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“I loved this band, because they were the typical rock’n’roll

From page 14 of Classic Rock Magazine November 2010

Cover of November 2010 issue.

act. They were so flamboyant, with those six-inch heels and their all-round attitude. I’m not sure what they were like on record, but when it came to live performances Mott were just one of the most exciting bands you could ever see. They were right on top of their game when this photo was taken.

“The trick with a band like Mott The Hoople was to wait for the right shot. I was lucky to capture them when they looked like they were posing just for me. It’s not the case, but you get the feeling in the photo that here were musicians doing it personally for the photographer, and what I manage to convey is exactly that to anyone looking at it. I really like the fact that although it’s a still it also gives the impression of movement. This is what I love about the photo more than anything else. I think you can see it. Even if you’ve never heard of Mott The Hoople, immediately you know this is a very powerful band, caught in their prime.

“It’s something you have to wait to capture. I’ve seen so many photographers who get it all wrong. You have to be prepared to be patient and bide your time, but be ready to get that instant on camera, because when it comes out like this, as a professional it gives you such pride.

“For me it’s all about being a documenter of what makes a band work. There’s something about the quality here that tells you all you need to know about Mott. It’s an art form in itself.”

HERB WISE New Yorker Herb Wise has been a professional music photographer since the late 1960s. He has just published People You’d Like To Know: Legendary Musicians Photographed By Herb Wise (Omnibus Press), a book of his photographs of blues, folk and rock performers on and off stage at locations across North America during the second half of the 20th century.