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November 27Got all the Rush pictures up now 
November 26Some of The Sex Pistols at the Brixton Academy. 
The view over Oslo... 
November 22Went to see the Storm Thorgerson show in an artist's space behind Denmark Street. It was basically the same show as I saw in Los Angeles, only more artistically done. Dave Brolan seemed to be helping Storm out, running about like a little leprechaun. Saw Russell Parker (Jill Furmanovsky's Man Friday) who pretended not to see me from a whole foot away. I was about to say hello when I realised Russell was blanking me as he put on a fake public schoolboy accent while brown-nosing Nick Mason, pointing with a huge smile at photos that featured "Gasp" Nick. It must have been why Russell was wearing a dark brown sweater. Chris Charlesworth was there talking about the mighty Judas Priest book. I asked him what else he had coming out. 'Amy Winehouse will be our big Christmas seller.' 'Is it by Mick Wall?' ' Nooooooooo,' said Chris. 'Is he doing one too?' Chris looked panicked. I left with Mark Blake, both heading south. As we walk out we see Russell pouring Nick Mason another large glass of wine - ten out of ten Russell. Wonderful stuff... More Rush 
Cover of a new Paul Weller book I shot a year or so ago. I quite like it.
The latest cover of Guitarist, featuring Jimmy Page. November 21Here's an email from Pavel - I am not alone...
And John Bionelli tells it like it is...
Some recent Rush pictures. More going up over the next couple of days 
November 20Photographed The Mars Volta and Serj Tankian together for an American magazine. It was put together by about twenty people. I kid you not - emails here, emails there, emails sent to Mars the way this was going. The very lovely Phoebe Sinclair (Warner Bros PR) was in charge, or seemed to think she was in charge. Phoebe gave me a lecture. 'Do you know The Mars Volta?' 'No, never heard of them.' 'Well, you're not to be rude or offensive, I don't want you upsetting artists, and treat Serj with respect.' Phoebe then gave me a long lecture on how important System Of A Down are. Apparently they'll be the new Led Zeppelin - who am I to argue while ogling the lovely Phoebe? It went quite well. I used Kazuyo as a chair and sat on her while shooting. Phoebe was most offended. 'You can't do that to a girl!' Phoebe, I can, and Kazuyo wouldn't understand an act of kindness, she would see it as a sign of weakness. I left safe in the knowledge that Phoebe had fallen for me. It must be my charm and my knowing how to treat a woman. Oh, and Serj, Omar and Cedric were easy. Wish more people were like them. Then again most people I shoot are okay - ish... Got sent this email. I don't dislike Queen but the song is dull and none of the twenty two thousand people in the crowd knew it. The crowd went mad when Brian and Roger walked on, then looked on with 'What is this?' Queen have great rock songs, this just isn't one of them... And he's posted what I wrote. Am I meant to be frightened? Did he post it to his mum - or his auntie perhaps?
Has Jeff nothing better to do - like look at his stamp collection, or spot trains at Clapham, or maybe study astronomy? November 18I forgot, I saw Serj Tankian from that excellent group System Of A Down last night. Hadn't seen him for at least four years, we talked about New Zealand (he's now got a residents permit) and how good Bic Runga is. Serj is always charming. A vile day, I can take the cold, but it was just winter rain all day, incessantly. Went out for dinner with Barry "Bazza" Drinkwater and Jimmy Page. We ate in not very sunny Belmont - Jimmy was getting accosted by the locals. It's strange how people always come over as you are the middle of eating with a I don't mean to bother you but I will anyway... We drove off across the Southlands to North Greenwich - it took forever. I mean, it's Sunday, no traffic, it should be quick. It took ages, we got a flat tire on the way, which Bazza (my new hero) changed in the pouring rain. Eventually we got there as the Foo Fighters were beginning their acoustic set. Introduced Jimmy to John Silver (Foo's manager, who is overwhelmed with joy at seeing Bazza). As we are talking someone called Russell Warby staggers over and stares with his mouth half open, drooling red wine as if he's just found out God really exists. He then tries to join in. Russell informs Jimmy the Led Zeppelin cd got a good review in the papers. What a surprise! Russell will not go away and follows us around with the look of a disciple finding holy enlightenment. He is a bore. Watch the acoustic set from a box way at the top. I get shots of the whole arena, it has a good looking vibe. Russell ignores the show and stares at Jimmy. On the way back down I run into the agent of the year, Steve Strange, who I take a photo of with JP and Bazza. Jimmy does his best to hold them both up. Steve Strange is my hero - and Bazza still, of course. Russell keeps trying to step in to have a photo as if he's won a prize... See Dave Grohl and Taylor as they are waiting to go back on for the encores. Dave hugs us - he's soaking wet. I get a few pictures with Russell still staring (I still have no idea what he does, maybe he's won a competition to hang out with the Foos). Head off home just before the end - another journey from hell. November 17Met up with Dave Grohl in London. Drove down to Greenwich to the 02 Arena with the Foo Fighters. Hung out and shot soundcheck etc. Oliver Taylor Hawkins had come up with the idea of the band doing a Queen song from the News Of The World album, so soundcheck had Brian May and Roger Taylor as guests playing with them. I have to be honest - it was BORING. I mean, at least do Tie Your Mother Down or Now I'm Here... The show was good to shoot - loads of light except for Dave whose hair was in his face all the time which meant I had to think about how to shoot. Finished the night shooting over the stage - got great stuff of the crowd looking out. Enjoyed the Foo Fighters- no rubbish about you can't go here or there, I could do what I wanted. It was fun. November 16Nice day - beautiful weather, but... it's COLD. Had to go to the BBC in Portland Street to be interviewed for a programme on BBC Scotland about my father Bob Halfin, whose real name was Lazarus Isaac Halfin. I explained as politely as I could why I hate New Year, full of drunken Scots (my mother included). They then told me the show's going out on Hogmanay. Oh well, 'Och aye...' Watched the Who dvd Amazing Journey, which is good if you know nothing about The Who. There are quite a lot of my photos on there... Staying in to watch Laundry again so I can ogle Koyuki. It's true love - I'd marry her. If I ever met her, that is. The lith prints are ones I like of the Italian Alps and the reservoir is at Heathrow. 
Pictures from two of the recent sessions I've shot 
 
The new issue of drummer with Jason Bonham. I like it because it's not just a photo behind a drum kit. 
 November 14Paul Cook rang and asked if I'd like to shoot the show. He gave me his manager's number - Anita Camarta (who had looked after Thunder in the '90s in LA). I called her, the conversation went something like this. 'We will own all rights in perpetuity, copyright and all usage, and we will pay you £100, that's how much photograpers get paid now.' She really Went to the show, told Paul, who shook his head. 'Just don't bother.' He gave me front row of the balcony again. A fine man. They were better than on Monday. Submission was good. It'd be great if they toured. Barry "Bazza" Drinkwater was there, leering at my date. I hung out with Barry's boss, chain-smoking Maria Conroy, and Simon Kenton and my mate Read Kevin THE CAVEMAN's diary or blog - or bog. Kevin claims there is "History in the making" with what he has recorded. Amazing what Kevin writes about. I thought he only saved rubbish announcements like this for Iron Maiden. If I EVER say anything like that about one of my photos please feel free to shoot me or deport me to South Africa, Australia, or worse still, Malibu. And don't forget it's Talon's first thanksgiving with his born-again christian family. Fuck me, I'm going back to worshiping the devil... Some more Classic Rock Award pictures        November 13Jimmy called me this morning to tell me his ears were still ringing - so are mine, come to think of it. I tend to ignore it after years of shows but I'm going deaf - it could be old age. Then again Peter Makowski is deaf as a post... Sorted out a load of old negs today, I found some ZZ Top I never printed from 1980. And got a Led Zeppelin poster from the UK Tour '70 in a trade. Not a bad day so far. Got Live And Dangerous, Thin Lizzy's show at the Rainbow Theatre, on dvd. The best part is the bonus live cd from Derby '75 with a different set and the Top Of The Pops TV appearances. Neil Jefferies has written the sleeve notes informing the world that Thin Lizzy are still going. Wow Neil, going where? Down the pub? Then again Neil is the only person I know who 'LOVES' Rainbow with Joe Lynn Turner, and he's from Lowestoft, the rock'n'roll capital of nowhere. Paul Cook called and wanted to know if we liked the show. He thought the crowd looked like Dante's Inferno. Going to see them again tomorrow. November 12Spent tonight in Brixton with Jimmy Page watching the Sex Pistols. They were phenomenal - loud, exciting and tight (The Verve should go and watch them and see how it's really done). They even looked like they were having a good time. John Lydon was like Il Duce Mussolini addressing his masses. The crowd from my view on the balcony looked frightening, like a Hieronymous Bosch painting, swaying, pushing, screaming. Funniest part was John announcing No Fun as No Fanny after looking at the male crowd - and when he asked 'Anyone here under forty?' And you can't beat God Save The Queen, EMI and Anarchy at volume ten... Saw a lot of people from the past - photographer Dave Wainwright, the Robert Capa of the late '70s and a fine man. I don't like many photographers from my early era, useless public school boys who thought they were photographers, mostly stuck up and full of themselves. Dave was always alright. Saw Polystyrene, Steve English (who I hadn't seen since being in Dallas with Selector in 1980). Said hello to Paul Cook and Steve Jones before the show and Glenn Matlock even made me a cup of coffee. They just walked on through a gap in the stage. There is something quintessentially English about them, even with two of them long gone to LA. I came out of the show with my ears ringing. It was loud. Ted Nugent or Deep Purple loud (they were louder than Ted). I saw Deep Purple at Brixton in 1972 when it was the Brixton Sundown, another great show - there's been a lot at this venue. As we left I see Steve Strange, Tesla's booking agent, who informs me Tesla ruled Minehead last Saturday. Five minutes later my phone rings and it's Brian Wheat and Jeff Keith who have gone for a romantic few days together in Rome, the city of love. 'How was Minehead?' I ask. 'Pete Way was drunk and pathetic,' says Brian, while Jeff holds his hand. 'It was sad.' Brian needn't worry about UFO he has Jeff to comfort him and hold him if he has nightmares. Jeff must find it odd holding Brian instead of a cow... November 9Went to see The Verve at the Roundhouse. A cool venue, renovated it has a good vibe. The band were okay, very self-indulgent. Richard Ashcroft was not exactly enigmatic, he seemed to wander around the stage like a down and out. The band were tight - the guitarist was good in a Tool sort of way. It was worth going to hear The Drugs Don't Work and Bittersweet Symphony played back to back. The light show looked like it was being operated by a blind man - not a single light on the band, all back-lit and flashing. It was meant, I think, to be arty but in reality it was dreadful - it was bollocks. Speaking of the Roundhouse, Phil Alexander gave me his copy (gift-wrapped) of Greasy Truckers Live at the Roundhouse 1972 featuring Hawkwind and Man. This is much more like it. You get transported back in time with a bit of You Shouldn't Do That and Master Of the Universe and don't forget Born To Go... Never to Return. I finished the evening eating at midnight in Hakkasan, a posh Chinese in Soho. It reminds me of what say Shanghai might have been like in the 1930's - the only thing missing was Gong li... November 8Been listening to The Sadistic Mikaela Band Big-Bang, Bang! and Sadistic Twist and Counterparts by Rush... More pictures from The Classic Rock Awards       The new issue of Classic Rock which is nearly a whole Zeppelin issue, with a cover by Zacron aka Richard Drew. The Led Zeppelin III artwork is my favourite cover. The issue has a feature on Rush with offstage and live photos from Wembley. 
 Some more of Jason Bonham. See more... 
 November 6Had a night out with Jimmy Page who was taking Steven Tyler and his girlfriend Erin out for a meal. Peter Makowski came along as he didn't have to dress up. Showed them some photos from the awards - here's a couple, more tomorrow. 
 I am in Rush hell as I have hundreds of photos to send them and I'm late and Kazuyo who is sorting them is pretending to be ill with flu while chain smoking. She needs to realise a beating a day keeps the doctor away and will make her better. November 5Spent the last couple of days with Steven Tyler who's flown into London for the Classic Rock Awards. Went to dinner at Nobu and he got mobbed on the way out, by various women from about every country.
Peter Makowski reunited with Ronnie Dio, Ronnie exclaimed 'I knew him when he was fifteen.' Pete started crying - singing 'Long Live Rock'N Roll' and a bit of The Man On The Silver Mountain. It was quite a star-studded rock affair - Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs in a Hawaiin shirt (what time of year does he think it is), Chad Smith, Glenn Hughes, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Kerry King, Scott Ian, Duff (with his bodyguard PR Duff), a charming Nick Mason, Storm Thorgerson (who gave me a framed Elegy print which was on the wall), Luke and Daniel from Thunder, Chris Squire, Joe Elliott, Mick Wall and agent Robert, Lemmy (who left in a huff), Alice Cooper (who invited me to his show). Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi were a good laugh. I normally don't like them but they were very entertaining, asking Kazuyo if she was Chinese 'NO! Only dogs are Chinese,' she barked. She then told Francis that Purley (where he lives) is full of chavs. 'Where did you find her' was Francis's parting words. 
 I told Chad Smith how good Neil Peart was, Chad told me he reads Neil's website. Pat Cash was with the most beautiful asian woman I have ever seen - since I was last in LA. Peter and I were both ogling her with lust. I shot loads - got a good roll of Steven Tyler, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Tony Iommi. Tony said I looked good. 'I don't feel it - I'm fifty...' Tony said ' Don't worry - I'm sixty-three.' Must go and see Heaven And Hell this week. I told Kerry King and Scott Ian, I do my ironing while listening to Slayer. My favourite at the moment is Jihad and Catatonic. 'It must be fast ironing' said Scott. The new issue of Guitar World with two collectable covers of Jimmy Page... 
 November 1Spent yesterday photographing the new member of Led Zeppelin, Jason Bonham. His drum kit looked good - a nod to his dad. 
 Ian, the Rush fan, emailed me to inform me his name was Pete - I was close. He told me he was rushing home to Cleveland as his mother has reported him missing to the police. He'd told her he was going to the local mall, and would be home for tea. Pete is forty-five years old. I knew I was right about Rush fans... Congratulations to Laurence Baker (The Naked Man) who has walked the matrimonial gangplank in Hawaii. What's that Doors song "This is the end beautiful friend the end " . Some recent magazine covers of mine. 
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