Two new music photography books have emerged at the same time, both documenting the history of Australian music in different ways.
Music City: A Slice of the Melbourne Music Scene is a compilation of personal memories from local photographer Brian Carr. As a passionate music fan of eclectic tastes, Carr has created a one-of-a-kind record of music history.
Meanwhile, Australian photographer Alex Miller has announced ‘The Southern River Band Live As F*ck Across Europe And The United Kingdom For The First Time By Alex Miller’, his debut, limited edition book of 8 weeks on the road with SRB.
Music City: A Slice of the Melbourne Music Scene
Melbourne is considered one of the great live music cities of the world and Music City is a stunning, historical tribute to the people and performances that made it all possible.
The life’s work of photographer Brian Carr, Music City offers a rare and unfiltered window into Melbourne’s music scene as it evolved over the last six decades.
This stunning collection of black and white, and colour photographs includes some of the world’s biggest names on stage in Melbourne: Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, Bonnie Raitt, and Sharon Jones, as well as musicians who cut their teeth in their hometown at much-loved venues like the Corner in Richmond, and Fitzroy’s Rainbow Hotel.
Archie Roach, Marcia Hines, Ross Hannaford, Paul Kelly, and many more of Australia’s best feature alongside international stars and lesser-known bands and performers.
But, like the scene itself, Music City is bigger than the gigs. It shines a light on the people behind the line-up, the quiet heroes of a city’s live music revolution: community radio stations, presenters, and venue owners, who so often sweated the details so the show would go on.
With a powerful foreword by Melbourne’s very own Chris Wilson, as well as a tender nod to the relationship between audience and performer, this collection will captivate music fans, Melbournians and lovers of culture or history.
For anyone who was lucky enough to be there and everyone who wasn’t. As Chris Wilson writes, ‘Steeped in working class style, punching above its weight. Melbourne knows how to have a good time,’ and Music City is a must.
The book is currently available in book stores around Australia being distributed through Manic Books in Brunswick, as well as directly from Brian Carr’s website. 232 pages, 188 illustrations, hardbound 204mm x 242mm, landscape $89.95 AU https://www.briancarrphoto.com/shop
The Southern River Band Live As F*ck Across Europe And The United Kingdom For The First Time
Australian photographer Alex Miller announces ‘The Southern River Band Live As F*ck Across Europe And The United Kingdom For The First Time By Alex Miller’, debut, limited edition book of 8 weeks on the road with SRB.
Aptly titled; ‘The Southern River Band Live As Fuck Across Europe And The United Kingdom For The First Time’, is Alex Miller’s first book release. Documenting the success of a band who’s constantly labelled as the underdog nearly sell out their debut international tour, this pivotal moment for the band that far exceeded everyone’s expectations, including the industry.
Hailing from Thornlie, Western Australia, The Southern River Band’s breakout hit ‘Stan Qualen’, a 6 minute guitar moment with just 20 seconds of singing, earned the band their anointing by Justin Hawkins of The Darkness and a huge number of new international listeners (Music video Creative Directed & Produced Alex Miller). This lead them on an 8 week long, 24 date tour through the U.K. & Europe. Alex Miller also filmed & edited the band’s latest music video ‘Chasin’ After Love’ while on tour. This track appears on their new album ‘D.I.Y’ that has just been released on Civilians Records (FKA Cooking Vinyl).
“I managed The Southern River Band for five and a half years and since then have worked on many projects with them, so there’s a lot of history and creative output here. To be invited to shoot their debut international tour of sold out shows night after night for eight weeks was very special for me personally – which you can see in my pictures. Watching Cal play in front of 20,000 people is the same as watching him down at the Thornlie Tavern in front of four people back in 2014. It’s literally the same gig for him, he’s unstoppable” – Alex Miller
Alex Miller collected setlists, wrist bands, festival accreditation/lanyards, guitar picks and all sorts of useless tour junk along the way (including the horse head from Warwick Castle) that will be up for grabs so fans can own a part of the tour. The appearance of the book is like an old travel document, with each copy individually stamped & numbered by hand in Perth, Western Australia.
Preorders for the book, limited edition posters and other goodies will go live on Thursday October 3rd 9am WST, all from www.millerairlines.com – newsletter subscribers get first access.