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Wednesday 16 Sep 2015

Rail station celebrates the sight and sounds of classic rock music

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National

Renowned English rock photographer, Denis O’Regan, launches his ‘Rock Through The Ages’ exhibition at Manchester Piccadilly station showcasing music legends of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

David Bowie, Oasis and the Rolling Stones are among the stars captured in a new exhibition -  ‘Rock Through The Ages’ -  on display today at one of Britain’s busiest railway stations, Manchester Piccadilly. The pictures, by renowned English rock photographer Denis O’Regan, bring to life well-loved and notorious British and international music stars whom he has spent more than 40 years photographing, both on and off stage.

The photography exhibition at Manchester Piccadilly station will continue through to 9 October before touring other Network Rail managed stations including Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Glasgow Central and London King’s Cross before a final three-week display at Bristol station in February 2016.

More than three million people are expected to pass through Manchester Piccadilly station while the free-to-view exhibition is taking place. In one image, Manchester’s former Oasis front-man Liam Gallagher takes centre stage at the 2007 Brit Awards, while in another The Who’s Roger Daltrey struts, microphone stand in hand, in front of adoring fans. Each photo will go on display with a ‘behind the scenes’ caption from Denis.

Denis O’Regan said: “I have photographed great musicians and travelled to extraordinary places to capture classic moments in music. Railway stations are a great way of connecting people with art in their everyday lives and it is fantastic to be able to share my photos with rail passengers and station users around the country.” 

Having honed his craft in the UK punk scene of the 1970s, Denis was, in 1978, the most published photographer in music paper NME. In the Eighties and Nineties his photographs were published worldwide and he toured the globe as official photographer to the Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy, KISS, Duran Duran, Queen, David Bowie, Spandau Ballet and Pink Floyd. He was official Live Aid photographer in 1985 at Wembley Stadium, and over the last ten years has shot major events. In 1999 he was the only photographer allowed access to Paul McCartney’s legendary Cavern show.

Network Rail’s director of retail, Hamish Kiernan, said: “Millions of people pass through Network Rail stations every day and whether you are in Glasgow, Manchester or London, you will know the musicians featured in the Rock Through The Ages exhibition. We want our stations to be exceptional places for rail passengers and destinations in their own right for those wanting to eat, shop and experience arts and culture. All profit generated by commercial activity at our stations is reinvested, making our network better for the millions of people who travel by rail each day.

Rock Through The Ages was inspired by research highlighting the strong emotional connections that people who grew up in the 1960s to 1990s, during the rock/pop boom, now have with contemporary music. Dr Julia Jones, founder of social brand Generation Music Club who carried out the research, discovered that music from this era continues to connect with those who grew up listening to it as well as with younger generations. This means parents and children are sharing lifelong music tastes and live experiences. Visitors can register free online to receive a rock photography tip sheet and will be entered into a draw to win a camera prize which will be announced at the end of the tour on March 31st 2016.

  

Full details of Rock Through The Ages and entry into the camera prize draw can be done at www.generationmusicclub.com and a full archive of Denis’ images is available at www.denis.co.uk

Other arts and cultural events are planned for Network Rail managed stations across the country. Highlights in the coming months include:

• Britain on Film with the British Film Institute, which will feature locally curated show reels at London’s Kings Cross and Glasgow stations.
• The Landscape Photographer of the Year competition where amateur and professional photographers showcase images of British scenery. The exhibition will be displayed at London’s Waterloo station and then tour stations around the country.

• WWI exhibition. The important role played by women and the railway during World War I is told in an exhibition produced by the Rail Delivery Group, which brings together Network Rail and the train operators.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITOR

Denis O’Regan will be available for interview at Manchester Piccadilly station on Wednesday 16

September.

 

Other station stops for the Rock Through The Ages exhibition are:

October - Liverpool Lime Street

November - Glasgow Central

December - Birmingham New Street

January - London King’s Cross

February - Bristol Temple Meads