Gary Brown
Gary Brown has been shooting Manchester’s music scene under the name GB Multimedia for the best part of 20 years, mostly shooting gigs and club nights, but also festivals, weddings and editorial work along the way. His WHP story starts, fittingly, with a bit of nerve: after going to the Ape night at Boddington’s and finding himself hooked, he blagged his way into a trial shoot for Metropolis, the club’s biggest drum and bass night, on borrowed kit worth about two grand. He passed the test.
It’s Nice That:Do you remember your first experience of The Warehouse Project?
Gary Brown:Hard to forget! The first time at Warehouse Project was the Ape night at Boddington’s, and I think I went another four or five times that season. Every weekend was like a festival lineup! It was something I’d never seen on that scale, but things really ramped up with the move to Store Street. The hum of the bass from being out in the queue, then pushing that curtain back to take in the scene of the main room. Those arches kept the atmosphere boiling like a pressure cooker! I was dying to be a part of it, so when Metropolis, the biggest D&B night, put out a call for a photographer, I gripped the chance with both hands and thankfully cut the mustard at a trial event. Little did they know it was my first ever gig and I’d borrowed about two grand’s worth of kit from a shop I worked in, haha! I had to get the credit card out soon after and make some upgrades.
INT:When you enter a space like WHP with a camera, what are you looking for, and what’s your approach when capturing the energy of its events?
GB:Things have changed as time has passed, but my obsession has always been the music. At first this meant capturing artists I’d always dreamt of seeing, so just having a photo of MF Doom saluting the crowd was everything. Later the scale of the events and connection of artists to the crowds was more my focus. I always felt there was a lack of photos that show being really ‘in the mix’, so I’d never be afraid to get right in the middle, with the sweat and spilling drinks, to capture that viewpoint. Most recently I like to search for the smaller details and moments of a more personal level – finding people in the crowd experiencing a feeling of individual escapism that is sadly becoming increasingly rare.
INT:Looking back through your archive, is there a photograph from The Warehouse Project that feels especially meaningful or memorable to you?
There is a shot from Room 2, where I caught my friend Paul in the front row saluting the DJ after finishing a hefty set, a place where he would often be found. I always loved the shot for the connection it highlighted, but when Paul, aka Heavy-P, sadly passed away in 2020, it took on even more emotion. To capture that personification of someone who meant a lot to many people is bittersweet, but ultimately means a huge amount.