Total Stranger: The Unseen Photographs of Pete Burns and Dead or Alive 1978–1983 has been extended until 30 June 2026 at Cafe Tabac in Liverpool.
Francesco Mellina’s exhibition is a rare and powerful collection of black-and-white images which capture the kinetic energy of Liverpool’s late 1970s and 1980s music scene, along with the rise of Pete Burns, the Dead or Alive frontman.
The original Total Stranger exhibition at Café Tabac showcased a curated selection of 16 framed prints from Mellina’s archive of more than 2,000 negatives. The renowned rock photographer has now updated the exhibition, with further unseen pictures of Pete Burns on display. In addition, signed copies of Francesco’s book, Total Stranger, are available to buy from Cafe Tabac during the extended period.
Francesco was a key figure in the city’s music scene and met Pete Burns at the legendary Eric’s club. They became friends which led to series of spontaneous photo shoots documenting Pete’s awe-inducing presence leading Dead or Alive, charting his rise from the underground into a globally renown music and cultural icon.
Francesco says: “I have a personal connection with Cafe Tabac stretching back over 40 years so it gives me enormous pleasure to have my exhibition extended in there. Tabac has been and is a big landmark on the cultural Liverpool landscape.”
Café Tabac is the beloved Bold Street institution which has served as a meeting place for Liverpool’s creative community since it opened in 1974. For Francesco, Café Tabac was the perfect place for this special exhibition as the office of Inevitable Records was situated on the first floor above the café. Inevitable Records was the seminal record label founded by Jeremy Lewis 1979 to 1982, and launched Dead Or Alive, China Crisis, Nightmares in Wax and other post-punk and synth-pop talent all of which became regulars in Café Tabac.
Back in December 2025, Ma Pub Group — the independent Liverpool hospitality operator behind Ma Boyle’s Alehouse and Eatery, Tempest on Tithebarn, Nova Scotia and Newington Temple — acquired the landmark venue. The team carry forward the unmistakable character that has secured Tabac’s place as one of Liverpool’s most loved, lived-in and long-standing city-centre fixtures, now proudly continuing to showcase Francesco’s work documenting Pete Burns and the city’s wild music history.
Café Tabac
The Total Stranger exhibition now runs until June 30th 2026
126 Bold St, Liverpool, L1 4JA
https://cafetabac.co.uk
@cafetabacliverpool