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U2 in Liverpool

After lying untouched for a quarter of a century a collection of photographs that providing a unique snapshot of Liverpool's music scene and nightlife at one of its most creative times are to go on display.

The images from the late 1970's and early 1980's were taken by local photographer Francesco Mellina and include pictures of the legendary nightclub Eric's.

Stadium filling artists including U2, Mick Hucknall and New Order are all captured on the cusp of fame playing in tiny venues.

Liverpool's incestuous music community of the early 1980's are all pictured from Echo and the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes to Pete Wylie and Pete Burns.

Love of Liverpool

Francesco Mellina had started taking photographs of bands he liked purely for his own enjoyment.

He soon realised there was an opportunity to sell some of the pictures and started submitting them on a freelance basis to The Face, NME and Melody Maker.

"That gave me access to go in to Eric's, as well as the other clubs," says Francesco.

Pete Burns

"I was already frequenting Eric's even before I was doing the photographs.

"Nobody owned a camera like I had, it put me at a great advantage, I think people thought I was bigger than I actually was so allowed me entry.

"I could go anywhere, the bands were not huge bands, they were just unknown, so I had access backstage too."

Francesco kept the original uncatalogued negatives and prints in boxes for many years and only recently looked through them again.

The images cover bands playing at Eric's, The Royal Court, Pickwicks and Brady's as well as pictures of the groups in the streets and parks of Liverpool.

Originally from Italy, it was music that first attracted Francesco to Liverpool, "One of the reasons I came to Liverpool to begin with was because of my love of music.

"For a boy from a small town in Italy The Beatles influence on me was huge.

"I discovered The Beatles and then I loved everything about Liverpool."

Francesco was a regular on Liverpool's gigging scene and caught many bands before they became famous.

Photographing on film in a time before digital cameras he was limited by cost to what he could take and says there are groups he regrets not having captured,

The early days of New Order

"Sometimes I would miss the support act and in hindsight you kick yourself

"It wasn't cheap, I was struggling to make ends meet as it was and so for me buying and developing the film was costly.

"I was taking a chance because working as a freelance the magazine only paid me when they published the pictures."

A set of Francesco's photographs includes U2 playing as the third act on the bill in support of Pete Wylie's Wah! Heat and Jayne Casey's Pink Military.

"When I tell people that nobody believes me," Francesco recalls.

"Having the photographic evidence its so amazing because it's undeniable.

"I just thought they looked and sounded good, particularly the passion Bono showed on stage.

Killing Joke at Eric's

"Even though I didn't know much about them I took the photos and I'm glad I did because its a historic moment."

Legendary club

Taking centre stage in many of Francesco's photographs is the legendary club Eric's which was on Mathew Street from 1976 to 1980.

The club was a breeding ground for many of the Liverpool musicians of the 1980's including Holly Johnson, Ian Broudie, Ian McCulloch, Julian Cope and Pete Wylie "It was exciting," says Francesco.

"I remember one weekend on the Thursday it was Talking Heads, on Friday The Clash and Saturday The Stranglers.

"Unbelievable.

"It wasn't the most salubrious place on earth but it was vibrant and filled with a lot of artistic ability.

"There was a whole spectrum of people who frequented the place who went on to become artists in their chosen field."

Eric's is to feature in a new musical being staged at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre from 19 September and some of Francesco's shots will be featured in the promotional material.

A wider selection of the photographs will form an exhibition at the Conservation Centre in Liverpool in May 2009.

Francesco says he's thrilled by the attention the photographs have attracted, particularly as many of them he hadn't really seen himself, "After some time I gave up photography on that level, I hadn't seen all the photos because I couldn't print every one.

"In those days that would have been the only way of seeing the actual pictures."

Re-discovering the pictures, particularly at a time of renewed interest in Eric's has brought back a lot of memories for Francesco, "It's amazing that of all the years it should be this year."