"In 1990, I was commissioned by People magazine to photograph the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So I was sent to San Francisco to spend a day with them. And we had a pretty fun time. I had never really heard their music. I didn't know her at all. I shot the concert. But before they went on stage, we spent about 20 minutes taking group photos. And these guys started freaking out in front of my camera, grimacing, and going completely crazy without me having to. It really makes my job as a photographer easier when a band behaves like that. But they were completely out of control.

Years later, lead singer Antony Keith saw this recording in a gallery at an exhibition I had in Los Angeles.

And he pulled aside and said, "Neal, I don't remember that photo being taken at all." And I told him I didn't either......" - NEAL

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The Story behind the Picture – by Neal Preston



Neal Preston - Exhilarated and Exhausted

BOOK TIP

Neal Preston is one of the greatest rock photographers of all time. "Exhilarated and Exhausted" is an unrestricted retrospective of his 40-year career. This was produced in collaboration with Neal and is the first time he has granted unrestricted access to his legendary archive – it is considered one of the most important and extensive photo collections in the music industry. This extraordinary band is a who's who of rock kings.

Neal has been the official tour photographer for Led Zeppelin, Queen, Bruce Springsteen and The Who, and has also photographed extensively the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson and many more.

The book includes his portraits, backstage moments, live performances, post-performance highs and lows, and outtakes. Neal's photographs vibrate with a palpable and inimitable intensity. Neal is a true insider, and the images are brought to life by his liner text – a stunning insight into life as a rock 'n' roll photographer on tour.