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Music

Photographer Perou tells the stories

behind his striking images of Marilyn
Manson
With the release of a new collection of Perou’s photographs of metal star Marilyn Manson, the music photographer shares a selection of images
and explains the background of each

By Thomas Barrie
30 May 2020

Perou

Marilyn Manson is pretty much a hard rock and metal photographer’s dream
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subject and so Perou, the artist who has photographed him consistently on
tour, in public and for the press over the last 20 years, ought to be pretty happy
with himself. Over the years, the pair have built up something of a rapport,
which is documented this month in the cheerily titled Marilyn Manson By
Perou: 21 Years In Hell. Ahead of the book’s release, Perou has shared annotated
captions for some of the most compelling images of Manson, including stories
of accidental drug-addiction rumours, near-crushings by elephants in the
desert and LAPD helicopters tracking them after they let off explosives for a
shoot.  10 Things Pierce Brosnan Can't Live
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And as for what Manson himself has to say? “Just because you have a fucking
Instagram page does not make you Perou.” A ringing endorsement if ever there
was one – so read on.

Perou: [This is] from the first press session we shot in Amsterdam. Manson is
wearing one of my friend Whitaker Malem’s pieces. Every time I photographed
Marilyn Manson [over] more than 22 years, he was different, always evolving,
no repetition, never dull, and usually up for trying something creative and
unexpected.

This was from the first shoot and [the] first time I met Marilyn Manson in LA.
I was shooting an Easter cover for Time Out magazine. Prior to this, I’d been
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listening to [Manson’s cover of ] “Rock ‘N’ Roll Nigger” [by Patti Smith] as
loud as it would go, driving round London with the T-tops off my 1982 Culture
Transam. We talk about this first meeting in the book. He wasn’t what I was I'm sorry but: The Idol is good now
expecting. Maybe I wasn’t what he was expecting. Something clicked, though,
and it wasn’t just the shutter of my camera.
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Perou

This is from a press session in 2017, shot in the studio and pleasingly used as
huge banners for live shows. We’d shot another version of this on the roof of
Manson’s managers’ house in the Hollywood Hills and let rip with some black
smoke grenades. We were soon visited by an LAPD helicopter checking out
what we were doing. We had to hide the machine guns and wave politely.

Another press session in LA, 2003. We both love a good hat: my bowler comes
from Lock & Co on St James’s Street [in London], who made the first bowler
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hats. I don't know where Manson got this one. I’ve got a good story about
Grace Jones and one of my hats… for another time. Culture
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1996-98 AccuSoft Inc., All rights reserved

In 2007 we had a terrible shoot together. In fact, it was so bad, we didn't speak
to each other for a few years after it. These were shot in a gallery space Manson
had for a while in East Hollywood and he hated the pictures. Subsequently,
he's said these are some of his favourite pictures we’ve done; their reception at
the time was more to do with his state of mind and we talk at length about this
in the book.

See the Lonely Island song "Sax Man"…

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We talk about this trip to Moscow in the book too: such a nutty time. This is
Manson in Red Square. On this tour, we’d sometimes go off on our own for an
evening photo safari, with just his bouncer and a driver and take pictures
around whatever city we were in.

After having to bribe my way out of Moscow I promised myself never to return
to Russia and I haven't since. It’s a longer story: buy the book.

On set of the video for “mOBSCENE” in the Californian desert, 2003, just
before Manson narrowly avoided death by elephant. I’m wearing a flight suit
with a patch that reads “I like to watch”. I used to wear that suit a lot more
often, until I was sitting in the reception of Flaunt magazine and the UPS
delivery courier moved in a little too close and whispered, "I like to be
watched.”

HyperFocal: 0

This was from the album artwork shoot for Heaven Upside Down. I broke my
knee skiing in France a few days before I flew to LA to shoot this and I was
shooting anti-clotting drugs into my stomach. I left a needle in the studio
toilets and rumour went round Manson was doing drugs in there. I had to let
it be known it was me.

Marilyn Manson By Perou: 21 Years In Hell (Reel Art Press, £50) is out on 23
June.

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