Book Review: The Station
The Station, 2016 © Chris Killip published by Steidl www.steidl.de
The Station is an anarcho-punk photo book, capturing scenes at a club in Gateshead, Northern England. Chris Killip, who was photographing nightlife in the area, came across The Gateshead Music Collective: an old police social club turned new wave punk venue. Their original space, The Garage, was founded by local punk bands Total Chaos, The Model Workers, and others in the area.
When it was threatened with foreclosure, club-goers lobbied to find a permanent space. This club was different from the others. Killip was captivated by this communal punk-run venue, and made it the sole focus of his project. Killip’s son stumbled upon a box of contact sheets 40 years later, only to discover it was full of music scene mementos. Like individual chain links on a punk necklace, this book strings pictures together to create a dynamic look at an explosive punk scene.
The Station, 2016 © Chris Killip published by Steidl www.steidl.de
“1985 wasn’t a great time in Gateshead. It was after the miners’ strike and a lot of the punks at The Station were unemployed,” writes Killip. “This place, run as a very inclusive collective, was part of their identity in the way it affirmed their self-worth.” Mining families went on strike to protest unsafe working conditions, relying on strike pay and buckets of donated money to feed their children. In a social climate such as this, many English kids turned to the punk scene, struggling to find a sense of belonging amidst corruption, capitalism, and institutional changes. These images are more than boys banging their heads to loud music. They capture a generation coping with economic disparity through their own punk utopia, a place where self-expression could flourish.
The Station, 2016 © Chris Killip published by Steidl www.steidl.de
“I was amazed by the energy and feel of the place. It was totally different; run for and by the people who went there.”
The photos act almost like one ongoing, moving image. They are similar in energy, showing live action shots of mosh pits and people dancing. Everyone is dressed in late 80s early 90s punk fashion, from spiked hair, to dog collars, leather bracelets and DIY studded jackets. One photo shows a performer encased in a fishnet body suit, completely naked underneath, and he screams. A particular highlight in this book are the faces Killip was able to capture: ethereal expressions, eyes wide with relief as they escape from reality. In this book, the joy of self-expression and escapism are quite literally plastered across their faces. All the energy of a dance floor can be felt through the pages. I felt like I should be jumping along with them.
The Station, 2016 © Chris Killip published by Steidl www.steidl.de
“Nobody ever asked me where I was from or even who I was. A 39 year old with cropped white hair who always wore a suit, as the jacket had pockets stitched inside of it to hold my 4 x 5” slides.”
The Station was a non-judgmental space. Killip describes how he was completely invisible at the club, in a good way. No one noticed the 39 year-old with white hair in a suit, or asked who he was or why he was there. He could wear his custom tailored jacket with a 4 x 5” pocket for his slides, and blend in with a crowd of people that always try to stand out. Picturing a suited up Killip amongst the sweaty bodies, clad with silver chains and ripped shirts, brings a smile to my face. It was a space where two different types of people could converge, all in the name of individualism and anarcho-punk screaming.
The Station, 2016 © Chris Killip published by Steidl www.steidl.de
You can purchase The Station, published by Steidl, here.
