Interview:Warehouse Project photographer Sebastian Matthes on 5 years at the WHP

Most people will have their favourite Warehouse Project memories - however hazy they may be.

Whether it's the moment you felt your heart soar as your all time favourite DJ dropped that tune you'd been waiting all night to hear, or the time that you kissed a stranger in the crowd as the bass rippled through your body; if you’ve visited The Warehouse Project in the last five years you’ll undoubtedly have your own special memories that make up your unique experience of this extraordinary club.

And it's those special moments that form the premise of the new photography book by the WHP's official photographer, Sebastian Matthes. In it the German born, adopted Mancunian documents five years of incredible memories from the subterranean vaults, as seen through the lens of his camera.

Having photographed the Warehouse Project since its launch at The Boddingtons Brewery in 2006, Sebastian has formed friendships with many of the artists to have played there, and bore witness to hundreds of the unique and intricate details that make up The Warehouse Project experience.

From the crowd to the stage and the secret backstage areas to… er, the portaloos, there's no stone left unturned by Sebastian and his camera. Not that he's going to share all of his experiences with us, of course.

We sat down over a beer with Sebastian Matthes, the documenter of five historic years at The Warehouse Project.

So let's go back to the start. How and when did your relationship with The Warehouse Project begin?

I started shooting at the Warehouse Project a month after I moved to Manchester, so October 2006. I just went down for the first ever night they did with Public Enemy, with a ticket. I knew that I wanted to do photography for a living and I had a small DSLR at that point, but I thought I'd just head down and take some pictures.  Basically I ended up getting to the front row where I stayed all night, taking pictures of Public Enemy. Then on the Monday I phoned them up and said “I've got some good pictures, can I send them to you? If you like them then you could give me AAA +1 passes every night I want to come down in exchange for the pictures.” It was pretty cheeky of me but that's what happened! So I spent the first season just getting to know people and building up skills and since then… yeah, I've just been on board!

You must have thousands of shots from over the years. But is there one photo which for you most sums up The Warehouse Project?

Yes, you might have seen it. It's a crowd shot taken from the pit. In the middle you can see a couple kissing, but there's so much other stuff going on in that picture so I think for that reason it really sums up The Warehouse. There's a lot going on, lots of different nights, different people. So that picture for me really reflects the variation of the club.

Are there any pictures that bring back particularly good memories for you personally?

Yes, there are some good Justice photos which I really like, and that was definitely one of the highlights of all the years for me. I'd seen them before many times, but I remember that night going with Wesley of Now Wave to the screening of the Justice DVD - the American tour documentary that they did - and just a couple of hours after that screening they played at The Warehouse.

I remember we were absolutely hyped after the screening, because you can't watch that film and then not go out, and when we got down it was just absolutely mental. It was just a great party, and I've got amazing shots from that night, so it was overall just the perfect night out.

And are there shots from that night in the book?

Yeah there's a double page Justice shot, so you can't really miss it.

You must have met a lot of huge artists in the past five years, but have there been any that you've been particularly in awe of, or any that weren't what you expected them to be?

Aphex Twin. I didn't know what to expect at all, but I wasn't expecting what I experienced that night. I'd always heard that he was very reclusive and it's really difficult to take pictures of him - one of the reasons being that he just doesn't want it - he doesn't like having his picture taken. I managed to get a couple of shots of him but I wanted to find out if he really was as reclusive and shy as everyone says… which he absolutely wasn't.

Basically there's a staircase that leads to the roof of the Warehouse Project, which is where they get all the artists in and out. On the ground level of that staircase is a hallway where I go for a break sometimes because it's one of the quietest parts of the venue to chill out and collect yourself a little away from all the mayhem. That night I walked in and he was sitting in there, chilling out with a group of friends. He said 'what are you doing?' because I had my camera on my shoulder. I told him I was just taking a minute out, so he asked me to join them, and as soon as I put my camera down everyone relaxed. And I sat there for nearly an hour with him and his mates, and just talked and got to know him. He was really nice. That meant a lot to me.

You photograph a lot of places and people, but what is it about The Warehouse Project that makes it special from a photography point of view?

Definitely the look. It's got this proper old school touch to it and I don't think you get that in a lot of clubs or venues these days. I'm 31 years old and I've been going to clubs since I was 16… and I've seen a lot of clubs but I've never seen anywhere like The Warehouse. So the look is definitely one big factor, and the other reason is just the mix of music you get there. It's not just DJs; you get bands, you get really different genres week in week out… so it's the mixture of music that really gets me, and it's visually very attractive. And I like the crowd. Good people, not very pretentious. They just get on with it.

And for you, what are the elements that go into creating a really great live shot?

Well I don't really want to talk about all the technical stuff because it's boring…

So do you think it is more about the technical side of things?

No, I don't think it is that. You need to have a basic knowledge of photography to get a shot in there - you can't just run around with a flash gun shooting everywhere because that's boring and anyone can do that - and nobody wants to see that. But a really successful shot comes when you manage to capture visually how you felt that moment when you were shooting it, in combination with how the crowd felt. If they're going nuts and you feel the same way, and you manage to get that, I think that makes a good shot. So if it reflects the vibe, and the feeling you have at that moment, then that for me is a successful picture.

And do you know at the time if you've captured something special?

I know straight away. Sometimes I don't even have to look at the screen to check what I've got. Because after you've been doing this a while and you know that the settings are all right, and you did everything right from a technical side of it so you can't fuck that up… you just click, and you know it's there.

So what about the book then, how did the idea for that first come about?

We started talking about doing a Warehouse Project book a couple of years ago because… well because I've got shit loads of pictures. Literally, several external hard drives just full of Warehouse Project pictures. We thought we needed to do something with them, so we talked about this idea but we didn't feel it was the right time yet. Then last year when we knew that this would be the last season at Store Street we decided to start working on it for this year. So I started working on it last year and spent a lot of time on it, because despite there being lots of pictures in the book it still wasn't easy to narrow down five years of photos. So last year it took me three to four months just to do the 2006-2007 selection in the book, and then I spent three to four months on 2008-2009 and then about three to four months again selecting 2010's shots, and then reviewing the whole thing. And then you spend weeks going over it; dropping a picture, putting it back in, it's a back and forth thing. And of course there's a bit of politics too - there are some shots that you just can't use.

Why?

Well you get some celebrities backstage doing things (laughs)… one soap star I remember was in the portaloo and he was pretty pissed. So he kicked the door open while he was on the portaloo and kept holding the door open with his foot going 'come on, take a shot!'

And did you?

Of course! But not with the intention to ever use it for anything.  

Now that the book is done and dusted, are there any shots that you wish you'd included?

Yeah of course, I'm not going to lie to you… I mean I don't want to compare a book with a house but if you built your own house, and once it's finished you think “I'm not sure about that wall there", or "I should have gone for a different top in the kitchen…” does that make sense? But since I've got the first copy back I've been thinking about pictures that I would really love to have put in, but I said to myself “that's it, I need to be happy with that.'” Which I am. Maybe there'll have to be another book!

We certainly hope so. Thanks Seb!

Interview: Jayne Robinson

The WHP Photography Book is available to buy from the WHP merchandise stall at Store Street, from Magma on Oldham Street in Manchester, or online here. 

There are just weeks left to experience The Warehouse Project in its current Store Street home before it packs up and moves on forever. See all Warehouse Project listings here and buy tickets.