DARLING NIKKI
Photographer Nikki Sneakers keeps her shutter—and her heart— open at all times.
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From her teen years hanging with the Arrogant Sons of Bitches (who coined her nickname) to her storied history as a booker/DJ/bartender at the now-legendary Wierd Records parties (R.I.P.) and its direct descendant Nothing Changes, Nikki Sneakers has been not only a fixture but an essential lynchpin in underground music. Through her photos and early involvement in bands as varied as Shame, Iceage, Youth Code, and more, “the Sneakers effect” can be felt far and wide in realms like punk, indie rock, goth, and experimental music of all kinds.
A photographer first, her love for music shines through in her striking images—awash in strong color and capturing some of the most crucial artists of our time. “I started by following my friends’ bands around when I was a teen because I liked being around them and wanted to document our silly times together,” Nikki recalls. “As I got older, I got into different scenes and communities. But it all comes back to this desire to preserve moments.”
It’s that purist approach—a love for the subject and their music first—that makes her work so unique and crackling with live-wire intensity. “My work is about memory. It’s holding nostalgia and giving it to someone else, someone you may never even meet. I never want to take away from anyone’s experience of seeing a show, so I try to be in it with everyone around me. I’m there to capture a moment. It’s not really about me.”
Well, allow us to make it about you just this once, Nikki. Here’s a collection of some of her finest.
