His new book, “Dustin Pittman: New York After Dark,” turns the page back on the golden era. Watch the photogallery on the New York Post
“It was an incredible period. It was an incredible time,” Pittman told The Post. “It was really loose, really easy. You could roll with people.
The Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop, is the cover boy of “Dustin Pittman: New York After Dark,” prowling across the stage with the Stooges at Ugano’s Club in 1970.
“Iggy did his Iggy thing,” said Pittman. “He was all new, and it was amazing … We just hit it off really well.”
So much so that Pittman was granted a very special exception.
“Iggy had this one rule that if a photographer got too close, he would break their camera,” he said. “But Iggy said to me, ‘Dustin, you never have to worry about me breaking your camera. You can get as close as you want.’ “
Pittman shot Lou Reed with the Velvet Underground during their residency at Max’s Kansas City in 1970, which would turn out to be his final performances with the band.
“Lou Reed and I were very, very close,” he said. “And that gig was historic.They played two sets a night for two or three weeks. And what was great about it is that there were maybe not even 30 people there watching them play. But they weren’t watching them play — you got up and you danced next to Lou Reed playing ‘Heroin’ and ‘Sweet Jane’ and all those songs. And every set they would improvise.”
David Johansen, who Pittman captured in the New York Dolls, wrote the foreword to “New York After Dark.”
David Johansen of New York Dolls fame wrote the foreword to “New York After Dark,” penning that “It’s obvious Dustin has a fortunate temperament and just loves being a photographer.”
The punk icon is also pictured in the book striking poses at the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre at the Academy of Music in 1974.
“I met him in 1969 when he was just starting the Dolls,” said Pittman, who still regularly talks to Johansen. “I love the idea that the Dolls would all walk into these vintage stores and buy all these women’s clothes and put on the makeup and do their schtick.”
Mick Jagger thew a bucket of water at Pittman during a Rolling Stones concert at Madison Square Garden in 1974.
Dustin Pittman
Pittman finagled his way into shooting the Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden in 1974, making his own version of the arm band that served as a photographer pass.
“I bought a $5 ticket in the nosebleed section,” he said. “And then when the lights went low, I put on my band and I started sneaking down to the front. I’m right there in the front shooting Mick Jagger!
Then Pittman continued to buck the system. “Mick Jagger had a rule: After three songs, no more photographs. So I took off my arm band, snuck around the side of the stage and waited until everybody was gone. I put the arm band back on and went in front of the stage and photographed the whole concert.
“Mick knew exactly what the hell I did … And then Mick picks up this huge f – – king bucket of water and throws it at me. I snap the picture as the water comes at me, and I moved out of the way.”
Before Blondie, Debbie Harry performed with the Stilettos at Club 82 in 1984.
Debbie Harry is captured with the Stilettos — before Blondie came to be — at the East Village’s Club 82 in 1974.
“The 82 Club [as it was also known] was a great club,” said Pittman. “It was underground in the basement, and they had great bands playing there: Television played there, the Ramones, everybody played there.”
Pittman also a had a special connection to Blondie’s co-founder Chris Stein.
“I went to school with Chris at the School of Visual Arts,” he said. “And then Chris joined the Stilettos before Blondie.”
Keith Richards cozied up to his future wife Patti Hansen at the Ritz-Carlton in 1980.
At the White Ball held at the Ritz-Carlton in 1980, Pittman captured a candid moment between Rolling Stone Keith Richards and his future wife, model Patti Hansen, before the couple got married in 1983.
“That picture of Keith and Patti is one of their first dates after they met,” he said “That’s what’s so special about it. Patti was all over Keith. But who wasn’t all over Keith?”
