In 1967 Max borrowed his dad’s Pentax and took the only shots of Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood debuting at the Marquee Club and Fleetwood Mac at their Windsor Festival debut a few months later. The following year he played his one and only gig as lead guitar in a school music competition – in spite of the phenomenal audience reaction they weren’t allowed to win as ‘it was only a blues improvisation!'
Turning to photographing his heroes at gigs again, Max contributed to the predominantly monochrome music press at the time for the next decade and a half. Shots appeared in Beat Instrumental, Melody Maker, New Musical Express, Sounds and Record Mirror. Soon after this, whilst occasional gig coverage was maintained, a new road opened up in the form of documentary filming and so Max resigned himself to a career as a video-cameraman despite his slightly epic start in rock stills.
With an equally intense devotion to Romantic Art, Max has written books and articles on artists from William Blake to the Pre-Raphaelites and beyond as a specialist art-historian
The Clash giving it all onstage at The Music Machine (Camden Palace), London in 1978
Elvis Costello and The Attractions live at the Dominion Theatre, London, 1978
Jeff Beck performing an onstage solo at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1981.
In the studio in Santa Monica, California in 1980, Bob Dylan is captured whilst leaning on his guitar case.
Early shot of The Fall at Central Station Car Park, Manchester in the summer of 1978
Sex Pistols on the set for the 'Pretty Vacant' video shoot at the ITN Studios, London in June 1977
This photo session was for No.1 Magazine (long since extinct) on a Eurythmics press day, they’d been doing interviews all day.
The Ramones' loud, fast, straightforward musical style was influenced by music that the band members grew up listening to in the 50s & 60s.
The Who are an English rock band that formed in 1964 & are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century.
The Stranglers are one of the most enduring bands to have come out of the punk scene with an uncompromising attitude and idiosyncratic style
Madness are an English band from Camden Town, London & one of the most prominent bands of the late 70s & early 80s 2 Tone ska revival.
Our contact sheet collection is a rare opportunity to look back at the hidden moments surrounding some of rocks most iconic images.
For eight years photographer Brian Duffy worked with David Bowie and shot his most iconic and enduring images. View his fantastic collection
Check out our great range of authentic fine art photographic prints available for £250 or less.
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
