Unveiled: Dave Rowntree’s Photo Book Captures Hundreds of Early Blur Moments!

Damon Albarn, the vocalist of Blur, captured from every angle, the four band members holding a pint at the local pub, deep in conversation inside a car, or smiling for the camera across the globe… These are just a few of the private moments that Dave Rowntree reveals through the photographs in his book, No One You Know: Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos.

Edited by Miranda Sawyer, this more than 200-page book gives readers a peek behind the scenes of a band in its formative years, captured on the musician’s Olympus OM-10 camera.

“Snapshots of Life as We Lived It”

These photographs compile an assortment of everyday life moments of a group of friends. “The photos I took depict the band in its very early stages. They reveal what we were up to between gigs, interviews, or photo sessions. You can see us hanging out together, relaxing, traveling, eating… and particularly in the early days, drinking,” he shares. “These are snapshots of life as we truly lived it, away from the cameras and microphones. Naturally, you don’t see much of the band working because if they were busy, so was I. This book shows everything else.”

Dave Rowntree joined Blur in early 1988, just a few months before Alex James, the band’s bassist, came on board. Since then, Rowntree has ventured into politics, broadcasting, and film music. He is now releasing this series of forgotten, then accidentally rediscovered snapshots.

Find this book at newsstands starting September 9th or pre-order it now from Diggers Factory.

No One You Know: Dave Rowntree’s Early Blur Photos (Hero/Legend Times), 250 pages, €48.99. Available on September 9 at Diggers Factory.