A Moment in Rock History: Photographing Slash at Canadian Music Week 2010
Fourteen years ago, I had the insane chance to photograph a rock legend—Slash himself. It all went down at an exclusive record release party in a suite at Toronto's Royal York Hotel during Canadian Music Week (CMW) 2010. Slash, the guy who made the top hat and Les Paul iconic, was there to celebrate his debut solo album. For me, it was more than just a gig—it was a career-defining moment that I’ll never forget.
In April 2010, Slash dropped his first solo album through Universal Music. Featuring killer collabs with music legends and current stars of the time, the album was destined to make waves in the rock world. This party, hosted by Universal Music Group, was the ultimate celebration of that milestone.
Getting the Call to Shoot a Legend
On my way to the event, I gave my dad a quick call. “Hey, I’m heading to photograph this guy named Slash. Do you know him?” His laugh said it all: “DO I KNOW SLASH?! OF COURSE!” That’s when it hit me—I was about to capture a rock icon. This wasn’t just another photoshoot. This was the real deal.
The vibe at the party was unreal. Slash was surrounded by record execs, VIPs and music industry insiders, all there to celebrate his new record. The energy in the room was electric, and I knew I had to capture every second of it.
Resurrecting an Old Favourite
The featured image of this blog is one of the photos I snapped that night—a bold portrait of Slash. Back then, though, I wasn’t sold on it. The background didn’t quite work, so I buried it in a forgotten hard drive. Now 14 years after it was taken, I stumbled across it while digging through an old Flickr archive. Even though it wasn’t perfect, the photo held so much meaning for me. It’s a rare moment with one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
Original photo of Slash @ record release party
Thanks to some Photoshop magic and the AI-powered tools of today, I finally gave the photo the revamp it deserved. I cleaned up the background, fine-tuned the details and brought it back to life. Now, for the first time, I’m sharing this shot with the world. Check out the untouched original below to see where it started:
A Career High Point
Photographing Slash at his record release party isn’t just a cool story—it’s one of the top moments of my career. Being in the same room as a rock legend, capturing the essence of that night and now unveiling this photo in a new light has been nothing short of epic.
Explore the Full Event Gallery
Below, you’ll find a gallery featuring candid shots of record execs, VIPs and unforgettable moments from the night. While the hero photo of the blog is the reimagined portrait of Slash, the gallery showcases all the other images that helped capture the energy and excitement of that unforgettable evening. Each photo is a piece of rock history. Drop me a comment if you recognize someone-or even better-if you were there!
(Note: photo sharing on socials is permitted with a tag credit to @mattvardy)
Final Thoughts
This experience is why I got into photography—to freeze moments in time, tell stories through images, and relive them years later. It’s wild how technology lets us breathe new life into old memories. Here’s to more adventures, more legendary moments and more photos that keep the spirit of rock alive.
