Harry Pater is a Dutch photographer who has been taking photos at rock concerts since the early 1970s. In his long career, Harry has had the opportunity to photograph hundreds of musicians, including Rory. In 1989, Harry established his own rock magazine Noize with friend Henry Knegt. Through this work, he interviewed many emerging bands, such as Quireboys and Little Angels, as well as well-known bands like Black Sabbath, Europe and Metallica. Between 2000 and 2002, Harry worked as editor for Music Maker. He remains a regular contributor to Dutch music magazines and websites, most recently working for BluestownMusic.nl writing album reviews. I caught up with Harry recently to discuss his encounters with Rory over the years. My interview is published in full below.

1. Can you provide us with a general overview of your career in the music industry/ music photography?

For a quite detailed version, please check out my website and click on this link: https://harrypater.nl/wie-ben-ik/  It’s in the Dutch language, but when you scroll down to the TRANSLATE button on the left side of every page, it’ll be translated in English. I once started taking photos at concerts and festivals more professionally for NOIZE Rockmagazine, in 2001, I started as editor at Holland’s oldest and still best musician’s magazine Music Maker; I still work for this magazine, now named Musicmaker. Then I became involved in glossy music magazine Revolver, which was renamed Lust For Life and I did write and photograph mainly concert- and festival reviews and I also do and did the same for several music-related websites, including www.bluesmagazine.nl, www.bluestownmusic.nl, http://www.livestreammusic.nl and others.

2. Were you a fan of Rory prior to photographing him? If so, when did you discover his music?

Yes I was a Rory fan before I saw him performing live, on April 1, 1978 at the IJsselhal in Zwolle, The Netherlands. Then I didn’t have the right equipment, but managed to smuggle my camera into the venue. I made some 40 color slides, but unfortunately not the quality I would have wanted because 400 ISO was the ultimate… I knew him and his music and bought the Live In Europe album after having heard some of the songs on it, especially Going To My Home Town. Since I didn’t have a driver’s licence and no car then, I couldn’t see him performing earlier. Luckily, because I lived close to the German border, I could watch the famous Rockpalast Nacht concerts on German TV station NDR3 and when Rory was the opener of the first Rockpalast Nacht on 23.07.1977 I became totally hooked on him as performer. Luckily I wasn’t the only one in my group of friends, so with 2 other friends (1 one of them did have a car) we went to see Rory in Zwolle. That was a superb concert, just as we expected it to be since that first Rockpalast concert and the live-albums.

3. How many times did you see Rory live/photograph him throughout his career? Please can you share any memories you have of this.

In total, I saw Rory in concert twice, besides the Zwolle concert (see 2) at Aladin in Bremen, Germany on December 10th, 1992. Because my good friend Henry and me (we both were involved in a music magazine called NOIZE Rockmagazine since 1989) we had been to that venue several times before (and after) and we knew someone at the local promotor, we managed to get in for free, including a photo pass, for first 3 songs only. Because it was very crowdy it was quite difficult to make lots of great photos, but in hindsight I’m glad about the ones I did make. I’m hoping to get to scan Henry’s negatives soon. I’ll let you know about that, OK?

4. Did you get to meet Rory? If so, what are your lasting impressions?

Yes, I met him after the concert at Aladin in Bremen, Germany on December 10th, 1992. Henry had interviewed Rory by phone the day before the concert (I couldn’t do that because I was at my work and Henry had a day off). That interview will be published on my website soon. After the great concert we went to the backstage area, because Donal had told us to do so and after some 15 minutes Rory came there covered in a bathrobe. We had a short conversation, but it was more us talking than Rory than the other way around, because he had almost lost his voice. He seemed a very nice gentleman (but we already knew that from the Rockpalast concerts) and signed some items, including my copy of the Live In Europe lp. Then Donal took him to the dressing room and we had to leave, then a 2+ hours’ drive back home.

5. Apart from Rory, what other artists have you photographed?

Too many to mention… just check my website, there’s a huge list! But I can say that I have been lucky to have photographed and interviewed several of my favorite artists, bands and musicians. To name but a few: Brian May and Roger Taylor from Queen, Most members of Deep Purple including Ritchie Blackmore, John Fogerty and his former bandmates in CCR Doug Clifford and Stu Cook, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Dio, Motörhead, Jethro Tull, Procol Harum, Moody Blues, Queen+ Paul Rodgers, Queen+ Adam Lambert, U2 (twice!), Beth Hart, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, the Who, the Hollies, Crosby Stills Nash, Neil Young, Yes, Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Foreigner, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Eagles, Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band, Paul McCartney, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Crowes, Eric Clapton and Magna Carta (I’m the webmaster of their website since 2003 or so).

6. What would you say is the highlight of your career?

Interviewing and meeting Brian May, Ritchie Blackmore (and his wife Candice Night at Lumley Castle in England), Paul Rodgers, Beth Hart and finally meeting and becoming real friends with Dana Fuchs in 2008.

To find out more about Harry’s work, please check out his website https://harrypater.nl/

Here’s a selection of some of Harry’s other photos of Rory, taken at Bremen 1992: