SWAY had taken some naked photos previously and they tweeted the pictures to me to ask what I thought. I came up with the ideas as we went along, it was all very spontaneous. All they knew was that they wanted to do something where they were naked and the Samurai sword was involved.
Generally we sent cards to people who had bad Manchester experiences just to let them know that it is in fact good again really! Myself and a character called Atrocity Boy who writes a blog — he writes reviews of gigs and I take the photos — have been working together quite closely recently shooting the local Manchester scene.
Paris was organised by a friend, film producer Michael H Shamberg, he connected lots of people together and so we put on the exhibition for a charity that Michael had set up. And with the Arlon exhibition, the organisers contacted me and I loved my initial ideas. I had pictures of the band Elbow with armchairs on their heads. They are the work of Manchester photographer Natalie Curtis, who is not only famed for her striking photos but as the daughter of legendary Joy Division singer Ian Curtis.
Sways Stills, a collection of black and white photographs documenting a night in the life of Salford-based Sways Records, are the current exhibits in the light boxes studding the backdrop of the Metro station.
Natalie took the photos while staying in a Chorlton flat with friends from the independent record label. The Sways Stills exhibition came about when Natalie was approached by creative events agency The Hamilton Project, who manage the light boxes on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester. She has a close relationship with Sways Records after working with Macclesfield rock band Marion during their brief reunion in and They recruited me Mormon style and did in fact save me as prior to that I was seriously considering leaving Manchester.
