai Ngan Corio featuring his photographs of the prehistoric stones of England and Wales and the legends and folklores that are attached to them.
His work has been shown at the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Photographer’s Gallery, Special Photographers Company, London and Jack Shainman Gallery, Bronwyn Keenan Gallery, Morrison Hotel Gallery and Eyejammy Gallery in New York and in Remix Gallery, Osaka, Japan and Dusty Gallery, Hong Kong.
AC/DC's guitarist Angus Young is a great musician but very difficult to photograph as he moves non-stop. - Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK.
Unique contact sheet print of AC/CD's, Angus Young by photographer David Corio, taken at Hammersmith Odeon, London, November 1st, 1979
This was one of the first hip hop shows in England - Londoners had never experienced any gig like this before.
Bob Marley's last London show on 7 June 1980 at the Crystal Palace Bowl
Rare contact sheet by David Corio with a fantastic selection of images of Bob Marley performing in London in 1980.
Ian Dury just before he went onstage with The Blockheads at the Brighton Top Rank in June 1980
James Brown performing onstage at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in May 1985
Unique contact sheet print of Nick Cave And The Birthday Party by photographer David Corio taken in a disused church in Kilburn, London
Johnny Ramone’s super-fast ‘buzzsaw’ guitar had a huge impact on the punk scene and he could make a two-minute song sound like an epic.
Energetic contact sheet of The Ramones performing at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1980
The Specials performing onstage at the legendary Hope & Anchor pub in London in 1980
Tom Waits onstage at the Victoria Apollo, London in March, 1981.
Bono and The Edge of U2 performing live in Cork, Ireland in February 1980
Johnny Cash at home on his ranch in San Antonio, Texas in 1960, he always wore black, because he identified with the poor & the down trodden
Unique contact sheet print of AC/CD's, Angus Young by photographer David Corio, taken at Hammersmith Odeon, London, November 1st, 1979
Punk icon Sid Vicious reading MAD magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during the Sex Pistols one and only US tour in January 1978.
Bono from U2 performing live on their Joshua Tree Tour in Rotterdam, Holland in July 1987
Van Morrison is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter and musician who is usually known by the name "Van the Man" to his fans.
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960 and widely regarded as the most influential acts of the rock era.
Sir Elton John is an English pianist, singer-songwriter, composer & pop icon who has sold millions of records and won countless awards.
Ozzy Osbourne is a singer, songwriter & television personality who rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the band Black Sabbath.
A photographic celebration of Manchester's rock music history. Free exhibition at the University of Manchester
For eight years photographer Brian Duffy worked with David Bowie and shot his most iconic and enduring images. View his fantastic collection
A fantastic curated collection of museum quality fine art prints by leading music photographer Barry Schultz
The USA has given us many of the world's greatest music artists - we celebrate the best of the best
