The 2000s really did start as they meant to go on. With many individuals in 1999 frantically preparing for the tip times, and to return to a pre-computer world, it’s no surprise that a sense of confusion and hysteria crept into the brand new decade. In the beginning of the 2000s, Eminem and Marilyn Manson were artists who had been each lauded and condemned for his or her transgressive music and performances – the latter of whom now after all faces serious allegations of abuse. And while the 2 artists were noticeably different of their musical output, each of them embraced the dark and the depraved of their music and, very early on of their careers, sparked outrage in governments, schools, churches and even the homes of their listeners.

Photographer Neil Massey captured the frenzy that ensued around Eminem and Manson once they played gigs on the London Docklands Arena back in 2001. The photographs remained undeveloped until 2020, when Massey worked with the Museum of Youth Culture to compile them right into a recent zine titled The Way I’m/Disposable Teen, which features two alternate covers you may flip between. The zine offers a nostalgic window right into a period that, despite the center fingers and cultish make-up, carries an innocence greater than that of our own. The photos capture a time of frenzied fandom before the web fully enveloped our lives, when teens clung to subcultures as if their very lives relied on it. “Eminem and Manson just tapped into this hysteria and stoked the fires of adolescence and parental fears,” the photographer tells Dazed in a conversation over email.

Just as The Sex Pistols had done within the Nineteen Seventies and The Rolling Stones within the Sixties, Manson and Eminem made music to challenge, provoke and excite. For young people growing up amid the banality of suburban life, the spectacle of a hockey-masked Eminem striding onto the stage, chainsaw in hand, naturally sparked an internal flame. “A lot of the fans are between 12 to 19, you may feel the teenager angst and discovery you experience through adolescence. You may see the tight connection between groups of friends,” Massey explains. “It definitely felt tribal and there was an ownership of their beloved artists, especially because the media were against them.”

Below, Dazed spoke to Massey to listen to about his experiences of photographing the crowds, his vivid recollections of the period, and the vast changes within the cultural landscape.

Could you describe the frenzy and hype around these live shows? 

Neil Massey: The media were in overdrive back in early 2001. Manson was first up at The London Docklands Arena in January, he had just played Manchester three days earlier. Eminem rocked as much as the identical venue one month later and, when he was asked by an interview on a children’s show CD:UK, “What do you’re thinking that of British audiences?” He replied, “I gotta admit man, the audiences over listed below are more crazy than within the States. I might even go so far as to say higher, more responsive and louder.”

What are your recollections from those times?

Neil Massey: Anyone who’s seen the Woodstock 99 documentary will know that there was something crazy within the air with the nu-metal and hip-hop scenes within the late 90s. This spilled over into the early 2000s – every part felt quite lairy, provocative and in your face. During this time, I used to be a working photographer, commissioned to take pictures of youth culture and artists for magazines. I used to be just immersed in every part around me, continuously shooting. It was a number of fun.

By the point the 00s happened, I used to be ready, camera in hand, to document these different youth tribes. In 2020, I began to scan my negative film archive of this work leading to this zine but in addition a wider body of labor which I’m calling Millenium Dawn (2000-05). It’s only now, 20 years later, I’m making sense of this work.

What was your perspective on these movements of youth culture you were documenting?

Neil Massey: At 15, I went to my first punk gig to see The Damned. Then, in my late teens, I got into raves. Once I got into my 20s and 30s as a photographer, the subsequent generations of youth movements still resonated with me. Around this time, I began to know the historical value of documentary photography. I used to be on a mission, photographing ravers, metallers, goths and hip-hop heads. Looking back, it was a special time for youth culture. On millennium eve there was a real fear that every one the world’s computers would crash on account of the Millennium Bug. This was a time pre Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter; a time before the self-promotion and general self-awareness that social media now brings. All the pieces felt by some means slowed down and more present.

What differences and similarities did you discover between the media’s depiction of the crowds and your personal experience of them?

Neil Massey: Personally, I felt there was nothing threatening concerning the crowds inside and outside the gig. In my mind, it was just young people being young. I loved the energy of each sets of fans. Being one in every of the few photographers outside taking portraits, I used to be in a position to move around freely, to interact and capture the fans. Even once I was heckled and given the center finger – rather a lot – I believed it was all great.

What are your enduring recollections of those gigs and the crowds? Are there any individuals or incidents that stick in your mind that you might tell us about?

Neil Massey: There was the Liverpudlian preacher man – used to see him down London’s Oxford Street – lamenting the evils of consumerism along with his bullhorn. At each these gigs he was trying, against all odds, to avoid wasting these young teenage souls. I also thought ‘The Eminem Six’ were hilarious – six teens with matching peroxide hair.

Do you’re thinking that subcultures today are in decline? If that’s the case, what aspects are threatening their continued survival?

Neil Massey: No, I don’t think subcultures are in decline. They’ve evolved and altered the way in which they did from the tip of the twentieth century. The teenager subcultures in Y2K were the primary shift towards online forums and communities like MySpace. I feel the subcultures will not be as uniform and defined of their style as they were before, there could also be more styles and influences blended in together. Saying all that, go try the queue for a Nova Twins gig and also you’ll find that very same spirit captured in these photos. Underground music and fashion are still very much alive.

How do you’re thinking that the zine speaks to the themes of fandom, friendships, and adolescence?

Neil Massey: The way in which bands were experienced back then was magazines, TV and gigs. So a gig environment was a special meeting place for fans to attach.

Could you tell us about any portraits that almost all stick in your mind from this series?

Neil Massey: We’ve got two covers for the zine, the Disposable Teen cover girl proudly showed me a goat’s eyeball she was carrying in a transparent box. Also, The Way I Am cover boy with an ice hockey mask wearing a Manson top on the Eminem gig sums up the attitude perfectly. ‘Shady Brothers’ sticks in my mind… three brothers and a friend. The older brother who’s wearing a Korn tee is taking his younger brothers in Eminem and Manson teeshirts to the gig, all clutching a carpet burger.

The Way I’m/Disposable Teen is published on January 24, 2023. The Museum of Youth Culture is hosting a pop-up event on the day, reserve tickets here.

Join Dazed Club and be a part of our world! You get exclusive access to events, parties, festivals and our editors, in addition to a free subscription to Dazed for a yr. Join for £5/month today.