BIOGRAPHY
JOSEPH CARLUCCI
Photography
Joseph Carlucci was born on 28 January 1956 in Nociglia, Italy. When he was ten, he moved to Lausanne, where he attended school. Interested in music from an early age, he experienced his first rock concert at the age of 18: Uriah Heep in Bern. It was love at first sight!
Out of passion, Joseph began to immortalise artists on stage with his camera. His talent and commitment naturally opened the doors of the backstage area for him; his privileged relationship with the musicians allowed him to capture unique images, historic performances and ardent emotions.
As the official photographer for numerous events, music magazines and renowned newspapers, his photographs have travelled the world for 45 years. From AC/DC to ZZ Top, Nirvana, BB King, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Queen or Elton John, to name but a few, the idols of generations have been captured and immortalised by his lens. In stadiums, concert halls or at festivals in Switzerland or anywhere in the world where great music is played. Reports in music magazines such as Hard Rock Magazine, Enfer Magazine and many more as well as concert reviews in renowned newspapers, were frequently illustrated with the intense and expressive photos of Joseph Carlucci.
Record companies, managements and artists appreciate his work. His photographs can be found on numerous releases: Posters of AC/DC's single 'Danger', photos in the remastered deluxe editions of the 30th anniversary box sets 'Ride the Lightning' and 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica or DVDs 'Live at Montreux' by Alice Cooper, Status Quo, Santana, Alanis Morissette, Deep Purple, ....
45 Years of Rock Photography by Joseph Carlucci
Release Date October 11, 2021. Format 30cm x 30cm/276 pages/First edition 1'500/ Graphics: Julien Collet (CH)
The book is available in bookshops or can be ordered online on
Foreword, texts and anecdotes in English : Duja (Patrick Dujany), Jean-Pierre Sabouret, Ursula Limanets Rohr, Abaddon (Venom), Mike Tramp, Bill Barclay, Nicko Mc Brain (Iron Maiden), Ed van Zijl, Lukas Rüttimann, François Barras, Marc Storace (Krokus), Leo Leoni (Gotthard), Vorphalck (Samael),Joey Tafolla, Thomas Lecuyer, Bernard Moix, Russel Pzütto (Dee Snider), Charlotte Carrel, Caroline Piccinin
How did a boy from southern Italy manage to make it as a photographer of international stars at Switzerland's Lake of Geneva?
The story begins in Joseph Carlucci's Lausanne merchandising shop called Photo Live Concert, then Rock Store, located in the stairwell of the Ruelle du Grand-Pont next to the legendary Sapri Shop. There you could discover the hottest new bands and find the objects of desire of true hard rock fans. Joseph was in the centre of the rock scene. A cult spot and meeting place for music fans
In 1986, an exceptional customer walked into the shop. After carefully looking at all the pictures of the artists on display, he scribbled these few but unambiguous words on a record cover:
Hey Joseph, Where's my fucking picture then??
A dedication signed by David Bowie! The artist visited him regularly and invited him to photograph him at concerts. Joseph could share hundreds of memories, but this one is probably the most moving. It deserves its place on the cover of the book that chronicles his 45-year career! It is also the answer and a consolation to all those musicians who don't find their picture in the book. It was hard to make a selection from a bulging archive of truly exciting pictures. Joseph has chosen his most personal and important shots, regardless of the artist's fame or commercial considerations. The selection of pictures was a long, sometimes painful process, the decisions were difficult. Joseph decided to focus on his great love: rock. The result is a real precious collector's item that deserves to be part of every rock fan's collection.
The photo book consists of 276 high-quality printed pages in LP format with almost 300 photos, memories of musicians and contemporary witnesses from the music business who experienced the peak of rock at first hand.
The images are complemented by Joseph's sympathetic anecdotes collected by journalist and writer Jean-Pierre Sabouret (Hard-Rock Magazine, Rock & Folk, The Sound, Paroles et musique, Rolling Stone)
More than fifteen months without concerts! No work for performers and all the professionals involved in the cultural sector! In 2020/21 came the long dry spell but at the same time the chance to work on and publish this extraordinary book. It offered Joseph the opportunity to continue doing what he loves best: telling stories with his photos and sharing his unconditional passion for music.
This website and all photographs are © Copyright 1976-2021 by Joseph Carlucci. All Rights Reserved. The use of any of the photographs on this website without the written permission of the photographer is strictly prohibited and violations will be pursued to the furthest extent allowed under the law.