A mind warper in action © Greg Gregori

Hi all

just came across your awesome web site while researching Reading Rock Festival 1987.

I was fortunate enough to be invited along on the Sunday by a very good mate and a close member of Alice Cooper's crew, who not only was kind enough to get me in on a backstage pass but also a press pass to boot!

As a keen amateur photographer the prospect of having full access to the photo pit for the day was the icing on the cake and so arrived ready and armed with my Olympus OM10 camera and five rolls of film.

We arrived some time in the afternoon and as I recall just before Zodiac Mindwarp were due to play.

The atmosphere back stage was pretty relaxed and sedated with hospitality tents and a bar or two laid on.

Out front of stage were an army of hardened heavy rock fans standing a thousand deep ready and waiting for their next head banging instalment courtesy of ZM.

I made my way to the pit, photo pass hanging from my neck like some magic pendant casting burly security men aside with no questions asked.

Enter ZM, the crowd rushes forward up against the barriers screaming, there must be a few bruised if not broken ribs here today.

I look up just over my shoulder and see plastic bottles of god knows what and empty beer cans flying pass my head, health and safety is pretty much non-existent, this is heavy metal mayhem and the only thing between me and the crowd is the barrier and ZM, yes we are ready to rock.

ZM gave a blistering performance and I remember a lot of dry ice being used for a smoke effect during their set, this played havoc with my ability to focus my camera on any shots worth while, but I did manage to shoot a whole roll of film during their performance.

Greg Gregori

© Greg Gregori