I SHOOT ROCK STARS - a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of an extraordinary cast of personalities. Join legendary Director TIM POPE in conversation

The 1980s saw the birth of a new medium that took the world by storm: the pop video. And Tim Pope, a music fanboy-turned-video director, was at the forefront of this wild ride.

Shooting his first performance footage at a concert after smuggling a camera inside his trousers, Tim got his break directing the video for Soft Cell's follow-up to 'Tainted Love'. Work snowballed, and he was soon jetting back and forth across the Atlantic to feed the newly launched engine of MTV, making videos for The Cure, Queen, Talk Talk, Wham!, Hall & Oates, Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Bangles, among others.

From dressing Freddie Mercury as a giant Mediterranean prawn to being called a 'funny little arsehole' by David Bowie; hanging out with Neil Young on his family ranch or locking The Cure in a wardrobe and launching it off a cliff, Tim had a front-row seat on the excesses, egos and larger-than-life characters of the era.

Capturing the improvisational mood of a time when directors worked guerrilla-style, money flowed freely and no idea was too wacky to pursue, I Shoot Rock Stars provides a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of an extraordinary cast of personalities, capturing the fizzing energy of this unique creative moment. More than anything, it's the hilarious and frequently moving story of a music-mad kid who ended up working with his heroes, and who here chronicles his - and his industry's - creative triumphs and follies in riotous style.

Copies of Tim's book will be on sale at the Festival and there will be a dedicated book signing after the event.

About the Author:

Tim Pope has directed over 200 music videos and live performance movies since the early 1980s for artists and bands including Neil Young, David Bowie, Queen, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, The Bangles, Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop. His name is perhaps most synonymous with The Cure, for whom he has made thirty-seven videos and two concert films.

Description supplied by the event organiser.