SHOOTING THE STARS PAYS THE RENT

This December, as Manchester gears up for a landmark cultural moment, the city’s iconic Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will open its doors to a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the high-octane world of celebrity.

Launching on Monday, December 1st – February 1st, 2026, Shooting The Stars Pays The Rent is a free exhibition from celebrated celebrity photographer and filmmaker Steve Read. It’s an intimate retrospective that captures the grit and glamour of Hollywood’s turn of the millennium, showcasing a cinematic archive of rock ’n’ rollers, rappers and cultural trailblazers.

At a time when the city is preparing to welcome The BRIT Awards for the very first time, this collection highlights the enduring, often mythologised, power of music, movie, and rock-and-roll culture. The exhibition highlights the star-making machinery and the powerful personalities that shape our cultural landscape.

Transforming the walls of our much-loved bar and restaurant, The Refuge, Steve Read’s collection is drawn directly from his archives during his time living and working in Hollywood. Visitors can expect a powerful, unfiltered display featuring A-Listers like Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, Eminem, Mickey Rourke, Ray Liotta, Vinnie Jones, and more. This is a show that doesn’t just display celebrities; it captures them in an honest, analogue moment. As Steve Read himself notes: “These shots are drawn straight from the archives, they’re not photoshopped, retouched or cropped. Just one square of negative separating the viewer from the sitter… honest, unfiltered, and preserved across decades.”

The collection presents a particular vision of powerful personalities at the turn of the millennium, a vision both revered and complex with key female portraits added to broaden the cultural context and crack open the frame. For the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, it is a privilege to host this collection, following its well-received debut at sister property Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinburgh. It offers our guests and the wider community a fascinating glimpse into the glitz and glamour that has defined global culture.

All prints on display are limited edition, hand-printed in the darkroom by master printers, including stunning gelatin silver prints made from the original negatives. These original moments are available for purchase, framed or print only, from www.stevereadprints.com.

Whether you are a fan of rock ‘n’ roll history, cinematic portraiture, or simply want to experience a truly unfiltered moment in celebrity culture, this exhibition is an invitation to explore the archive up close.

Come and see the stars, without the filter, at The Refuge.