‘Subject: Punk’ is a snapshot of the SoCal punk scene over the a long time

Maggie St. Thomas had an uncommon childhood that led to a lifetime of documenting uncommon moments in punk rock historical past.

As a 6-year-old, St. Thomas used to exit on faculty nights and hang around at seedy music venues along with her dad to look at bands like Motörhead and TSOL. In 1991, when she was in sixth grade, she casually picked up a digicam to shoot a political rally at Los Angeles City Hall, the place L7 and Red Hot Chili Peppers had been performing. St. Thomas says that is the second she found her ardour for images, and over the following few a long time, her life grew to become consumed by punk rock exhibits and movie rolls.

The SoCal native went on to shoot revered acts just like the Ramones, Johnny Thunders, and Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, capturing many non-public moments with musicians off stage too. St. Thomas has compiled these and numerous extra photos in her newest e-book, “Subject: Punk,” a set and chronicle of her punk rock images from the ‘90s to the present. The book, which published its second edition in October, also includes music journalism narratives and past interviews that the punk rock photographer conducted with musicians like Wayne Kramer of MC5, Markie and Johnny Ramone of the Ramones, and many others.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Ramones at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine in 1995.

(Maggie St. Thomas)

Your latest book, “Subject: Punk,” captures your photography in the SoCal punk scene from the ‘90s to present day. Despite all the great bands you were capturing in the early ‘90s, your dream was to ultimately shoot the Ramones. What did that moment mean to you when it finally happened?

When it finally happened, it was June 17, 1995. I’ll always remember that day. I nonetheless have the T-shirt that they signed, I haven’t washed it, and I’ve solely worn it on a pair particular events since. It was the whole lot to me — seeing the Ramones at a really early age, watching “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” on TV. I bear in mind my dad saying, “Make sure you’re in before the streetlights come on because ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll High School’ is going to be on.” I had no thought what to anticipate, I bear in mind watching it and I used to be similar to, “Oh, my gosh, these guys are incredible,” so it was the whole lot to me, completely. When I photographed the Ramones, Rage Against the Machine, Hole, White Zombie and Sublime had been on the identical invoice. It was big. During the Ramones’ set, I assumed, “OK, I can die happy now, I did what I wanted to do in life.” I selected to have a look at it like a calling and pursue it. I’m so grateful I’m nonetheless right here — I’ve lived so many lives since 1995.

You ultimately grew to become near Arturo Vega, the Mexican graphic designer and artist who created the Ramones’ iconic emblem and who is thought by followers as “the fifth Ramone.” What was your relationship like, and the way did he assist your work?

Arturo Vega was unbelievable, so supportive, and he did a lot. He helped me get this one interview with Johnny Ramone. Johnny didn’t discuss to many individuals, he was a person of few phrases, and the actual fact I obtained an interview, I used to be similar to, “Whoa.” Arturo did a lot, and I bear in mind he would say, ‘You gotta put a book out,’ and this was early on. I obtained a quote from him in 2001 about my work with the Ramones, he stated some wonderful phrases, I nonetheless have the e-mail that he wrote, and he was all the time nice. When I used to be in New York in his loft photographing him, CJ Ramone got here in whereas Arturo was exhibiting Ramones art work to me and sharing totally different tales that occurred, for instance, he would level on the flooring and say, “Over there — that’s the stain where Dee Dee burned it with candles.” He was a wealth of a lot historical past and I actually, actually admired him. He noticed them as greater than only a band; they had been an artwork, a murals. I imply, thank God for Arturo Vega.

A crowd surfer on the now-closed Showcase Theatre in Corona 1996.

(Maggie St. Thomas)

Your e-book describes how fascinating your childhood was. While different youngsters had been having bedtime tales learn to them at night time, you had been at music venues along with your dad watching acts like Motörhead, Johnny Thunders and TSOL. How instrumental was your dad in cultivating your ardour for music and sparking your work as a photographer?

Extremely. I went in every single place with him, and it was a distinct childhood, I’ll say that. And the factor is, if you’re a child and you might be introduced up a sure approach, I figured everyone did that till I noticed they didn’t. It was a really totally different life from what most children had been dwelling. I bear in mind once I noticed Lemmy Kilmister in 2006, whereas we had been doing a portrait that will be featured within the e-book. I shared with him that I noticed Motörhead in live performance once I was 6 years previous. Lemmy gave me a thumbs up and stated, “That’s true rock ‘n’ roll.”

The day that the whole lot clicked — it occurred at a really early age, and I’m so grateful for that. Sixth grade, I ditched faculty that day and I went with my dad. He was going to doc some L.A. present; that’s all I knew. I simply didn’t wish to go to highschool and I went with him in his 1984 El Camino, and we went to L.A. City Hall for a rally. The Red Hot Chili Peppers performed, L7 performed, I used to be proper up entrance, you couldn’t get any nearer, and I had an 8-millimeter digicam. My dad was filming, documenting the occasion, and I used to be only a sixth-grader, bright-eyed like, wow. That was such an unbelievable second, wanting behind me and seeing hundreds of individuals after which there I’m. How can faculty examine with that?

After this huge second, this realization that this was your calling, who had been a few of the first bands that you simply began capturing?

Well, shortly after in 1992, I photographed Dr. Timothy Leary with my dad at Chapman University, after which in 1993 I began capturing on the Hong Kong Cafe [in L.A.] these anarchy, crustcore punk bands. Other bands I used to be capturing at Hong Kong Cafe included MDC and Total Chaos.

Maggie St. Thomas

(Courtesy of Maggie St. Thomas)

What was it like for you as a girl capturing bands within the ‘90s, when concert photography was much more male-dominated than it is today?

It still is very much well-dominated by men today. It’s a person’s world regardless of the way you slice it, and being a girl within the area — I’m positive as you possibly can relate — there are challenges. It was tough then and it nonetheless is tough in some methods. In my experiences, I’ve discovered that ladies oftentimes should work tougher than males to be taken critically, not simply in images, however in any career.

What recommendation do you have got for different ladies who wish to get into this and navigate this atmosphere to do live performance images?

You’ve obtained to have thick pores and skin, you’ve obtained to actually be decided, and also you’ve obtained to imagine in your self. I didn’t have prestigious faculties behind me. When I obtained into this, I used to be studying as I went, and this was the time of movie, which is rather more unforgiving than digital. I’ve so many rolls of movie the place there’s stills of blurs and below exposures, and overexposed footage, however I stored on capturing. You’ve obtained to actually imagine in your self, even when it’s solely you, as a result of it’s nice when you have got an viewers and the assist of individuals applauding you telling you the way nice you might be, however that isn’t all the time there, and that isn’t the way you develop. So, you’ve obtained to actually imagine in your self and all the time hold transferring ahead.

X performs at Pacific Amphitheatre in 2024.

(Maggie St. Thomas)

“Subject: Punk” chronicles the evolution of the SoCal punk scene by means of the a long time, however how is that this e-book greater than only a assortment of images, and what does it symbolize to you?

To me it represents coronary heart and soul. This e-book wasn’t simple to place collectively in any respect. I had quite a bit going towards me, however I additionally had plenty of assist from some fairly wonderful folks. The artists who’re featured on the duvet are artists who completely supported me by means of this: Exene Cervenka of X, Lou Koller of Sick of It All, Corey Parks, she performed with Die’ Hunns and Nashville Pussy, Gina Volpe of the Lunachicks, and, after all, the spirit of the best band ever, the Ramones. I put the whole lot into this e-book — it’s coronary heart, it’s soul, it’s tears, it’s sweat. “Subject: Punk” isn’t any bulls—, man.

What’s your favourite {photograph} within the e-book?

Every {photograph} I’ve captured of the Ramones will all the time be my favourite, however there are such a lot of others. I have a look at the images on the pages, a few of which had been taken three a long time in the past. That’s a part of my youth, what I did rising up, and I’m nonetheless alive, I’m nonetheless right here. There’s lots of people on this e-book that aren’t [alive anymore], and that’s one thing I by no means take without any consideration, to be alive, and to expertise and see a few of the fruits of my labor. I’m so extremely grateful to be speaking to you proper now — that’s the best present. I have a look at this e-book like, “Wow, I did it. I actually put this book together.” That quote from Arturo Vega from greater than twenty years in the past is true the place it’s meant to be — within the e-book he all the time advised me I ought to put out — so right here it’s.

“Subject: Punk” e-book cowl

(Courtesy of Maggie St. Thomas)

Other than the Ramones gig, what was essentially the most memorable present or band you’ve ever shot?

When my mother handed away — because of this I imagine in increased powers and know there’s one thing better than us — I went and noticed Etta James. I introduced my digicam with me, and one way or the other obtained a photograph go so I may deliver my digicam in. After photographing her unbelievable reside present, I maneuvered my approach backstage the place she had like 20 guards round her, and I grew to become invisible and obtained proper as much as her and handed her {a magazine} with my photograph work on the duvet — of Lee Rocker and Kitten de Ville. She stated, “Oh, wow, is this for me?” and I used to be thrilled that she needed to maintain it. “Absolutely, Miss Etta James, it is,” I responded, and we had this actual cool dialog, and I snapped some footage of her holding my journal. So a lot of these cases have been so magical the place it’s like, how else do you clarify that? How may I get previous all of these safety folks by myself? There needs to be one thing better than us, ?

What is the final word message you hope folks come away with after studying and seeing your work on this e-book?

My message is that I hope that individuals by no means cease making an attempt they usually all the time imagine in themselves. Life can get actually exhausting, and it oftentimes does, and also you overlook about these treasured moments, these snapshots of life that turn into our little forevers that we maintain pricey and cherish. When I have a look at the e-book, I get blown away, I get very emotional generally as a result of I’m like, “Damn, what a life this person lived” after which I notice, “Hey, this is my life, wow” — it simply hits me totally different generally. Who would have recognized these images I started taking as a youngster can be in a e-book on a whole tradition? Whatever you do, no matter you wish to be, simply do it, as a result of you possibly can. There’s a magic in all of us, and you must imagine in that magic. You don’t ever wish to lose it. So that’s what I hope anybody would get from the e-book.