Tony Mott | Long Play Series

Rock ‘n’ roll photographer Tony Mott has captured the Australian music scene for over 40 years. His name is synonymous with arresting black and white live shots and portraiture, and his work has appeared on the covers of hundreds of albums, posters, and magazines.

Born in Sheffield, England, Mott first arrived in Sydney in 1976 and settled permanently there in 1981. Enamoured with the city’s vibrant live music scene, he honed his fledging skills by photographing the Divinyls during their Monday-night residency at the Piccadilly Hotel. This hobby became a paid gig when the band used one of his photographs on a tour poster.

From then, Mott’s work made it to the front cover of almost every music magazine in Australia including On the Street, JUKE, Juice, RAM, and Rolling Stone. His career hit international heights with his first portrait featuring the Eurythmics, then in 1988 photographing Mick Jagger during his Australian tour promoting his first solo album, She’s the Boss (1985).

In the 1990s, Mott became the official photographer of Australia’s biggest music festival, Big Day Out, never missing a festival. Mott has captured the essence of local artists both on stage and behind-the-scenes including INXS, Midnight Oil, Silverchair, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, and Amyl and the Sniffers. Mott’s international portfolio includes Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John, Prince, Whitney Houston, Björk, and Nirvana.

In this interview, Mott discusses his big break shooting Chrissy Amphlett of the Divinyls, his experience photographing Queen at Freddy Mercury’s last performance and the extravagant after-party that followed, and his reflections on touring across Australia with Paul McCartney.

Interviewer: Jane Gazzo
Location: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 2024