A landmark photography project
Take That were formed in Manchester in 1990 by musical impresario Nigel Martin Smith, with the band being built around the young singer-songwriter Gary Barlow from Cheshire. Auditions took place in Manchester and other surrounding cities, with Jason Orange from Manchester; Mark Owen from Oldham; Robbie Williams from Stoke on Trent and Howard Donald from Manchester completing the line up. Nine studio albums and four decades later, the band (now a 3-piece) are still selling out tours and boast one of the most loyal fan-bases in the business.
Take That in the early 90s (Getty Images)
We hoped to photograph Take That for the project around the time of their record breaking, eight sell out dates at the Manchester Arena in May 2017, but the subsequent terror attack meant the band had to cancel their final three dates. Consequently, later in the year, Take That's manager Jonathan Wild offered one of our students the opportunity to photograph the band on the red carpet at the opening of the Take That musical 'The Band' at the Manchester Opera House.
Manchester Opera House
Photography by Katie O'Neill
THE SHOOT: Manchester Opera House
The premiere of 'The Band' - Take That the musical
Year 2 student Katie O'Neill enthusiastically stepped up to the press pack challenge. With newspaper and press agency photographers to the left and right and a marauding mob of screaming fans to the rear. Katie more than held her own in a fiercely competitive environment.
Student reflection: Katie O'Neill
"Photographing Take That on the red carpet , was a totally new experience for me. The atmosphere was very competitive with the press and freelance photographers in front and to the sides of me and the fans to the rear. Most of the evening was spent fighting to keep my spot, whilst trying to get good photos. I enjoyed the experience and the atmosphere, it allowed me an insight into a different area of photography - one that’s more competitive than others. I wouldn’t hesitate to do something like this again."
