The photographer Dimitris Mylonas talks with Thanasis Minas about the photo album "The Last Drive: Overloaded" which is released in a simple but also in a collector's edition of 300 copies by Oxy publications.
INTERVIEW FOR IT AVOPOLIS NETWORK
Top rock 'n' roll photographers want to dive into the scene to capture the music itself and convey to us the unique gift that music has to touch the soul. This is what he tries to do with the photos of Last Drive The Dimitris Mylonas for the last four decades; he follows musicians with his lenses from the first notes to the sweaty encores, capturing them in their most human moments, backstage or in small vans on the road.
The photos of the album "The Last Drive: Overloaded” condense the above experiences, filtering them through the lenses of empathy. Since 1991, Dimitris Mylonas has followed in the footsteps of Last Drive as the permanent photographer in their musical performances, in studios and tours as well as in the photo shoots for the promotion of their albums. "Forty years, seven studio albums, dozens of releases, participations and collaborations, hundreds of concerts, thousands of friends-fans-fellow travelers and a restless energy that spreads non-stop. The Last Drive phenomenon makes its appearance periodically but mischievously - and it could not be otherwise, since its course is destined to be directed against all forms of complacency and complacency».
When the lights come on and the smoke clears, his photos remain as iconic moments that really distill all that rock 'n' roll noise, energy and passion into one frame.
Let's start with music-related photography. I would like you to describe to us the experience of the first hearing of Last Drive and combined, how you sensed the possible connection to your photographic art. The interaction.
Listening to Midnite Hop and then Underworld Shakedown I felt something great was happening. On a second reading, I identify with and am moved by their aesthetics, the artwork and the references to noir-garage, Andy Warhol, PK Dick, Ran Xerox, The Cramps, etc.
At the same time, I have already started photographing with an emphasis on street photography and portraits. My love for the band and my need to see their form in my frames pushes me in 1987 (among others live) to the Madd Club where I photograph them.
Connection is instinctive and comes freely. These precious negatives give my file another pulse.
How did you meet the band members? Where do you place the starting point of your cooperation? It was the Blood Nirvana the most "defining" moment?
Yes, chronologically this happened. In 1991, after their tour in Germany with Dead Moon, they performed live in Lycabettus. I feel the need to meet. This is how we talk to Christos and Alexis, I tell them how much I am interested in them and that a collaboration would be a dream. Later on in other live I start giving them some photos. They get excited and we collaborate on their next record in 1992. We do for it Fuckhead Entropy promo pics in the studio and the disc hosts my photos. Big times!
As a professional photographer, you've dabbled in a variety of interests project, several of which unfolded on the road. Would you say that the Drive was it a choice, a direction in your life?
Films, the darkroom and the camera bring me close to the people I want to meet. It is my vehicle, my way of communication.. The whole decade of the 90s in particular, but also those that followed, became a milestone for my continuous engagement with the independent scene.
The socio-political positions and ideas of this space also define my own identification... I feel that we speak the same language. So I consciously choose them. And this choice created parallel courses.
Besides music, what other elements did you feel connected you? Possibly comics, science fiction, generally his 'secretariat underground» :
When we first hung out, we exchanged video tapes like Eraserhead by D.Lynch, Bettie Page, b-movies, horror movies as well as books by Jules Verne, HGWells, Norman Spinrad, PK Dick etc. Of course there was no shortage of comics and our love for skate. There was a strong thirst for research that still continues, so we constantly expanded our horizons in many fields of "education" culture and subculture. We are always characterized by a common trait, that of information and detail regarding our common interests. Cinema worship, late night screenings and lots of music. Over time we add new knowledge that we share, this is our "arsenal".
In what ways did the image of the band itself "challenge" you as a photographer?
Their music initially makes me want to photograph them. This is how I see my world photographed. Robert Frank used to say "The eye should learn to listen before it looks". The emotion and the photographic instinct dictates every moment of taking the photos. Of course they also impress me as figures and I am always intrigued by photographing them.
However, I imagine you never imagined yourself as a "portrait photographer".
I realized early on that I am an anthropocentric photographer with very few exceptions. Portraits have always moved me. Works of great photographers such as Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorp, W. Klein, Nikos Markos and R. Frank influenced me decisively.
Cinema has also had and still has a great influence on my work.
So the narrative and my need to be very close to the world defined my "idiom" early on.
The work of the photographer Nikos Markos with the theme of Perama and later Gazi was also a defining moment for me as an inspiration and as a direction.
Would you like to mention some of their concerts or moments from their concerts that have made an indelible impression on you?
In 1986 in Kyttaros with the Watermelon Men they jammed with M.Blood of the Lime Spiders. In 1987, at the Madd Club, I shot the first film. In 1990 in Geoponiki with Villa 21. Live acquaintance in 1991 in Lycabettus with Cosmic Teds and skate show.
In 1992, at the live shows at AN Club with Dead Moon, I met them and we took some photos together on Lycabettus Hill. In 1993 also came the Fleshtones, with whom we hung out intensively and I photographed them "set up" under the Acropolis.
In 1994 in "Berlin" the first unplugged performance of the band takes place.
In 2007 we have the reunion. With this as an occasion I am holding a retrospective exhibition at BAVEL lasting 1.5 months with 57 printed photos of mine which was a great success.
In 2008 the Time Is Not Important with my own cover for the first time. In 2009 and 2010 Heavy Liquid in Gagarin and Kyttaros.
In 2013 the legendary celebratory 30 YEAR (A)LIVE where I had the honor to go on stage with them participating with backing vocals on “Gimme Shelter”. In 2014 in Arta. In 2016 we have the magic unplugged in Ilion and Triano. All this and much more off camera.
Let's see here in detail the material of the album. What are the oldest and newest photos and where were they taken? By what criteria did you make the selection from your inexhaustible archive?
The book is set in time periods. It starts from 1987 to 1994. It continues from the reunion to 2013 and reaches the period when Stefanos Flotsios (guitar) joins the band. We dedicate a big piece to the celebratory 30 YEAR (A)LIVE "turning a blind eye" to a large part of the independent scene, old and new, such as D. Poulikakos – Spyropoulos Brothers – Deus Ex Machina-Rockin Bones, M. Dalidis, Nightstalker, Nonmandol et al. including archival material from the rehearsals for the live. Then there is Unplugged in 2016 with an emphasis on the guests Yiagos Hairetis, Nikos Kentzeas, Fotis Siotas, Angelos Kottas and Kostas Chrysogelos. In 2017 with material from the recording studio of the album of the same name The Last Drive. In 2018 from Fuzz where the cover of the book appeared and finally in 2019 at An Club and Niarchos where their last live show took place until today.
Instinctively the book was set up this way seeing that it was impossible to include more files. I think it was set up better that way. The texts included are also very important and many thanks to everyone who participated.
Do you think that, to a certain extent, these photos follow/reflect the musical development of the band? Are there distinct sections?
This is the aim of the book. Story of our parallel paths through time. The collective work determines the timeline of the book, on stage, back stage, rehearsals, studio.
You have said in a previous interview that "I may be focusing on Drive, but I also want the "shadows" and "reflections". I want to follow the phase no matter what. Follow blind, one thing." What do you mean by this shape?
After the breakup of the band in 1994-1995, Giorgos Karanikolas continued with Blackmail (BLML) and a little later, Earthbound was formed in 1997, by Alexis Kalofolias, Thanos Amorginos and select collaborators. Christos Michalatos made Speedballs. I made sure to get involved photographically with all three shapes again. I was the official photographer for Earthbound. This is what I mean by "shadows and reflections". More or less with the same people who, in addition to being partners, are "companions" and friends. So all side projects are very interesting.
I want to stick to the shadows. I'd say you're a fan of black and white. Even your color films bring out the noir feel. Sort of like his original outfit Spiderman, which is also the unofficial one logo of the band..
"Photography is a fossil of light and memory» Daido Moriyama.
I "weave" at the same time the eulogy of light and shadow. I get involved emotionally with my subject as well as creatively and that's how any "images" emerge.
Photographs are of course of great importance in their own right, whether artistically or as documents. But there are times when you think that all that you have experienced off camera Are they more valuable than any photo?
This applies to all the projects I have done. You are not wrong. Drive is a family by choice and a source of creativity and inspiration. I believe that all these years we have lived incredible moments. We shared dreams, friendship, ambitions and we were who we wanted to be because that's what we chose. Nothing is given to you. Hard work and dedication pervade DRIVE's work as it does mine.
The off camera moments are valuable because they build the environment you study to reach the desired level of performance of the photo you capture.
I also feel proud that we all shared so much together as a team.
In what different ways do you approach photo shoots in live from the counterparts in the studio? Would you like to give us examples?
These are two completely different approaches. In the live performances I try to capture the atmosphere of the evening with an emphasis on the moment of musical climax that also triggers my own inspiration.
In the studio I create staged images inspired by the band's music having first studied what they have written in the studio. This gives me the inclination for a particular way of approach that underlines the atmosphere of each album.
You have worked systematically with others ROCK bands- Nightstalker, Honeydive, Blackmail, Terminal Curve, Deus Ex Machina etc. How did you try and manage to bring out the special characteristics of each of them?
Their sound world is my guide. I convert sound to image. This is my basic principle.
I would like to mention some of his famous photographers rock 'n' roll and tell me if and to what extent you have been influenced by some: Penny Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Barry Wentzell, Lex van Rossen, Al Wertheimer, Bob Gruen, Kevin Cummins, Anton Corbijn, Kate Simon, Dennis Morris.
My source of inspiration is more classic photographers such as Dennis Hopper, Robert Mapplethorpe, William Klein, Richard Avedon, Robert Frank, Nikos Markou, etc. Knowledge of the rest came later without necessarily digesting their work. I also really appreciate the work of Anton Corbijn, the work of Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, David Godlis, Mick Rock and Diane Arbus.
More broadly, you have been influenced by the documentary style of photographers such as Henri Cartier–Bresson or o Robert Kappa;
Undeniably. May I also mention the beloved Patricio Guzman, Josef Koudelka, Wim Wenders and Giannis Misouridis.
What else are you up to these days?
In recent years I have been developing a new project called "Free Wheeling" which includes portraits of bikers with some details of their machines or their equipment using the idiotype method.
Beyond the Overloaded, what is your favorite of their tracks?
Here I am given the opportunity to clarify that the title of the book does not refer to my favorite part. This title contains my permeation of all the band's work but at the same time indicates an overflow of indignation at the socio-political reality.
After all, you would say that the Drive is it your amp?
I have already said it and I emphasize it.
Interview of D. Mylonas in Thanasis Mina about Avopolis
source: https://www.avopolis.gr/articles/vivlio/81456-overloaded-last-drive
The album The Last Drive – Overloaded is released by Oxy Publications plain paperback edition, and to collector's edition hardcover 300 copies with art binding, including a poster from the band's first concerts and a photo signed by the band members.
Click for the simple one➡️
⬅ and for collecting
