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A black and white photo of a person signing an autograph for a crowd. They are surrounded by people, one of whom holds up a camera to take a photo.

King of documenting counterculture, Ewen Spencer is back with a new book

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Date
10 March 2015

To describe Ewen Spencer as anything less than a pillar of British counterculture would be to do him an extreme disservice. Having served stints at iconic magazines The Face and Sleazenation in the 1990s he has since watched the rise and fall of UK garage, documented the grittiest corners of grime, shot teenagers partying in Napoli and Ayia Napa and caught the best of European styling which has made its way over to Miami. He actually told us about some of it at our Here conference last year, and if you’re interested you can watch the full talk here.

Right now he’s concentrating on pushing his newest book, though; Open Mic Vol. 2 was published alongside his latest film of the same name. The limited edition publication features a bunch of previously unseen images taken between 2003 and 2005 of some of the pioneers of the British grime scene, and it’s scattered with interviews with some of the biggest names still out there.

A person wearing a baseball cap and a fur-trimmed parka sings into a microphone. They are surrounded by other people in a dark, enclosed space.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

A black and white photograph of a group of people in a narrow stairwell. In the foreground, one person looks towards the camera while another stands beside them, wearing a hooded Nike jacket and smoking.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

A person wearing a baseball cap and jacket speaks into a microphone. They are surrounded by a group of people, including one person filming the scene with a professional camera.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

Damien Hirst signs an autograph for a fan in a crowded, dark setting. He is surrounded by people, including a security guard who holds his shoulder.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

An open book displays two black and white photographs of people. The images show figures in streetwear and caps, captured in candid, high-contrast shots.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

An open book shows a black and white photograph of three people. One person in the centre wears a hooded puffer jacket and sunglasses, flanked by two others.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

An open book displays a black and white photograph of three people wearing beanies and oversized jackets. They stand close together, looking towards the camera.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

An open book rests against a black background. The right-hand page features a bold quote that reads “We Might Not be Here Today; We Might be Doing Something Completely Different.”
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

A cream-coloured booklet lies on a black background. Bold black typography on the cover reads “OPEN MIC VOL 2”.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

An open magazine on a black background. The cream cover features bold black typography that reads “OPEN MIC VOL 2”.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

A black and white book cover shows a close-up of a person speaking into a microphone. The title reads “Open Mic Vol. 2” and the author is listed as “Ewen Spencer”.
Above

Ewen Spencer: Open Mic Vol. 2

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

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Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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