For hundreds of oil workers breaking their backs on the North Sea rigs, the notion of being paid to hang out with rock legends such as ACDC, Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne might seem like an impossible dream.
But it is a dream that has come true for one former Robert Gordon’s student.
Mick Hutson has gone from slaving away offshore to photographing musical idols from every genre and country under the sun.
Newcastle-born, the 48-year-old moved to Aberdeen when his father got a job in the oil and gas industry.
He followed in his footsteps, but his love of live music was always in the background and he routinely went to venues such as the Moorings and the Hayloft for a brisk 8am pint after coming onshore.
Back then, he had no idea where his future career path would take him.
Mr Hutson said: “I’d always been one of the boys who drank in the rock bars around Aberdeen half the year, and spent the other half toiling my life away offshore.
“It’s a few years since I’ve moved away, but Aberdeen is still my spiritual home, I even proposed to my first wife while drunk in the Moorings.
“I loved going to all the local rock gigs, took some photos for a few bands here and there, and sooner or later I decided that I wanted to get into photography as a full-time gig.”
He studied for a Masters degree in photography, taking photos of his friends’ bands as a hobby whenever he could.
“It was that little side project that lead me to meeting and basically becoming the apprentice of David Redfern, who was one of the greatest jazz photographers of all time,” he said.
“He had worked with and was good friends with all the greats like Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and even the Beatles.
“After about two or three years with him I found myself touring around Arizona with U2 and the rest is history, I’ve not stopped working since.”
Mr Hutson has worked with Aerosmith, Metallica, Alice Cooper, and even rappers such as Kanye West and 50 Cent, but one of his favourite subjects was the … Marilyn Manson.
“He’s such a quiet, interesting, and well spoken guy with a lot of good points to make about the world,” he explained.
His years of photography have amounted to a huge collection of pictures and recently he has been selling some off at auctions to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Now he is hoping to put on a display and auction in the place where it all began.
“I’ve just finished one for my 25th year as a photographer in Newcastle, and there’s one coming up in London, but I would love to do one in Aberdeen, ideally next to my old school at the Art Gallery,” he said.
“I don’t profit from any of my shows, and they usually raise between £5,000 and £6,000.
“Music is so important for the development of a teenager, especially one whose life is interrupted by something awful like cancer.
“Teenage Cancer Trust have always given huge support to music and musicians for their work with kids with cancer, so I’m happy to be giving something back.”