INTEREST in David Bowie shows no sign of waning following his untimely death in January.

His passing shocked the world of music and triggered a succession of tributes through art, music and in the media that could be mistaken in scale for those handed to legends decades after their demise.

But Bowie's influence was potent - from his infectious songs to a style that transcended fashion.

It can be seen again by the lucky few who attend an exhibition showing another side to the frontman familiar for his legacy of live performances and seminal albums.

The UK exhibition tour of 40 never-before-seen photographs of Bowie is to visit Brighton and Hove for the first time, for one night only.

Called David And I: My Photographic Account Of Travelling The World With David Bowie, it is the work of the star’s official photographer Denis O’Regan.

Mr O’Regan’s photographic account represents a cross section of memories of travelling the world with the legendary singer.

He said: "I’m really looking forward to coming to Brighton for this exhibition, which pulls together a decade of travelling around the world with David.

"It’s been a real trip down memory lane for me, of time I spent with a great, great friend, both on stage and during our down time between concerts."

The private side to Bowie comes out in more ways than one when his art collection goes up for auction next month, expected to fetch more than £10 million.

The most expensive picture, Jean-Michel Basquiat's Air Power, is valued by Sotheby's at up to £3.5 million. Sotheby's described Bowie as a "fiercely passionate collector".

While this aspect of his life is shared, Mr O'Regan hopes to shine a light on being on tour with Bowie but also "doing stuff on the tour that had nothing to do with the tour".

Mr O'Regan said: "David had never been photographed in this way before, he had never had a tour documented so this was the first time anyone had ever been given that access."

The images give a glimpse of rare, intimate moments backstage, relaxing between gigs and on stage.

Among the shots is a picture of Mr O’Regan himself with Bowie, taken backstage in New York in 1987.

Other pictures show the Ziggy Stardust singer away from the microphone, sitting in restaurants but also in unusual situations such as visiting Madame Tussauds to make sure his waxworks looked the part.

Mr O’Regan said his favourite image, if forced to choose, was one of Bowie in front of the Berlin Wall in 1987.

“For David that was a special show,” Denis said. “After the soundcheck, just apropos of nothing, David said ‘Shall we go back to my old apartment where I used to live and just knock on the door?’

“So we did. This bloke opened it and tried to be as nonchalant as he could be because obviously he hadn’t been told. And we went up and it was good to have an insight into how he lived at that point.”

As well as being official photographer to Bowie during the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour, the 1987 Glass Spider Tour and the 1990 Sound And Vision Tour, Mr O’ Regan was also the photographer at events such as The Concert For Diana and Live Aid in 1985.

Not just acquainted with Bowie, Mr O’Regan toured the world with contemporaries such as The Rolling Stones, Queen, Duran Duran, Pink Floyd, Spandau Ballet, Thin Lizzy, Neil Diamond and The Bee Gees throughout the 1980s and 90s.

Where Bowie was concerned, Mr O’Regan said every image he used was approved by the man himself.

He said: “Having me around all the time meant things could happen on the spur of the moment and I could capture stuff that if you turned up for a month you might not get.”

The pictures get an airing at Mini dealerships throughout the UK with the Off Beat Lounge, which specialises in exhibiting limited edition, fine art rock photography. A tour last year looking at Bruce Springsteen attracted fans from across Europe.

For this exhibition Mr O’Regan will be on hand to give some ticket-holders an insight into what it was like travelling with one of the world’s biggest rock icons.

The exhibition runs at the Chandlers Mini showroom in Victoria Road, Portslade, on the evening of Tuesday, August 2, and limited tickets from £7.50 are available by searching “David And I” on the website ticketweb.co.uk or by calling 01603 757891.