Early Rolling Stones photos exhibited at St Katharine Docks

Rolling Stones Unseen ’63 runs from June 6 until September 10 at the atmospheric Dockside Vaults in St Katharine Docks and showcases more than 100 rare photographs by Gus Coral.

They capture the DNA of what would become one of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll bands when they were just five ambitious Brits obsessed with American blues and playing London's smoke-filled jazz clubs.

The Rolling Stones formed in 1962 and embarked on their first tour in 1963 supporting The Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley (Image: Gus Coral) The band was formed in 1962 when childhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards connected with blues aficionado Brian Jones and - along with drummer Charlie Watts and bass guitarist Bill Wyman - built a following as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond.

Maverick lens-man Coral captured them in the autumn of 1963 when they were embarking on their first UK tour supporting American idols The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley and Little Richard.

They weren't yet the long-haired rebels in unwashed tight jeans who would challenge The Beatles' polished appeal. But it was on the tour that Richards perfected his guitar swagger, Jagger developed his provocative strut, and Jones was at the helm as the band's founder and visionary.

Songs performed on the tour included Rollover Beethoven and Poison Ivy. (Image: Gus Coral) The set list included Poison Ivy, Roll Over Beethoven, and Route 66, and the venues ranged from the Hammersmith Odeon and New Victoria Theatre in London to Watford's Gaumont Theatre and the Liverpool Odeon.

Coral's photographs freeze the creative moment: Jones leaning into his slide guitar with focused intensity; Jagger, not yet the strutting peacock but already commanding attention with feral intensity; Richards developing the laconic cool that would define him; Wyman's stoic presence anchoring the chaos; and Watts, the reluctant rock star, bringing jazz-honed precision to the set.

"These images capture the precise moment when five street urchins from the London suburbs transformed into rock gods," says Ben Gamble of Nylon Pie who are staging the exhibition.

"Before 'Satisfaction,' before the drugs busts, before the stadiums, this is ground zero of the Rolling Stones mythology."

"The photographs have been a closely guarded secret for more than 60 years, seen only by a handful of people," said Gus Coral.

"They capture The Rolling Stones in a way the world has never witnessed, raw, ambitious, and on the cusp of greatness. I’m thrilled to finally share them with the world."

Tickets start at £15 and include a drink, while VIP tickets at £30 include two drinks and an A4 print of one of the pictures. The underground space of brickwork cellars will also boast a Stones-inspired bar serving “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (a whiskey cocktail with an appropriate kick), “Satisfaction Sour” (gin with the perfect bitter edge), and “Brown Sugar” (a dangerously smooth rum concoction).

Tickets from Ticketmaster and further details from www.rollingstonesunseen.com/tickets