Gallows - Back To The Dives Tour

It's been a while since I've photographed the Gallows live and I know I get nervous before shooting a lot of shows (especially before shows that might be pretty crazy or that doesn't have a barrier). This time I was more nervous after everything that went on with Banquet Records last time I photographed Gallows in Kingston.

Despite taking my camera with me I wasn't 100% sure if I was actually going to take photos but once I got there I decided that there was no way I couldn't take photos.

I'd read that the first band was meant to be Feed The Rhino but it turned out to be a band called Polar who were ok! They set up their pedal boards and microphones on the floort and played their set there which was pretty cool. I felt like I couldn't quite get the angles on the shots. TRC were the second band and it took me a while to get my settings right so the photos are a bit hit and miss but they are always interesting to watch.

I managed to get a spot at the front for Gallows and decided that this time I'd try and not stay in one place for the set. I stayed for most of the set in the middle but then moved to the edges to try and shoot Steph and Lags some more. It was a great show and I think the pictures came out alright.

Fingers crossed I'll get to be shooting their album shows and I can't wait.

Polar

TRC

Gallows

The rest of the photos of Polar are here.

The rest of the photos of TRC are here.

The rest of the photos of Gallows are here.

Nathan Fox - Signing & Installation

After the anxiety attack, I decided not to go to Erotica and I felt pretty bad for letting people down but I just wouldn't have handled the situation well.

Instead, I decided to meet up with Nathan Fox who had done a signing at work. Nathan was taking part in a massive art installation in an office on Shaftesbury Avenue. He was working on the stairwell across five floors using a mix of paint, markers and massive vinyl stickers.

It was just him and his friend Dennis who were working on his section so it was really nice and peacefull which was just what I needed. As I've mentioned before I find artists working fascinating and I had a great time. Nathan Fox's art is stunning and it helps that he is such a nice guy too. Definitely want to meet up with him at some point in the future and photographing him work again.

Signing

Installation

The rest of the photos from the signing and installation are here.

The Saturdays & Rival Schools

This weeks been a strange week and I'm going to try and get a load of it down. I shot MAdM on Monday and was going to see Rival Schools on Tuesday. A couple of hours before hand a friend text me asking if I wanted to come to an intimate showcase and photograph The Saturdays. They aren't my cup of tea but it's a chance that doesn't really come round often (or at all really) so I said yes. The showcase was for AOL and they had arranged a little photo opportunity before hand. I was pretty nervous as I'm not really very good or confident at taking photos of people and I was pushed for time as I had to get to Rival Schools. It was stressing me out a little because I knew I was short on time and I got very flustered and paniced. The photo could have been better but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was when I left.

Rival Schools are a band I've been listening to for nine years now (since their first and only album came out) and they are a band I've forgotten about and rediscovered a number of times over the years. Over the last few, every time I hear the album I love it a little bit more. I've been lucky enough to see them a couple of times but seeing them at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen was the first chance I've had to photograph them live.

The photos really aren't anything special but the opportunity to take them meant a lot. The band were perfect and they are just an effortless band. Everything seems so easy and they are very understated which makes them quite powerful.

The rest of the photos of Rival Schools are here.

So MAdM, The Saturdays and Rival Schools was the first two days of the week. The same person who sorted out The Saturdays for me was also sorting out a photoshoot with Dita Von Teese for an interview she's done with her for the Metro newspaper. This was a massive deal for me and while I was stressing and nervous about it, it was something I HAD to do.

In the end it fell through and it didn't happen but I was shooting a burlesque show for my friend on Friday. I was also meant to be spending the weekend at Erotica and I had two people that wanted photographs from me. I was meant to be shooting for House of Burlesque and Tanya Tate had also said she was after some photos. Despite the Dita shoot falling through I was told I could go and photograph her doing a book signing. As the week went on I was stressing more and more about everything and I was struggling to work out how I would fit everything in and not let anyone down.

As well as all these things I did five full days at work and covered/photographed a signing for artist Nathan Fox. It really has been an insane week.

I went to the burlesque show but when I got there I just didn't feel right. I felt incredibly uncomfortable and self concious and I don't know why. I was also very busy with loud music and lots of extremely loud talking. I started feeling quite claustrophobic (it's the only way I can describe it). As it was a charity show and I had been asked to photograph it was I was putting pressure on myself to deliver some decent photos to warrent being asked to do it. As the night went on and once the performers started my anxiety was going through the roof and I was verging on a panic attack and I was starting to get into a bit of a downward spiral and I was freaking out. I ended up having to leave and I was pretty upset. I felt like I had let Deni down for leaving and not taking photos but I also just didn't feel up to being around groups of people so I decided not to go to Erotica. I think it's for the best that I take a little bit of a breather and try and collect myself a little. Everything just got too much too quickly and I felt so far out of my comfort zone this week. It's meant letting down three sets of people over the last two days but I don't know what else I could have done.

This week has made me realise that I can take some good shots but I really am not a good photographer and I think there's a big difference. I seriously lack the skills to handle pressure and social situations which can really set you apart.

Melissa Auf der Maur - Scala

Last time Melissa Auf der Maur was over she managed to get caught up in the joys of the Icelandic volcano and her gig got shuffled about. I was also ill was having a very intense week with lots going on (similar to this week strangely).

She announced a show at the Scala and I was over the moon about this. Scala is a really laid back venue, great lighting and they have a barrier! I decided to go into the venue a bit later so I could grab a drink with friends but when I got inside Japanese Voyeurs were about to start. They took me by surprise when they started playing and I really wanted to grab some shots. I went to go get my spot on the barrier to find there wasn't one and I had to find a spot in the crowd which meant I had to duck and dive round peoples heads to get some shots.

The lighting for Japanese Voyeurs was p-e-r-f-e-c-t and between that and the band themselves, everything really felt like it clicked. I really want to shoot them again.

In almost total contrast to JV, the lighting for MAdM was a lot less intense and tended to be single colours and not much front lighting. I think some of this was for atmosphere and also they were using a projector. I like how the photos came out but I definitely had to work harder for her.

I'm trying to shoot a bit differently and a bit more free at the moment. I will be working on something that could be really exciting and it might help me to push myself a bit more with what I'm able to do.

Japanese Voyeurs

Melissa Auf der Maur

The rest of the photos of Japanese Voyeurs are here.

The rest of the photos of Melissa Auf der Maur are here.

London Rollergirls Season Three - Bout Two

The second of the London Rollergirls doubler header bouts for Season 3 took place on Saturday night (featuring Harbour Grudges vs Steam Rollers and Ultraviolent Femmes vs Suffra Jets). I was looking forward to shooting this bout as I thought the last lot of photos were ok but could have been better.

The first thing I noticed was there seemed to be a lot more photographers this time and getting space in the first corner wasn't as easy as last time. The LRG were allowing photographers into the middle of the track to shoot from a box which they are marked out but the photographers were only allowed in and out during time outs or at the end of the period. I think I was pretty much the only one to say they wanted to try shooting from there in advance but on the day, lots of other photographers also wanted to try it too. I managed to get in for the start of the first bout and I loved it. It allowed me to get closer to the action which I've struggled to do before and it was a lot easier to track the skaters round the corner and get some good shots of them in motion. A lot of the photographers seemed new and seemed to ignore/not know/not understand a lot of the things that myself and some of the regulars had been told which was a bit weird to watch.

I'm a lot happier with these photos than before. I hopefully have more variaty in the shots and they make for much better sets.

The bouts themselves were great and extremely close/exciting.

Harbour Grudges vs Steam Rollers

Ultraviolent Femmes vs Suffra Jets

The rest of the photos from the Harbour Grudges vs Steam Rollers bout are here.

The rest of the photos from the Ultraviolent Femmes vs Suffra Jets bout are here.

Never Say Die - HMV Forum

Photopasses are a little bit of a rare occurance for me at the moment and I managed to get one (through Livethescene) for the London date of the Never Say Die tour. It had an insane line up. The tube strile meant I didn't get in until after the first two bands but once inside I met up with three other photographers I'm friends with (Ian Arnold, Abbi London and Ben Gibson). It was quite bizarre shooting with some many friends around and in the pit. It makes everything so much more fun and a lot more relaxed. It really felt like thats how shooting shows should be.

The lighting for the venue was a bit hit and miss and that coupled with the fact they allowed flash sort of knocked me off my game. I wanted to shoot flash but couldn't get it right so I'd shoot without and then the lighting would turn shit. I'd then have to go back to flash only for me to get frustrated and switch back to shooting without. I normally don't see many other peoples photos from the gigs I shoot (if any) but seeing Ben's and Ian's photos highlighted how different my photos are (and I'm not sure thats a good thing). There's one or two photos from the night I really like but I look at them all as a whole and just think that they should have been better. That sort of line up and that sort of venue deserve better photos. I struggle a lot with shooting with flash and it's something I really need to get to grips with.

The links below will take you to the rest of the photos from the night.

The end of this year is going to be a strange one. Three potentially life changing opportunities may happen and they may not but I might right about the situations soon. Strange times ahead.

Your Demise

Emmure

Bleeding Through

Comeback Kid

Parkway Drive

Your Demise

Emmure

Bleeding Through

Comeback Kid

Parkway Drive

Movember

Today is November 1st and along with a few people from work, I've decided to take part in Movember. The idea is meant to be that you start the month clean shaven and spend the rest of the month growing a moustache.

We all decided to do something slightly differe and grow out our facial and start the month with a moustache already rather than grow one through the month. The important thing is that it's all for charity. I thought that I look like an idiot all year round so I might as well try and raise some money while doing it.

The money raised goes towards male (cancer) based charities and while I personally haven't had anyone close to me effected by cancer, it doesn't mean I won't have someone effected in the future and I have friends who have/had family members diagnosed with cancer. It feels good to raise money and be doing something good and worthwhile. Although the money goes towards research into things like prostate cancer, I feel like any money going towards any cancer research benifits everyone.

I now have my moustache and am ready to rock it through Movember. I may try and post more photos throughout the month as I may change the style of it.

Before:

After:

There are a few other photos from the big shave here.

You can donate/sponsor me here. Any money given would be amazing and I'd be eternally grateful. Thank you to all the people who have supported me so far and (in advance) to the people that will support me.