Frank Melfi has been taking pictures of musicians for over four decades, but it was his shots of Led Zeppelin that caught the attention of that immortal quartet’s singer, Robert Plant. Ever since the mid-1970s, Melfi and Plant have cultivated both a professional and personal relationship to great mutual admiration. Plant is but one of hundreds of rock stars Melfi has captured in photos, but the pics of the charismatic singer are certainly the most abundant in his collection, leading to a someday-to-be-published photo book spanning their time together- from the Zep zenith to the present. We spoke to Melfi from his home in Nashville about that relationship, the magic of Led Zeppelin, and the realities of a working rock photographer in the digital age.
Tell me about the relationship you have with Robert Plant.
I’ve been shooting him for 40 years. We’re friends. Back in the ‘90s he told me I was his official photographer. That and sixty cents will get you a cup of coffee, you know what I’m saying? We’re just buddies.
What do you think it is that he likes about your work?
I don’t know. I studied at the Memphis Academy of Arts. I work on my pictures. Anybody can take a snapshot. Some photographers get lucky on what they catch. I go the extra nine yards to make sure the photograph looks great. He just likes what I do. I know how to capture him. Of course, I know the music well. I know what he’s going to do next.
What’s important in getting the great shot? Angle? Light? Access? Knowing the music?
A little bit of all of that. As you noticed, I have full range. I can go onstage; in the pit. I don’t have to do the three-and-flee like most photographers do. Robert lets me shoot until the very end. It’s because I’ve been around so many years. Robert knows I’m not going to put anything out to make him look foolish. He trusts me and that trust has a lot to do with everything.
Do you get to enjoy the show or is it all work?
Yes, I do. (At Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion concert) at the 02 in London, Robert said, “Put your camera away and enjoy the moment.” I wish I’d shot (that show), but he was right. If they ever do it again, which I doubt, I’ll definitely shoot it.
Why do you say you doubt a reunion?
At this stage, Robert, I can tell you right now, he’s not really into it. He loves what he’s doing right now. Everybody can change their mind, but I don’t know about Robert. He likes to do something different. If everybody (in Led Zeppelin) had agreed to sit down and write new music along with it, instead of just being a nostalgia band…He doesn’t care about stadiums. He enjoys what he’s doing right now. People liked to see him in the ‘90s, and his younger heyday, of course. There was a lot of high energy. But, he’s comfortable. Why would he want to try and re-create himself in his 20s and blow his voice out? I’m all for him.
How long do you think he’ll keep doing this?
We were sitting on a street corner in Croatia and I said, “When are you going to give this up?” He said, “I’m not going to give it up, Frankie. Hell, what am I going to do? Sit and wait for the Grim Reaper to come through the window and get me? I want to die on the road.” Forever forward, ever onward, he says. I’m glad he’s doing it because he’s keeping me busy. (Laughs.)
You two are working on a book?
I’ve been working on a pictorial book. He’s agreed to write the Foreword. I’ve been at it for over 15 years. It hasn’t come to fruition yet because every time I think it’s time to wrap it up he decides to do another tour.
What has made Robert Plant such a photogenic figure to shoot?
He’s a person of positive energy. That always comes forth. He radiates positive energy.
Was that true of Zeppelin, too, with all the mythology that surrounded them?
They were so magnetic. They had so much energy. People just gravitated to it. Remember that kid in Almost Famous running around in a T-shirt that had the lyrics to “Stairway to Heaven” on it? He existed.
Anything from that time you regret?
My only regret from that period of time was the night before Zeppelin played the Forum, Queen played the Forum and they wanted me to come and shoot. I opted out to stay and hang at the bar with Zeppelin. I should’ve gone and shot Queen, then hooked up with Zeppelin, but I didn’t. That’s one of my shooting regrets: that I never shot Freddie Mercury.
Safe to say Led Zeppelin is a favorite?
I have a lot of favorites. With Robert and me it’s a friendship. I enjoy it because I have full access to everything. How do I explain Zeppelin back in those days? It was cosmic. They were mesmerizing.
Anybody you’ve shot that surprised you?
Of the newer ones, Grace Potter. She blew me away. She was a joy to shoot and watch. I go way back. I saw the Allman Brothers when they were in Hourglass, playing a little night club in Nashville. Gregg was underage; they had to get him in. Two of the first bands I shot live were Marshall Tucker Band and REO Speedwagon. Then, I was into Yes.
Anybody left you wish to shoot that you have not already?
Paul McCartney. George Harrison was the only Beatle I ever shot. With what I’ve got now I could put out a couple of books: one on Zeppelin and their solo stuff, and one on all of the bands I’ve shot—Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, The Who…
Did you ever shoot Jimmy Page after the Zep days?
I did The Firm and the Outrider tour. And, of course, I did Page/Plant in ’95 and ’98.
Are you always independent or are you hired by someone?
I have the rights to all my work. That was important, to have the rights. I started out trading my pictures with a promoter for tickets. I shot Bonnie Raitt warming up for Little Feat. A guy from a magazine in Memphis saw some of my work on the promoter’s walls and that’s how I ended up shooting the ’75 and ’78 concerts of the Rolling Stones. Before that I was a commercial loan officer. When I gave up cigarettes and got high for the first time, that was the end of that. My hair started growing. I loved music. I love photography. I thought I’m just going to combine the two of them. I’m still doing it.
Do you have a favorite venue?
Mahalia Jackson (Theater for the Performing Arts) in New Orleans. I like the Greek (in Los Angeles). I like the smaller ones. But that’s hard to answer.
Any preference between indoor or outdoor?
I prefer indoor. What I hate today is the LED lighting. It plays havoc with cameras. Let’s say there are blue lights—it washes everything, the blues and the reds. A heavy color is predominant.
Do you ever shoot on film anymore?
I haven’t shot film since 2005. I used to print all of my own stuff. I decided to go digital. I had to come into the future.
What does it mean to you that virtually everyone at a show these days has a camera in their phone?
It doesn’t bother me. Most are crappy, especially if they are on a phone. It’s what you do after the fact. I always would hand-print my stuff back in the old days. If it’s your creation you try to take it from the beginning to the end of the process to make it the best you could ever do.
Any advice for aspiring photographers?
It’s not like it used to be. It’s harder, but if the person is really passionate about it I tell them to stick with it. Don’t do it because you think it will be your livelihood. It’s a zoo out there these days. I like where I’m at: basically semi-retired.
What’s a key to your longevity?
I would never make anyone look foolish. As far as I’m concerned it’s a reflection of yourself and your own personality. I have respect for the music and for the artist. That’s just common courtesy.
