Stephen Wright BA Hons Photographer
About
Apparently it’s the most famous photo of The Smiths, and that makes me smile. It’s the band, not the photo, that’s classic. I love that people enjoy the image years later and that I caught them at their magnificent peak.
As a huge fan, I count myself lucky to have seen and photographed The Smiths live, then to have met them and photographed the Salford Lads Club image.
The first Smiths live show I shot was at Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1984. I could only afford one roll of film and had a long walk home. More live shows followed, and then Rough Trade asked me to shoot a session.
The Salford Lads session took place on a cold, dark winter day in November 1985. It looks casual and unposed, and in a way that is how it came together. I was the only photographer there. George Pace kindly helped me.
One of the photographs appeared inside The Queen Is Dead. I later photographed the sign for the back sleeve of Strangeways, Here We Come. The album sleeve photograph is in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and Salford Art Gallery.
Over the past 40 years, thousands of fans have visited the red brick Edwardian building to recreate the photograph. More than 20 years ago, Leslie Holmes set up the Smiths room at Salford Lads Club. His hard work helped make it a place Smiths fans love to visit.
When we went in 1985, the club was shut. I was able to visit inside many years later and have enjoyed working with the club on charity events. I was made an honorary member in 2015.
Just before Christmas 2015, the club launched a shirt featuring the image to raise money for its work. I gave an image from the session to the club to help its fundraising.
These photographs are still enjoyed as prints around the world. Other music photographs include Prince, Miles Davis, James Brown and John Lydon. You can see my current photography at Wrightphoto.