In this episode of Manchester Scene Stories, I sit down with photographer Kaz McBride to explore her journey from a curious young girl in North Manchester to one of the city’s most respected music photographers.
Kaz’s story begins long before the gigs and big names. As a child growing up near Cheetham Hill, she was fascinated by imagery and instinctively understood the power of photographs to preserve change and memory. After experiencing bullying at school, she discovered that art and portrait drawing could transform relationships and break down barriers. That early understanding — that imagery could be a positive force — became the foundation of her career.
From pressing her nose against the window of Stevenson’s camera shop to saving up for her first Nikon, Kaz’s route into photography was a slow, organic one. She learned the craft properly, enrolling in night classes at Abraham Moss, discovering the darkroom, and falling in love with black-and-white printing. Her early work captured derelict Castlefield and the changing streets of Manchester — documenting a city on the brink of transformation.
Her path into music photography began through her brother’s band. What started as a favour evolved into something much bigger. Kaz didn’t chase celebrity — she chased portraits that meant something to her. Over time, she photographed bands who would later become major names, including The Ting Tings, Scissor Sisters, Ocean Colour Scene, and even Oasis — though she proudly says she only photographed them once.
This conversation explores the realities of being an independent creative. Kaz speaks honestly about the financial instability of working as a photographer, the frustration of being asked to work “for exposure,” and her belief that grassroots scenes must be supported if they’re to survive. Her phrase “a woman cannot live on likes alone” perfectly captures the tension between digital reach and real-world sustainability.
We also talk about the value of analogue photography, the loss of ritual in the digital era, and the importance of underground venues like Night & Day, The Roadhouse, Ruby Lounge and Deaf Institute in shaping Manchester’s cultural DNA.
Kaz’s new book, Just a Girl from North Manchester, tells the story of her journey — not as a celebrity memoir, but as a portrait of a young woman who found her voice through photography and documented the underground music scene that shaped a generation.
If you care about Manchester’s creative history, grassroots music culture, or the power of photography to tell stories that might otherwise be forgotten — this one is for you.
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