Dave Musson Photography - Blog

WATS: We're All the Same

2009-06-19T22:59:00.003+01:00

I've been a bad blogger haven't I? Almost two months without a post, it's just not on I know, but I do have two good excuses; one I've been very busy with my journalism course in Manchester and two, shamefully, I simply haven't taken many photos recently. But, that got sorted today.

This weekend is my first at home in Bulkington for ages and so I decided to help Mum out today by photographing an event for her work at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre. It was a celebration of the Grapevine Youth Project - a really good scheme to get young people with and without learning difficulties to do things together and break down any barriers that may be there. there big thing was a project called WATS: We're All the Same, which just sums up the ethos of the whole idea.

The group have done things like go away to Centreparcs together, take part in a fashion show, make an advert, and generally lots of getting out, being seen and making friends.

Today was a celebration of the project and the fact that it has got funding to continue. There was a host of things going on including singing, videos, presentations and lots of mingling. Here's some of my shots from the morning.

One of the stars of the videos was this next guy - he's a real character who just seems to love the camera, as these shots show!

I had a great morning and wish the group every success in the future. Tomorrow, I'm doing my first gig shoot in ages, but it's going to be a bit different from normal. Instead of sweaty heavy metal blokes, I'm photographing The Saturdays with support from Pixie Lott - should be fun!

I'll leave you with one more shot from tomorrow, quite possibly the best smile I've ever seen - certainly the best I've ever photographed!

Rude Boys! The Specials show us how it should be done

2009-04-26T12:22:00.002+01:00

Last night I was back at the Birmingham O2 Academy, feeling very privileged to be photographing Coventry's best ever band The Specials as part of their 30th anniversary reunion tour. I was the only photographer, which was quite surprising really. The only downside was, due to the Academy's new policy on photographers, I had to leave the building after my three songs so I couldn't stay to enjoy the show. What I did get to see was great, and here's my favourite shots from the night. A review for Birmingham Live should hit the net soon!

There you have it. It's always great to add some genuine legends to your portfolio, and having the chance to shoot a band as important to music as The Specials was awesome. Hope you've liked my pics, if so then leave me a comment below. Hope to see you check back here soon!

Papa Roach rock the Academy

2009-04-22T22:49:00.003+01:00

Last Saturday I was back at the O2 Academy to photograph the excellent Papa Roach. I was covering the show for Powerplay Magazine. The band were awesome, I really enjoyed their set - just a shame that the lights were pretty poor. Anyway, I got a selection of good shots, enjoy them.

That's the lot for Papa Roach, next up for me - the Specials this weekend, can't wait!

Forlorn Band Shoot

2009-04-21T19:21:00.002+01:00

Last week I did a shoot around Digbeth with unsigned Birmingham metal band Forlorn. I've reviewed both fo Forlorn's EPs for Powerplay Magazine, and I really think they've got what it takes, so I was really glad when they asked me to do some shots of them. Here's a selection of the best ones, and don't forget to check out their myspace and have a listen - if you like metal, you'll like Forlorn.

Stay tuned for my shots from Papa Roach, coming soon.

Robin and Jenny Engagement Shoot

2009-04-11T00:33:00.002+01:00

Today I met with my first wedding clients - Robin and Jenny - to discuss what they would like me to take on their big day in July. We also managed to dodge the showers for a 10 minute engagement shoot on Kenilworth Common. Robin is one of my oldest and best friends, so I'm really chuffed to have been asked to shoot their day. Can't wait to do it!

Best of luck for the big day guys!

Lunchtime Portrait Sessions

2009-04-10T23:17:00.003+01:00

Well, long time no blog updates! I do have an excuse...I've just started a journalism training course up in Manchester so haven't had much chance to take some photos. However, the last couple of weeks I have trialling a new idea of mine - lunchtime portrait. Basically, I spend 10 minutes doing a shoot in one or two locations, and aim to get at least five good shots from it. I'm hoping it can be something that I can offer as a photographic service in the future, and my fellow course mates have been acting as guinea pigs for me. I've decided to best my favourite ones so far - they were all done in 10 minute shoots, and all the locations are on one street in Manchester. Enjoy.

Please let me know what you think of these shots, and if you'd like to book a lunchtime session then get in touch!

Keep Runnin' Your Mouth - ADTR Blitz the Barfly

2009-02-24T22:20:00.002Z

Last Friday I was down at the Barfly to cover the show by the pop moshers A Day to Remember. I was covering it for both Powerplay Magazine and Birmingham Live. Because I was interviewing ADTR for the mag, I also got to do some promo shots, although due to a cock-up by the PR lady, I had to do these after dark instead of using natural light as I was hoping to do. Still, they came out reasonably well.

Then it was onto the gig, and first up a band from Glasgow called Azriel, who were absolutely awesome. They've got the talent to go a long way I think, and I was really pleased to get some cool shots of them.

Second on the bill were American band For the Fallen Dreams, another great live band who were a lot of fun to photograph.

Then it was down to ADTR to wrap things up. This was their third time in Brum, and the third time that I've photographed them. They keep on improving as a band, and last Friday's was their best yet that I've seen. Enjoy the shots!

There you go for ADTR...looks like it's going to be a bit quiet on the gigs front for me over the next few weeks, but if you've enjoyed these ones please leave me some comments to let me know what you think of my work. See you next time!

The Priest Feast

2009-02-20T09:53:00.003Z

Last Saturday I headed off the the LG Arena at the NEC to photograph Priest Feast, featuring three legends of metal - Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Testament. I was covering the gig for Birmingham Live and you can see the review right here. First up, some pics of Testament.

Second on the bill, Megadeth who riffed and shredded their way through their one-hour slot in front on a wall of Marshall amps - very metal!

Then it was down to the Priest to round things with a hometown performance. One word can sum them up - metal!

That's it for Priest Feast, hope you liked them. If you did, please leave me some comments! Next blog will hopefully be picstures of A Day to Remember in Birmingham, until then stay safe and hope to see you back here soon.

Everybody's Doing the Fish!

2009-02-17T19:59:00.003Z

Last Friday I was back at the Academy to photograph my first ska show, featuring Suburban Legends and the masters of the genre, Reel Big Fish. I was covering the show for Birmingham Live, and you can see the piece here. Here's some of Suburban Legends, who took to the stage in synchronised dance!

I really enjoyed the SL set, they have the potential to make a real name for themselves in the genre.

Here's a few more shots...

...and some more.

Then it was down to the mighty Fish.

This was the fourth time I'd seen RBF, but only the first time I'd photographed them, so it was great to add them to my portfolio.

Here's some more of the headliners...

...and some more for your enjoyment.

That's it for this one. Coming soon, my shots from the Priest Feast, featuring three legends of metal. Check back here for those.

Defenders of the Faith

2009-02-16T21:53:00.002Z

Last Thursday night I made my first trip to the Academy since it has been rebranded by O2, all to witness the second Defenders of the Faith tour. Thanks to Virgin trains I missed Five Finger Death Punch, but I was there to catch the excellent Unearth, a band who I had seemed destined never to see live until this tour. They were worth the wait!

Here's some more Unearth...

...and some more.

Up next were Norway's Dimmu Borgir, not my type of thing musically, but great to photograph.

Here's some more Dimmu...

...and a couple more.

Rounding things off, probably the best metal band in the world today, the amazing Lamb of God.

This was the third time I'd photographed the band, with these shots easily being my best ones of them yet.

No need to write much here, Lamb of God are awesome - 'nuff said!

That's it for this one. Keep checking back here for pics of Reel Big Fish, Judas Priest, Megadeth, and Testament. Ciao for now!

The first gig of 2009...Shinedown in Brum

2009-01-24T15:31:00.003Z

Last Thursday I finally got to shoot my first live action of 2009 when the excellent Shinedown played the Barfly. I was reviewing and photographing the gig for Birmingham Live, and it should go online soon. The band were excellent, and I got some pleasing shots.

Shinedown are massive over in America, but not especially well-known here in the UK. This gig was part of their first ever headline tour outside of their homeland, and they really showed what a class act they are with a great show.

If you've been on my blog before then you may remember the name Shinedown from last October, when I shot them at the Academy when they supported Disturbed. You can find my pics from last time right here. You'll also notice that the band has lost one of its guitarists since I last saw them, but they are just as effective as a four-piece.

Don't be surprised if Shinedown start to become bigger over here this year, they're getting plenty of good press and their albums are excellent. On top of that, they're also a terrific live band.

Here's a few more pics for you all...

...and some more...

...and some more, check out the mad eyes!

That's it for this one. I'm hopefully going to be shooting some great bands over the next few weeks, so don't forget to keep checking back here to stay up to date with what I'm photographing. Thanks for reading, see you next time.

Are they human?...or are they a tribute band?

2009-01-15T22:05:00.003Z

Last weekend I was asked by Hot Fuss - a Killers tribute band - to come and do a shoot with them as they prepare to launch themselves onto the live scene. I was only too happy to help them out, particularly as their guitarist is my old guitar teacher Paul Humphreys. The majority of the shoot was some "live" ones, so I snapped away while they performed a full dress rehearsal. Here's some of the best shots.

Judging on what I got to hear, Hot Fuss have the Killers sound spot on and should have no problems in doing well. They also make the effort to look the part, which always gives you a few extra points when it comes to being a tribute act.

Here's a few more, hopefully these shots will help the guys start getting some bookings.

And here's couple of more of my favourites from the live ones.

We ended the session with a few promo shots, my favourites being these next couple. Hope you've enjoyed seeing these shots - if you like the Killers at all then do click over to the Hot Fuss Website as they've recorded a couple of demos so you can hear just how good they are. And of course, if you are in a tribute band and want some shots doing, then please get in touch using the links at the side of this page. Until the next blog, ciao for now.

Holte Enders in the Sky

2009-01-06T22:49:00.003Z

A bit of a different post to my usual ones to start off 2009's pictures, but one very close to my heart. For Xmas, Ellie's mum and dad gave me tickets for a tour of Villa Park, home of the mighty Aston Villa Football Club, which was excellent. Unfortunately for Ellie, they gave me two tickets so she got dragged along as well. The tour was fascinating (for me), and I'm really pleased with some of shots, because they show plenty of behind the scenes stuff - the kind of thing that normal fans like myself don't often get to see. For instance, we went into the press room, and saw where the managers do their post-match press conferences with the written press, as well as the best chairs and carpet I've ever seen!

We also got to walk through the players' lounge - not as posh as you may expect, but comfy all the same.

Next, we were shown around the hospitality parts of the Trinity Road stand - all wonderful facilities that would be great to go to once, but I think I'd still rather be out in a normal seat most of the time! I particularly liked the Villa-themed windows that were dotted around.

Of course we also got to see the pitch and the stands. This next shot is of the Holte End - the biggest and best behind the goal stand in the country. This stand holds 13,500 Villa fans, and is awesome on match day.

Then we got to the bits that really started to wake up the over-excited football fan in me by heading to the tunnel and dressing room areas.

Then, even better, a look inside the Villa dressing room. I even managed to get Ellie to be in a shot, sitting by the shirt of her favourite Villan, so she can't deny that she was on the tour now! I sat by Freddie's shirt, becasue unfortunately the number 17 of Salifou had not been hung up.(Apologies about the quality of the panoramic - it was shot hand held and in a rush etc etc, hence the very noticeable join.)

Then it was out of the tunnel, to pitch side and some more shots of the stadium itself.

There you have it. The tour is excellent, well worth going on. You find out all the info right here. It's almost worth it just so you can pretend to be on Match of the Day!

2008 - The Year That Was

2009-01-01T21:24:00.002Z

Happy New Year everyone, and a warm welcome to 2009! I thought I'd post a review of my photographic year, including some of my favourite shots of 2008. I've been really pleased with my progress this year, I've done a few portrait sessions and I've been regularly contributing to Powerplay Magazine and Birmingham Live, both of which have improved my photography no end. Anyway, I wanted to post some of my fave music shots of the year, as it's been quite a year for me - I've shot some big names such as Status Quo, Fall Out Boy, Simple Minds, Dave Mustaine, Airbourne, Serj Tankian, Meshuggah, Velvet Revolver, Disturbed, Alter Bridge and more, as well as some less well known acts. So, here's my top ten gigs of 2008 that I covered.

10. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster + A Day to Remember @ Birmingham Barfly, January - This was my first gig of the year, and a top one to kick things off with. MATSOD's last album was one of my favourites of 2007, and it was great to catch them live. It was also my first glipse of A Day to Remember to boot, who I've really gotten into this year. Here's some shots of each band.

9. Meshuggah @ Birmingham Academy 2, September - The chance to photograph such legends as Meshuggah in such a tiny venue was too good too miss, and boy did they not disappoint. A superb show, and some great images to remember it by.

8. Thunder @ Wolves Civic Hall, November - Thunder always put on a top show, and it's never dull shooting them. Couple that with an excellent venue like the Civic Hall and you're laughing. I'm already looking forward to their next tour.

7. Stone Gods + Them Is Me @ Birmingham Barfly, September - The top two bands of a show organised by Emma Scott of Kerrang Radio, and two of Britain's best new bands without doubt. Them Is Me feature ex-Reef members while the Gods have some former Darkness people on board, and both bands are excellent. Here's some shots of TIM...

...and then some Stone Gods.

6. Taste of Chaos Tour @ Birmingham Academy 2, October - Six bands, short sets and quick changeovers made for a top night's entertainment. The lineep was I Spy Strangers, HORSE the Band, MUCC, Story of the Year, As I Lay Dying and Atreyu, and here's some shots of the top three bands.

5. Black Stone Cherry @ Birmingham Academy, December - One of the best bands to emerge out of the last couple of years, BSC put on a superb show in Brum towards the end of the year which culminated in the entire band ending up perched on the drum rider in their best rock star poses. The sky is the limit for those four guys.

4. Airbourne @ Birmingham Academy, November - Another great new band with a huge future ahead of them, I actually covered both of Airbourne's tours in 2008, but the second was by far the better show, and also had the most rediculous wall of Marshall amps I've seen! Oh yeah, and they were bloody LOUD as well! A great night.

3. Fall Out Boy @ Birmingham LG Arena, October - This was probably the biggest surprise of 2008 for me. FOB have long been a guilty pleasure, but I was rather sceptical about whether they would be able to cut it as a live outfit. However, while I expected to see a crappy boy band, they actually put on a really good show and are, quite simply, a great live band.

2. Alter Bridge @ Wolves Civic Hall, November - Another band that I shot twice in 2008, and while the Birmingham show in January was cool, and I also got to hang out with the band backstage pre-gig, my shots of their later tour were much better, and I probably enjoyed the seond gig more. Alter Bridge are a class act and I can't wait to see what they do next.

1. Velvet Revolver @ Wolves Civic Hall, March - So here we are, my number one gig of 2008, and for so many reasons. I got to interview and photograph Duff McKagan pre-show, which was great, I had Slash say hello to me as well - amazing, and had I not been shooting this gig then I wouldn't have met Steve Gerrard and I would not have become part of the Birmingham Live team. And of course, the gig was incredible, just a shame that the band were in such turmoil at the time. I got some really pleasing shots, in particular this next one - easily my all-time favourite music photograph that I have ever taken!

While I'm in a list writing mode, here's a couple more, starting with my top ten albums of 2008:

10. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
9. Shinedown - The Sound of Madness
8. Thunder - Bang!
7. Airbourne - Runnin' Wild
6. Them Is Me - Them Is Me
5. All Shall Perish - Awaken the Dreamers
4. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
3. Metallica - Death Magnetic
2. Slipknot - All Hope is Gone
1. Black Stone Cherry - Folklore and Superstition.

As far as 2009 goes I've got plenty to look forward to; I'm going to be featured in the March issue of Practical Photography Magazine, I've been booked to do my first wedding, and I'm also hoping to shoot plenty more great bands including Lamb of God, Reel Big Fish, Judas Priest, A Day to Remember, Shinedown, The Specials and more. I hope you've enjoyed my review of 2008, and here's hoping 2009 is just as good! Cheers, and hope to see you back here soon :-)

Status Quo! De Dun De Dun De Dun De Dun...

2008-12-25T12:16:00.002Z

Merry Christmas everyone! Last Monday I shot my final gig of 2008, and chose a great one to finish on - the mighty Status Quo, who played the LG Arena as part of their 40th anniversary tour. I was covering the gig for Birmingham Live, and you see my review and some other pics right here.

This was the first time I'd seen the Quo live, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They are a true British institution, and it was a joy to shoot them.

If any of you are wondering where my promised pics of Biffy Clyro are, then I'm sad to say that I didn't get to shoot them in the end - my pass only let me in for the support act. Very annoying, but hopefully they'll your again soon and I'll get to shoot them. Here's some more Quo pics.

It was great to finish my photographic year by adding another big name to my portfolio - I'll be posting a review of 2008 next week sometime highlighting all of my favourite gigs and photos, so check back here then!

If you like these pics, please leave me some comments at the bottom of the page! Here's a few more...

...and some more!

And that's it for the Quo. I also found out last week that Practical Photography Magazine are going to be doing a small feature on me in the March 2009 issue, so make sure you get yourselves a copy when it hits the shelves! Merry Christmas, and all the best for this festive season.

Black Stone Cherry rock Birmingham

2008-12-11T20:14:00.002Z

Last night I was at the Academy to shoot the mighty Black Stone Cherry - one of my favourite bands. I wasn't shooting the gig for anyone in particular, but I was reviewing it for both Birmingham Live and Powerplay Magazine. It was an awesome, and I go some really pleasing pics.

This was the second time I'd shot the band, and the third time I'd seen them live, and they just keep on getting better. They really should have a bright future.

A real fan favourite is the band's drummer - John Fred Young, who is a real larger-than-life type character. I've interviewed him twice and can honestly say he's the nicest bloke I've ever met. Because he's awesome, these next three pics are all John Fred, my hair idol!

If you ever get the chance to see BSC live then do it - you really won't regret it at all.

If you're wondering my support band pics are then you're gonna be disappointed - I arrived too late to shoot Sevendust, and the other band was Stone Gods who I've shot twice in the last couple of months so didn't bother with. Both bands went down really though. Here's some more of the Cherry.

Don't worry, there's plenty more yet!

I got some really great black and white shots from the gig - a style that really seems to suit BSC very well indeed. Here's an entirely mono section for you.

The band are very energetic on stage, really giving it their all, as this next shot shows.

Quite simply, BSC are a great band, and I can't wait until they tour again.

Just a few more left for you to enjoy, please leave me some comments and let me know what you think of my work!

And just a few more!

That's it for BSC, hope you liked them. My next gig is probably going to be Biffy Clyro, by which time I will have turned 23 - scary! Catch you soon.

Fashion on the Common

2008-12-11T18:43:00.003Z

Last Sunday Ellie agreed to help me out by being my model while I tried out some more fashion styled techniques. We got some really cool shots, mainly from Kenilworth Common, and I thought I'd post a few on here.

I was really pleased with the shots from Sunday, and the day was made even better by then watching the Villa win at Everton...happy days!

In case you're interested, the Practical Photography Magazine article about Birmingham Live is in the latest issue (January) on page 14, so go see if you can find a copy! Here's a couple more images from my fashion shoot with Ellie, and stay tuned for plenty of Black Stone Cherry shots.

80s Fest - Simple Minds + Deacon Blue

2008-11-30T17:56:00.003Z

Last Friday I was sent to the LG Arena (the NEC to me and you) to photograph Scottish band Simple Minds, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary. I was shooting the gig for Birmingham Live and hopefully the review will go up asap. Support came from fellow Scots Deacon Blue.

Now, if you've read any of my other posts on this blog, you'll probably know that Friday's lineup wasn't exactly my musical cup of tea, and I'd be lying if I said that I enjoyed Deacon Blue's set. It didn't help that their singer kept chucking water over all of us photographers - very annoying. The crowd seemed to like it though.

Then it was down to the headliners to send the room crazy. Again, not my style of music, but they were much more enjoyable to watch than the support act, and the quality of their lvie sound was impressive.

Another plus point for Simple Minds - no water being launched in the direction of the photographer's pit!

30 years together is a mighty achievement, and unsurprisingly the band got a great reception from their fans. Singer Jim Kerr hardly stopped waving to the crowd for the whole three songs that I shot them for.

Of course, their big hit was "Don't You Forget About Me", but I didn't stay long enough to hear it - partly because I was only given a photo pass and not a ticket, but mainly because I had a train home to catch.

Here's a few more for you, don't forget to leave me some comments!

That's it for Simple Minds, and indeed for November. I have no gigs no until 10th December, which is an absolute age compared to the last couple of months! However, there is due to be an article about Bimringham Live appearing in Practical Photography next week, which I actually arranged, so I'll probably post on here when that comes out. Here's a final shot from Simple Minds for you, catch you all again soon!

Thunder - You Can't Keep a Good Band Down

2008-11-29T18:51:00.005Z

Last Thursday I was off to Wolverhampton Civic Hall, to photograph one of my all-time favourite bands - the British legends that are Thunder. I was shooting and reviewing the gig for Birmingham Live, and you can find my piece online right here. This was the ninth time I've seen Thunder, and the fourth time I've photographed them, and as ever, they put on a superb show.

Once more, the band showed everyone how to put on a rock and roll concert, playing a great set that covered their entire history together. They also have great lights, which makes my job shooting them a lot easier.

I love this next shot - it sums up vocalist Danny Bowes perfectly!

It's always great fun shooting Thunder, and this time was no different. It was great being able to add plenty more decent shots to my live portfolio.

Here's some more shots from the night for you.

Harry James was back behind the kit having missed the earlier part of the tour due to problems with kidney stones. He's a real crowd favourite, and he still hits those skins as hard as he ever has.

I was really pleased with my shots from the night, and here's a few more of my favourites.

If you like my shots please leave me some comments, and maybe even have a browse of the rest of this blog to see if I've shot any other bands that you like.

That's it for my Thunder pics. I've also got a few pics in the newest issue of Powerplay Magazine, so why not see if you can find a copy to flick through? I'll be back on here soon with pics from Simple Minds in Birmingham.

A Foo Fighter in Brum

2008-11-23T21:25:00.003Z

Last Thursday I headed down to the Dragon Bar, above the Barfly to photograph the show by Jackson United, the band fronted by Foo Fighter's guitarist Chris Shiflett. I was shooting the gig for Birmingham Live and the review should go up soon. First on were Stratford's The Culprit. From the song and a half I saw of them, they were very good, but I'll reserve a proper judgement until I get the chance to see them properly.

Next up were Birmingham's very own Beat Union, who have supported the headliners over in the States. Their punky oi-oi type music isn't exactly my favourite style, but their performance was tight, slick and very professional. I can't see any reason why these guys don't go far.

I'll admit that the only reason I wanted to shoot this one was because they are fronted by a Foo Fighter, and I didn't stay for the whole show because I had a train to catch. However, from what I saw, Jackson United seemed like a great live band, full of energy and very at ease with the crowd. Rightfully, they didn't play any Foos stuff, not that it would have worked with their own punk/surf style.

Given that the photo pit at the Dragon Bar was tiny, I was rooted to one position for the whole time I was shooting - hence no decent pics of the bass player. However, Shiflett is the main attraction, and I got plenty of him to put in my portfolio.

Three songs done and I was off and on my way back to New Street for my train home. I'm looking forward to my gigs this week - I've hopefully got Thunder on Thursday night in Wolves, and then on Friday I'm shooting Simple Minds at the NEC. As always, pics will be up here as soon as I can get through them all! See you again soon.

Sent to Coventry

2008-11-20T15:30:00.003Z

On Tuesday I took a stroll around Coventry City Centre with the intention of getting some shots of the old Cathedral, which was bombed by the Nazis in World War II. The graphic shapes and wonderful textures of the ruins lent themselves perfectly to some mono treatment, and here's some of my favourites.

Later on, Mum and I went into town to do some low-light photography. However, before Mum could even take one shot she fell over and broke her foot, so our excursion was cut short. I did get these shots while we waiting for someone to come a pick us up. We'll have to go back again when she's out of plaster!

Puppy!

2008-11-20T15:17:00.002Z

Last weekend Ellie and I went down to Kent to visit a friend, and they have recently had a new addition within the family - Jasper the puppy. Naturally, I took plenty of pics of him, and thought I'd post a few here because he's cute and it breaks up the endless shots of ugly rock stars!

Jasper is huge considering he's only 3 and half months old. We took him on his first proper walk round a nearby lake on the Saturday - he had a good time but was shattered for the rest of the day!

Not to be outdone, Teddy - the other dog in the household - was also happy to have his photo taken.

Later on, Jasper perked up a bit a was more playful. He took a particular liking to my camera strap, as you can see here.

Hope you enjoyed the pics - don't forget to get in touch if you'd like any shots of your pet doing!

Alter Bridge rock Wolverhampton

2008-11-12T20:43:00.003Z

Last night I headed to Wolverhampton Civic Hall to photograph one of my favourite bands in the whole world - the amazing Alter Bridge. I was covering the gig for Birmingham Live, and you can find my review right here. First up were Scottish five-piece Logan, a band I know and respect.

The band are great to watch, but what makes them stand out is the vocal talents of singer Kenny Collins - this guy has one hell of a voice.

I actually interview Logan for Powerplay Magazine back in the summer of 2006 in Nottingham, and I just don't understand how they are still unsigned. They deserve to much bigger than they are, and they are one of the best live bands you could ever wish to see. Oh, on this next pic, the two guys are brothers - there's not a mirror on stage!

The guys just keep on getting tighter as a live band, and it was great to be able to see them again having missed out on their UK tour in July.

Logan are a great band, I urge you to check them out if you're into grunge or melodic hard rock - support talented British unsigned bands!

Then it was onto the main event, Alter Bridge - easily one of my top five bands of all time. I've seen them play seven times now, and they just keep getting better each time round!

Alter Bridge's frontman, Myles Kennedy, is one of the best singers you will ever hear (he's also a damn fine guitarist) and, as usual, his performance was excellent. Myles has been suggested as a possible singer for Led Zep if Robert Plant doesn't want to reform, which would be pretty interesting. He could easily pull it off, I just hope that, were it to happen, it wouldn't halt the progress of Alter Bridge. Anyway, here's some shots of Myles.

On lead guitar is one hell of a player - Mr Mark Tremonti, a guy who can shred with the best of them, and who really knows how to write some amazing riffs. A very nice bloke as well!

On bass, another top guy - Brian Marshall. While I was still at uni, I interviewed him for my radio show, creating a general knowledge quiz especially for him. He scored a mighty 7 out of 20 and was highly entertaining throughout. Oh, and he's an awesome bassist as well.

The band is completed by Scott Phillips on drums, but he was too far away for me to get any shots of him. As I've already said, Alter Bridge live are amazing, and last night was no exception. In simple terms, they totally rocked.

Last time Alter Bridge were over here, in January, I was lucky enough to go backstage pre-show and photograph the guys as they chilled out and warmed up. It was a brilliant experience and I can't thank them enough for letting me do it. you can see some of my pics from then on the third page of this gallery here. Here's some more live stuff.

One of the highlights from the set was the reception that followed "Blackbird" - i don't think I've ever heard that much applause at the end of a mid-set song in my life, and they completely deserved it. It is definitely one of their best numbers.

OK, I'm running out of new things to type here, but you get the idea...Alter Bridge are AWESOME!

I know you want to see more, so here you go...check Myles' rock face in this next one.

Still here? Well done! Your reward for getting this far down? More pics of course!

Well that's it, hope you like the shots. Please leave some comments and let me know what you think. I can't wait to see Alter Bridge play again, and if their next UK tour is in arenas then I won't be at all surprised - that's where they deserve to be. Cheers for reading!

Guitarfest 2008

2008-11-12T19:17:00.003Z

After the fun of Music Live during the day on Friday, I then stayed at the NEC to review Guitarfest 2008, and once again had a great time. Again, I was reviewing the show for Birmingham Live, and the review should be up there very soon. First up, a storming set by The Quireboys.

This was the first time I'd even heard anything by The Quireboys, let alone see them live, and I was really impressed.

Next up, former UFO axeman Vinnie Moore, who proceeded to shred for half an hour of so.

While his playing was superb, Vinnie's set did start to drag just a bit with the absence of a band or any vocals - still this was Guitarfest so some serious shredding like this was in order!

Third on the bill was ex-Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy bassist Marco Mendoza, who played a set of jazzy funk rock.

Marco has a superb singing voice, very Glenn Hughes-esque. While his set was probably a bit long given that it was all new material, the guy is such a nice bloke it was hard not to enjoy his performance.

Next up were Danny Bowes, Luke Morley and Ben Matthews of Thunder, joined by Mendoza and Marco's drummer for a three-song set of covers, which was great fun.

They rattled through Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough", and "Don't Believe a Word" and "Boys Are Back In Town" both by Thin Lizzy, and considering they probably only had Friday afternoon to practice, they did a damn good job!

And then it was down to the mighty Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, along with his drummer Shaun Drover to wrap things up. They played "Peace Sells..." the song chosen by a fan vote.

The only problem was, they only played the one song, and you got the impression that people were expecting a lot longer set from the thrash master. Still, it was better than nothing, and getting to see a legend in such a modest venue was awesome.

So that was that. It was great to get some shots of Dave for my portfolio, and I'm very much looking forward to Megadeth's return to these shores in February with the mighty Judas Priest. Rock on!

Music Live 2008

2008-11-11T15:33:00.004Z

Last Friday I was at the NEC all day reviewing Music Live 2008 for Birmingham Live. I had a great day, playing guitars and watching bands for hours on end - brilliant!

I got to play on my dream guitar - a green PRS like Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge uses...VERY nice!

As well as the trade show, there were also a number of bands playing throughout the day, and I photographed the lot of them. First up were Riot:Noise. The Bristolians did OK, but were nothing special.

Second on the bill, Electric City, whose generic indie-ness was not at all my type of thing.

After that, I took a bit more time to wander round and see some more of the trade show...

Then it was back into the performance area for great set from local boys Mexicolas, whose set I really enjoyed. Very stoner-esque groovy rock - awesome!

Then, we were treated to a very special acoustic performance from Blues legend in the making, Joe Bonamassa, which was, quite simply, stunning.

Then it was back to the trade show, where I was confronted with the hideous sight of a whole range of Spongebob Squarepants musical instruments - oh dear oh dear oh dear.

I then decided to take in a drum clinic conducted by Robin Guy, which was fantastic, if a little pounding on the ear drums!

Then it was back to the stage on last time for the final, and probably least impressive, band of the day, Essex's Koopa.

I then did a bit of celebrity, well rock star, spotting - meeting Dave Mustaine and Shaun Drover, both of Megadeth fame.

Then it was back off to enjoy the last hour of the show. I thought that the pure black cymbals were pretty damn cool...

And that was it, a great day out. Stay tuned for another post with my pictures from Guitarfest, which was held in the evening after my day at Music Live. It'll be on here soon!

G'day Bruce...it's Bladdy Airbourne mate!

2008-11-08T15:33:00.004Z

Having already got my quota of fireworks photos for this month, Wednesday night I ditched the bonfire in favour of heading down to the Birmingham Academy to see Aussie rockers Airbourne. I was shooting the gig for Birmingham Live and you can see my review here. First up were Canadian punks Sound and Fury.

The band did fairly well, getting a good reception from the crowd, but they weren't exactly my sort of thing. Not bad, but not especially great either.

Next up were Stone Gods who I really enjoyed. They really seem to be turning into a great band, and they're British, which makes it all even better.

The Gods' set was excellent, though disappointingly short, and they further boosted their popularity in these parts following their show at the Barfly in September, which I also photographed.

A great set from Stone Gods, and I even managed to buy a copy of their debut album for only £7 - absolute bargain! I look forward to being able to see this band live again.

And then it was down to Airbourne to round the evening off. Airbourne have been amazingly successful given that they've only released one album so far, underlined by the fact that they're headlining a venue of this size on only their second UK tour. And while their music isn't especially original, it's bloody good!

If you like rock and get the chance to see Airbourne light, take it because they are truly awesome. Just take some earplugs because they are incredibly loud.

The only down side was that Airbourne could only really do an hour - not surprising given that they only have one album. Hopefully next time they're over here, they'll have another album to pick from.

Here's some more shots for you...

...and a few more...

There you go, please leave me some comments if you like my shots, and check back soon for my next blog from Music Live and Guitarfest.

Bedworth Civic Bonfire and Fireworks 2008

2008-11-02T20:03:00.003Z

Last night I braved the dreadful weather to go and photograph the annual Bedworth Civic fireworks display organised by the Bedworth Lions Club. Despite the rain, it was a great display - this year done to music for the very first time. Well done to the organisers, and here's a few of my shots.

I've another busy few days ahead of me this week with three gigs over the next three nights, followed by a weekend at Music Live at the NEC next weekend. Busy times, which of course means lots more blog posts for you all to read. For now, I'll leave you with three more from the fireworks - probably three of my favourites from the night.

See You on the Other Side

2008-11-02T19:57:00.003Z

This week I entered the "reflections" competition organised by Bedworth and Exhall Camera Club. I didn't win, but each of my images scored 8 out of 10, which I was pretty pleased with. The images were a pair of self portraits called "See You on the Other Side", and here they are:

Fun at the Memorial Park

2008-10-27T21:03:00.002Z

Friday afternoon of last week, I met up with a friend at Coventry's War Memorial park to photograph her son. We had brilliant weather for the shoot - a bright, sunny autumnal afternoon - and my model was brilliant, full of energy and more than keen to pose for me. We started off by playing with some of the many leaves that had fallen from the park's trees - cue lots of leaves taking to the air and lots of smiles.

Next up was the War Memorial itself, and impressive monument and perfect for running around...told you he was full of energy!

My man has a great smile on him, which he was only too happy to show off for the camera.

We then headed off to the adventure playground and I managed to get a few pleasing shots of my model enjoying himself on the slides, rocking things and whatever else was there.

In case you were wondering, my model was born deaf and that thing on his head is actually a processor that allows him to hear, but from how he talks, if that processor were invisible you wouldn't be able to tell that he has a hearing impairment at all. My man actually does a lot of modelling work for the deaf children's charity, so that explains why he is so natural in front of the lens. I captured some great black and white images during the session as well, these three being among my favourites.

Before wrapping things up, I also got some shots of my model enjoying himself on his bike, shots that I was really pleased with - espeically this next one.

Thanks a bunch for having me come and do the shoot, I had a great time and I'm really pleased with the images that I've ended up with. This last one is my favourite from the day - what a great smile!

The Datsuns in Coventry

2008-10-26T18:08:00.003Z

After a week where I'd shot metal, emo, post-hardcore, nintendocore, pop metal, indie, and whatever else, Thursday night it was off to Coventry Kasbah for some no-nonsense rock and roll courtesy of New Zealand's The Datsuns. I was shooting and reviewing the gig for Birmingham Live. First up was local band Thoria, who gave an absolutely excellent performance.

The band were backed by a substantial group of local fans, and as such went down really well. I very much enjoyed their grungy sound, and their energetic performance was superb - they were a joy to watch.

If you recognise the name Thoria, then you probably remember them from a few years ago, when Kerrang gave their debut album 4 out of 5 and they had a video all over MTV 2. On Thursday's evidence, there's no reason why they can't get back to that level in the near future.

Well done to the Thoria guys, I look forward to being able to see them live again soon.

Next up were London-based Sons of Albion, who were pretty good musically, but really failed to keep the attention of those watching. Not the right time for them really.

Fair play to the band, they gave it a good shot, but it can't have nice seeing so many people leave during their set. As I said earlier though, their music was OK, and I wouldn't mind hearing some more of them.

Here's a couple more of Sons of Albion...

Finally it was up to The Datsuns to try and get some life and some people back into the room. I'm sorry to say that, ultimately, the band were fairly disappointing; while their performance was incredibly tight, there was no crowd interaction, they raced through their set, looked pissed off at being in Coventry, and the only thing that they said all night was "We've got 2 left". Not the way to really put on a show.

It's a real shame that this one didn't live up to expectations, because it could easily have been something quite special indeed. But it wasn't, instead it was a mixture of a great performance without it being a particularly good show.

It was good having a well-known name play in Coventry, and obviously being able to shoot them was great for me and my portfolio, even if I would have like to enjoyed it more.

Here's just a few more of the Datsuns...

This week is a lot quieter than last, just the one gig to shoot and also the fireworks next weekend. However, the week after that one is another mad one, which is fine. More bands to watch and shoot, and lots more blog posts for you all to read and enjoy. See you soon.

Black Kids

2008-10-24T11:29:00.002+01:00

Wednesday night I was back at the Birmingham Academy to shoot Black Kids for Birmingham Live. Support came from British four-piece Magistrates, and here's some shots of them.

Now I won't lie, I didn't like Magistrates' music one bit - it just isn't the kind of thing I would ever choose to listen to. However, they seemed to get a good reception, and I'm sure indie fans would appreciate them a lot more than I do.

And so onto the headliners, and again, I'm not bothered about Black Kids musically - give me metal any day! That said, they were tight on stage, had a fun dynamic about them, and great little spot lights from behind the drum kit that made the stage look like it was covered in stars - classy.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Black Kids become pretty famous over here - they have that quirky, indie-pop vibe that has seen other bands do well in the UK. They're the kind of band that could easily appear on Jonathan Ross' or Jools Holland's show sometime soon.

One good about both of tonight's bands - they don't move around anywhere near as much as the bands that I normally shoot do! It certainly made my job slightly easier, although the poor lighting was a pain.

So, another couple of bands for my portfolio, and only one more gig to go in my marathon three in three days week. I'm not at all keen to listen to either of tonight's bands again in a hurry, but then I doubt many people at the gig would want to listen to any of my bands so it all balances out!

Chaos?...Tasty!

2008-10-23T12:52:00.004+01:00

Tuesday night I was back down Dale End and the Birmingham Academy 2 to shoot the RockStar Taste of Chaos Tour both for Powerplay Magazine and for Birmingham Live. With their being six bands to fit in, it was a case of lots of short,sharp sets, which was great because no band was on stage long enough for you to get bored, and the bands really gave it their all. First up were Brits I Spy Strangers who did a good job of warming things up, and went down pretty well with the crowd.

Next up, the main reason I was interested in shooting this one, was the amazing HORSE the Band, who play Nintendocore - that's extreme metal with Nintendo style synth sounds mixed in - absolutely brilliant!

I'm not sure whether the crowd got HORSE exactly, but I thought that they were superb, and I met the singer afterwards and nearly got a hug he was so happy that I praised his band. Top bloke!

Thirdly, quirky Japanese outfit MUCC who were very popular with crowd and fellow photographers alike, I think mainly because of the fact that they are a Japanese outfit playing Western metal.

I didn't actually rate them to be honest, but they played well and got a massive cheer, which I guess is all that counts.

Fourth up, the bouncy, bouncy post-hardcore stylings of Story of the Year, who always put on a superb show.

Now, I said above that they are bouncy, and this next shot is proof of that.

Here's some more SOTY shots...

...and a few more, including this next one which I really like.

Last but one, As I Lay Dying, who play pretty straight-up metalcore, which is always good fun to watch.

I'd not seen AILD before, so it was good to finally see, and I've come away with some really pleasing shots. I especially like this next one.

This guitarist is probably number three on my hair idol list.

Here's a few more of AILD, including another airbourne singer.

Finally, it was down to Atreyu, another band that I don't really like on record but who I can't deny are an excellent live band. As with when I saw them last year, they put on a very good show.

I am really pleased with how some of these shots have turned out, why not leave me a comment let me know what you think of them?

The bass player gets a mention here because of his amazing facial hair. Check it out!

Here's a few more of the headliners.

So there you have it, lots of fun, and lots more great shots for my portfolio. And just in case you were wondering where you should go for all your live review needs, just follow the example of HORSE the Band...

Thnks fr th Pcs - Fall Out Boy in Birmingham

2008-10-20T22:09:00.003+01:00

I was lucky enough to be at the LG Arena (the NEC to you and me) last night to shoot the mega pop-rock-emo group Fall Out Boy for Powerplay Magazine. I don't think I've ever experienced quite so many girls screaming at a gig before, or seen so many drunk young ladies in one room either, but it was all good fun and, most importantly, the band put on a great show.

Now, I may be too old to have gotten into the whole emo scene, but I'm not completely out of touch; I know most of you are here hoping to see pictures of FOB bassist and mainman Pete Wentz. So, just for you, here's a little section dedicated entirely to the poster boy of modern rock music, enjoy.

OK ladies, tongues back in your mouths please, there's more to come! No matter how gorgeous you may think Mr Wentz is, FOB wouldn't be where they are today wihtout having written some good songs, and that is down to singer-guitarist and chief song writer Patrick Stump. I really admire some of his vocal melodies, and his live voice is excellent. he doesn't get enough bigging up, so here's a few pics of the man, and no-one else.

The band is completed by the highly impressive Andy Hurley on drums, and guitarist Joe Troham - who is second in my own personal list of hair idols, being beaten only by John Fred of Black Stone Cherry.

Good lord, you poor things, you've had to look at SIX pictures that haven't featured Pete in any way shape or form...blimey, you'd better have another Pete section before a panic ensues! Just a quick note of interest, the picture where he's spitting water, most of that landed on me, but don't go getting jealous, it wasn't particularly nice!

Here's some more shots of the other members of the band - you know, the one's who aren't every emo girl's fantasy date!

The lighting was so much better than my only other time shooting at the NEC, sorry LG, Arena. That time, for Machine Head last November, I only ended up keeping about 10 shots, and none of those were particularly great. Not so for FOB though, I'm really pleased with all of these ones that I've blogged.

Because I'm so nice, here's one final section dedicated to Mr Wentz...

I readily admit that FOB have been something of guilty pleasure for me for a while now, so it was pretty cool to shoot them, and as ever, it's great to have such a well known name in my portfolio.

Another highly enjoyable show, with some great images to take away from it. I've got a busy one this week with three gigs in three days to shoot, so keep checking back here as they'll be plenty of updates!

Down on the Farm

2008-10-20T21:45:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I headed to Grange Farm near Ryton to do a shoot with a work colleague of my Mum and her family - three teenage daughters, one dog and one horse. The shoot was good fun, and I came away with lots of images that I'm really pleased with...hopefully my models will think the same! As there were so many different faces, I've posted a couple of each person, just so you get an idea of the different shots that I've ended up with. So, here's the first daughter.

...and daughter number two...

...and last but by no means least, daughter number three!

The girls also brought along a friend and I got some great shots of her as well. The more the merrier they say, so here she is.

We also used the shoot time to get some shots of the family unit - some of just the girls and some with Mum in as well. Here's some of my favourites.

And of course, I wasn't going home without getting some shots of the other family members - the ones with four legs each!

The next four images are my absolute favourite shots from the day of each model. I'll be interested to see which ones the models themselves like.

Thanks ever so much to all my models, I really appreciate you all giving up your time to let me shoot you, and I hope I've managed to get some shots that you all like! Cheers :-)

Child's Play

2008-10-13T22:26:00.003+01:00

For a while now, I've wanted to have a go at taking some lifestyle portraits, and last weekend I finally got the chance with two sessions in one day. First up, my first baby session, with the six-month old daughter of one of my neighbours. Here's some of the best shots from the shoot.

The shoot was great fun, and my model seemed to enjoy herself as well. Such a refreshing change from all those grumpy rock stars that I'm usually taking photos of, and much cuter too!

These next two are my absolute favourites from the entire session - such brilliant expressions for someone so young.

We also got Mum and Dad involved as well.

Thanks for making my first baby shoot such good fun guys!

After that, it was off to the park wihtout even stopping for lunch, to go and shoot some outdoor pictures with the two sons of another family friend. Again, I was really pleased with the results.

We had a fun filled hour climbing trees, sitting on fences, running down hills and the like, and again my two models were brilliant - thanks guys! These next two are definitely favourites.

I have to say that I was very lucky with the weather, as the forecast had been pretty grim. However, the experts were wrong, and for once I didn't mind in the slightest. Here's some more shots.

These next couple sections are grouped by brother, just to give an idea of what sort of range of shots I managed to capture.

And here's three of my other excellent model.

Told you there was tree climbing involved...

That last one there being a great example of the Urban "therefore no smile needed" Look! If you like these images and would like me to take some shots of your kids/siblings/nephews/nieces/grandkids or even just of yourselves, then please get in touch via the contact form on my website and we'll sort something out. Thanks again to all of my models from the weekend, I hope you had a bit of fun and like the finished pictures!

Shinedown and Disturbed Rock Birmingham

2008-10-13T20:50:00.003+01:00

Last Friday I was back at the Birmingham Academy to watch the show by Disturbed, and review it for Birmingham Live. However, before all that got underway, I was also there to inteverview the support band, Shinedown, for Powerplay Magazine. The interview went really well, they were top guys, and I was also lucky enough to grab some cool band shots deep in the winding coridoors of the Academy backstage labyrinth. Here's some of my favourites.

And so onto the show. Quite simply, they were superb. Despite the crowd initially seeming like they didn't care, within a few bars of the first song Shinedown had won them over, and found themselves with 3000 new fans. Good effort!

Amazingly, Shinedown are about to release their third album, and even more impressive, their first two went platinum and gold in the US! Quite how they've got this far without the UK knowing about them is beyond me, but hey, better late than never!

Vocalist Brent Smith has an excellent voice with a hugely impressive range, and he was also a great frontman, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, and talking lots in between songs allowing the band to strike up something of a relationship with their new fans.

This was the last date of the band's first proper UK tour, and they're coming back next January with a string of headline shows. I'll certainly be there to catch them.

Because they're very nice chaps, you can actually download a free 4 track EP of Shinedown here, and having heard the whole album, I can definitely advise you to do so. This is the crowd going bonkers for them.

And so onto the headliners. I used to love Disturbed when I was 16, but I've kind of lost track of them since then, and in my opinion, they never bettered their debut album. That said, they are still a great live band, and frontman David Draiman set the tone by being wheeled on stage in a straight jacket and Hannibal mask - quite metal and very funny!

While I'm certainly not their biggest fan, Disturbed did put on a good show, and I'm very pleased to have some decent images of them for my portfolio.

This was actually the first time I'd ever seen Disturbed live, and it was worth it just to hear material from 'The Sickness' album - those numbers still sound as awesome as they did when they first came out back in the nu metal days!

I love this next shot, his face just says RIFF all over it!

I'd not seen the Academy as full as it was on Friday for a long time now - great to see the balcony being used again as it had been empty the last few shows I had been to. It really makes for quite a sight from the photo pit.

Draiman's attempt at the YMCA didn't catch on...

Anyway, that's it for this post. Another enjoyable show, and lots more pics that I'm happy with. You can't ask for much more than that now can you?

Chilis, Dogs and Running Water

2008-10-09T12:31:00.004+01:00

Well I've been keeping myself busy this week with a variety of different pictures. I started off on Monday morning by taking a table of things out to my garden and experiementing with a bit of macro photography. The chilis in these shots were all grown by my Grandad - pretty impressive I think!

For the rest of the week I've been at Ellie's house, acting as dog-sitter for her Grandma's Westie while she's away on holiday. As well as meaning lots of walks, I've also been able to get some good shots for my Pets gallery, here are my favourites.

Most of the aforementioned walks have had some point where I've gone over to Kenilworth Common, and I wasn't going to let those photo opportunities get away now was I? I finally managed to have a go at shooting moving water, and was pretty pleased with the results.

And that's about it really for this week. Tomorrow I'm meeting Shinedown when they play in Birmingham, while Saturday I've got, not only my first baby shoot, but I'm also shooting the two sons of a family friend. Busy, busy, busy - excellent! This final image is from the Common and is the result of merging 9 seperate images to create the final one.

Sunset near Bulkington

2008-10-05T21:38:00.005+01:00

Although I don't do it very often, I do quite like to do a bit of landscape photography occasionally, and this evening I decided to nip over the fields that surround Bulkington and snap a few frames, mainly because I haven't taken any other pictures this week. I only took a few shots, and here's my favourite three.

This week I'm interviewing the band Shinedown for Powerplay Magazine as well as shooting them live, and next weekend I've got my first ever baby shoot! Hopefully this time next week I'll have added another string to my photographic bow.

I've gone barking!

2008-10-03T19:37:00.003+01:00

I've decided that, as well as shooting music and lifestyle portraits, I'd also quite like to get into shooting people's pets. As such, I did a quick practice shoot with my own dog, Monty, this afternoon, and here are some of the best shots.

If you'd like to see more of my pet photography, then check out the new Pets Gallery on my website.

If you have a pet that you would like me to photograph, then please feel free to get in touch and we can sort something out. Hopefully your pet won't look as stupid as Monty does on this next one.

Birmingham Live re-launch - Video Interview with the main man!

2008-10-01T11:44:00.002+01:00

Just in case you haven't checked out the revamped Birmingham Live site yet, here's a video interview with the man behind it all - Mr Steve Gerrard.

Steve Gerrard interview for Created in Birmingham from Created in Birmingham on Vimeo.

Going Down...In Flames

2008-09-29T19:28:00.004+01:00

Last night I was back at the Birmingham Academy, this time to shoot the Swedish metal heavyweights In Flames for the revamped and relaunched Birmingham Live website. I wasn't reviewing this time, just snapping, so I'll post a link to the review when it goes live. Thanks to the wonderful Sunday service from Virgin Trains I managed to miss the first band - Sonic Syndicate, but thankfully I was there in time to get the band I really wanted to see - the mighty French four-piece, Gojira.

I'd seen Gojira once before, at the 2006 Download Festival. They blew me away there and they blew me away agin last night. So much power, so many clever time changes, while still remaining as tight as Angelina Jolie's shorts in Tomb Raider. Awesome.

I think I deserve a free guitar from Jackson for this next image!

Gojira's set was pure class, and for my money they were way ahead of the headliners in terms of quality of performance and music. It is surely only a matter of time before they really explode in popularity.

Then it was In Flames' turn, starting from behind a white curtain with a slow-burning number. During the opening song, I realised just how much I've gone off them since the "Clayman" era. For me, they seem to have found a song formula that sells records and have stuck to it. As such, I did my three songs, then went home. Disappointing, but hey, that's what happens with some bands.

The second song of their set was a real pain to shoot, as the only lights used were the music photographer's sworn enemy - red. Luckily, I did manage to get some cool black and white images.

Ok I'll try to stop bitching about In Flames for the rest of this post now - credit where it's due, they are doing incredibly well for themselves and have certainly rocketed since I first saw them supporting Slipknot back in 2002, and their vocalist Anders Friden is a great frontman. This next shot reminds me slightly of that iconinc, London Calling shot of the Clash, just without an instrument to smash!

I'm not really sure what else to write here - good job I wasn't reviewing the show! I'll just settle for...here's some more pics from the gig - that'll do!

At the time of writing, this is my last gig that I'm down to shoot until the end of October, so if the blogging becomes a tad less frequent between now and then, that's the reason. However, between now and Xmas, I'm covering bands like Airbourne, Bring Me the Horizon, Alter Bridge, Hot Leg, Logan, Stone Gods, Black Stone Cherry, The Answer, Biffy Clyro, Fred Zeppelin and hopefully Status Quo for either Birmingham Live or Powerplay Magazine, so come the festive period my portfolio should be looking quite healthy indeed! I'm also giving my second music photography talk to Bedworth and Exhall Camera Club tomorrow night, having been invited back after giving a similar talk last year, so that's something to look forward to in the short term. Until next time, ciao for now.

Bored, bored, bored

2008-09-25T20:09:00.003+01:00

I am so bored at the moment you would not believe it. The novelty of having nothing to do all day other than watch Neighbours whilst having lunch has worn off, and I actually really want to start my new job now. And it's been a whole week since I got to shoot a gig - the horror! Luckily, I am set to cover In Flames this weekend so that should be fun.

Anyway, this extra time has had me reading through my photography magazines and got me trying me out things in Photoshop that I'd not had chance to do previously. Today, I was trying out ways of enhancing portraits and so, not having decent ones to hand, I decided to take some self portraits, which are posted below. Not only did I learn the technique that I wanted, you also all get to see just how bored I've been!

So here it is, what I'll call simply "Bored"

I also made this triptych, which I am pretty pleased with, particularly the far right shot:

You'll be glad to know that this kept me amused for a while, but now I'm done I'm bored again. Oh well, Friday tomorrow, and supposedly the sun's going to shine this weekend as well. Hurrah!

Help For Heroes

2008-09-22T16:38:00.005+01:00

On Saturday, I ventured down to Twickenham with Ellie and her family to watch the Help For Heroes charity rugby match - featuring an England XV captained by Laurence Dallaglio against an International XV captained by the legend that is Scott Gibbs. Given the unbelievably good weather I took my camera along, and managed to get a record of the day - my first visit to this stadium.

We got there in plenty of time, and so had a wander round the outside of the stadium to see if anything was going on. Typically, on the way home the next day I found out that I'd missed the Sun Newspaper's stand - complete with Page 3 girls! Gutted, that WOULD have drawn plenty of hits to this page now wouldn't it?

For some reason unknown to me, I wasn't allowed in here...maybe next time.

Now, I know this was a Help for Heroes match, but these heroes weren't exactly what I was expecting to see...

The Army were kind enough to drop in before kick-off.

Here's a shot of each team after the game, the England XV in black, Internationals in white. On the international pic, look out for Jonah Lomu in the background on the right wearing a white t-shirt - he was due to play but had to pull out with a foot injury.

Ellie and I then went into London afterwards to stay with a Uni friend, and we were greeted with quite an amazing sunset. These shots were just grabs - no filters and hardly anything done to them in Photoshop, but just look at those colours!

Only problem is now, Summer is offically over, despite the fact that it never actually started. Oh well, I'll to spend the long nights going to more gigs instead!

Getting Loaded with Duff McKagan

2008-09-22T15:12:00.003+01:00

Of course, I didn't ACTUALLY get loaded with the legendary bass player from Velvet Revolver and Guns N Roses, no no no, thankfully he gave all that up. In fact, Duff's other band is called Loaded and I interviewed them on Friday last for the November issue of Powerplay Magazine. After the interview, whilst keeping the many, many Duff fans (and possible stalkers) at bay outside, I managed to grab this band shot.

I really like the shot, especially as my flashgun failed on me completely just as I tried to take the first shot! Friday was the second time I've interviewed Duff, and he remembered me this time around which was very cool considering how many journalists he must meet, and just the fact that he's Duff McKagan. Last time around I grabbed some portraits of him, my favourite being this one.

All in all, another great experience for me, and the thought that one of lifelong musical heroes recognised me was pretty massive really! Now if only I could arrange a chat with a few more of them - anyone have the numbers for Messers Slash, Hetfield, Iommi, Cornell, Perry, Page??

Keith Caputo, the Agony uncle

2008-09-22T14:46:00.003+01:00

Last Thursday I was back at a very empty Birmingham Academy 2 to watch pint-sized Life of Agony singer Keith Caputo on his solo tour. I was shooting and reviewing the show for Birmingham Live and that should all go up soon, although I think we're due to launch the BRAND NEW site any time now, so it may take a while longer than normal. Anyway, support was provided by Brum singer/songwriter Lee Rogers, and he did an excellent job. He has a great voice, and would be well worth going to watch if you get chance.

Then it was onto the main man, Mr Caputo. He is quite a mysterious character in general, and was equally enigmatic on stage - which only really made him more captivating. He has a great vocal range, and his solo material is also very diverse, making for an interesting set.

His band, The Sad Eyed Ladies, are three talented Dutch musicians, and helped in building an atmospheric sound that built and built as the set went on.

The rest of the set was great - one of those ones you can enjoy without actually knowing any of the songs played. I'm really pleased with some of the shots I ended up with, especially given how bad the lighting was and the fact that, surprisingly for this venue, flash was not allowed. Not to worry though, I got the shots I needed and it's another "name" for my portfolio, which is nice.

3 Stone Gods and a Happy Welshman

2008-09-16T22:25:00.001+01:00

So, it was back to the Barfly last Saturday for another great night of rock. This time it was a gig organised by Emma Scott of Kerrang! Radio fame featuring four awesome bands, which I was reviewing for Birmingham Live. You can read my review here. First up it was Telford-based NewBreed, who put on a good show despite being a very late addition to the bill. They're making a name for themselves in the USA at the moment so keep an eye out for the name in the future.

Second on the bill were local boys The First Seven, who were probably the find of the night. They combined pop-rock stylings with some heavy grooves and experimental jammed parts that, all mixed together, worked really well. A great vocalist as well. Another name to keep an eye out for.

Next up were the excellent Them Is Me, featuring two former members of Reef. This was the second time this summer that I'd been able to catch the group live, and they've already improved so much in between shows. Well worth checking out.

I was also lucky enough to bump into Gary and Jack (the two who were in Reef) before the show, and they kindly agreed to have their pic taken - cheers guys!

Just in case you're curious, no they don't do any Reef numbers - and with good reason too. Their self-titled, debut album is more than strong enough to provide them with enough songs, and by the sounds of the new number aired here - the future is just as bright for Them Is Me.

And so onto the headliners - the

Stone Gods, featuring Dan Hawkins and Richie Edwards who were both part of The Darkness until its unfortunate demise a couple of years ago. This was the first time I'd even heard a Stone Gods song, and I have to say that I was very impressed. Their AC/DC-esque sound will certainly go down well when they support Airbourne this November.

The Stone Gods performance was already going to be something of a special show given that the gig was a one-off, but it was made even more special at the last minute. Due to the departure of original Gods drummer Ed Graham, the vacant drum stool was filled, for one night only, by former

Stereophonics stickman, and general top bloke, Stuart Cable. As you can see here, he had a blast.

The only down point of the gig was that, due to the curfew imposed by the Barfly, we were limited to just 45 minutes from our headliners. Hopefully they'll be able to come back soon and play for much longer.

So there you have it, another night of top notch music for me to shoot. This music photography business is rather good fun!

The Mighty Meshuggah

2008-09-13T21:53:00.002+01:00

For some reason unknown to me, my helpful website has deleted all my text for this entry, and I can't remember what I wrote. So here's a much shorter version! I was shooting the Swedish legends Meshuggah for the November issue of Powerplay Magazine, and they were wholly awesome! Support came from Bristol five-piece Trigger the Bloodshed, who were OK, but really struggled to win the crowd over.

Here's the best Meshuggah pics - enjoy!

These two are my favourites of the lot: