Photographer Dennis Morris has been documenting artists at the forefront of the music world for 40 years. He visited Tokyo for an exhibition at Barneys New York Shinjuku, which runs until July 28th. Dennis talks about his memories of the late Bob Marley, who was his greatest mentor in inspiring him to embark on this career, and the Sex Pistols, the "darlings of the era."

(Continued from Vol. 2)

"Young people who couldn't see a future for themselves were definitely looking for change. Despite that, famous progressive rock bands of the time were performing circus-like shows in big venues. Naturally, there was no way they could capture the hearts of young people. The Sex Pistols were the ones who expressed their anger in a naked way."

Over loud, simple rock and roll, their debut song, "Anarchy in the UK," featured a roar that proclaimed, "I'm the Antichrist, I'm an anarchist," and their second single, "God save the Queen," which was named after the British national anthem, featured a swear word: "God save the Queen, she's not human." They were the darlings of the era and quickly attracted attention from all over the world. "At that time, there was no other artist who so blatantly criticised the establishment and the royal family. Their live shows were always filled with a strange sense of tension."

Their private lives were also in chaos. Members were arrested, they were attacked by right-wing thugs, and of course, they were addicted to heavy drinking and drugs... "Needless to say, the faces of the Pistols were John (Johnny Rotten, later John Lydon) and Sid (Vicious, bassist). John certainly had star quality. However, as he looked, he was a difficult person to get along with and people around him tended to dislike him. Sid was very shy, which was probably one of the reasons why he and his girlfriend Nancy got into hard drugs. He was actually afraid of performing in front of people, so he developed a style of attacking the audience when he went on stage. Needless to say, this only added fuel to the fire. The most honest person was Paul (Cook, drummer), who was the musical pillar of the band. I'm still friends with him to this day."

It's not hard to imagine that the Pistols split up less than a year later. They truly burned out in an instant. "Punk was never a fad or fashion, but a statement of intent against the times. In fact, there weren't many young people dressed like punks back then. It was only after the Pistols' demise that the style spread worldwide through artists like Vivienne Westwood. It goes without saying that they had a huge musical influence, even on artists today. They were a stark expression of the state of the young spirit of that era."

Around the time Morris was actively photographing the Pistols, Bob Marley was also spending long periods in London, and Morris frequently traveled back and forth between the two. "Maybe it's because of that that I've been able to find a mental balance (laughs). The Sex Pistols and Marley were such a stark contrast. They were truly 'yin and yang' (laughs).

The only thing they have in common is that in my long career I have never come across any other artists with such intense personalities and huge presences. That's why I can fully understand why they still shine today."

(end)