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.

NFL Fan Rally - London

For the last few years the NFL have staged a regular season game in London. I love American Football but because of things like the time difference I don't always get to keep up with it as much as I would like.

One of the things I like about American Football and American sports in general is the spirit of it. Despite fierce rivalries, it brings people together in a positive way far more than most sports I feel. There's so much more to it than just the game, there's rallies and tailgate parties, people dress up and really get involved. Each game is a spectacle in it's own right.

The support in the UK for the NFL has been growing as part of that is evident in the fact that they held the first official NFL fan rally outside of America yesterday.

It was really cool to see the stage and events set up in Trafalgar Square. Although the rally was to promote the game between Denver Broncos and San francisco 49ers, there was so much support for all the other teams and the sport in general. I was proud to be wearing my Tim Tebow/Florida Gators jersey. They had The 49ers cheerleading squad and their drumline performing throughout the day as well as NFL legends and other people being interviewed. Jerry Rice was one of the first 'legendary' players I watched as a child.

The only downside to the day was I emailed the organisers numorous times about seeing if I could get a photopass and got no response. I would have loved to be able to take photos of the people being interviewed and the cheerleaders. I didn't really take many photos on the day and I wish I had taken more. I still don't have confidence in going up to people and asking for a posed photo. The other thing is they could have done with a bit more variety on the stage as the Cheerleaders, drumline and one of the other acts performed about four times throughout the afternoon.

Next year I definitely want to make it to the game.

There are a few other photos from the day here.

Sinful Sunday

The very talented Knickerbocker Glories put on their own show called 'Sinful Sunday' at the Tooting Tram and Social which is pretty much just down the road from me. The place is stunning and has a great feel to it and it had the added bonus of having a really strong line up (and being free!) so I was pretty excited to check it out. I had some friends coming down. It was their first burlesque show and although I'd been building up the fact it was going to be a really good show, I was worried it wouldn't match the expectations I'd set.

The show was amazing and probably the best all round burlesque show I've been to. Miss Dolly Rose and Banbury Cross were brilliant, I haven't seen them both perform for a good few months now and it just made me want to see them again. It was great to finally see Domino Burlesk perform and Kiki Kaboom is always a joy to watch.

The highlight of the night though was Eastend Cabaret. I really wish my photos did their performance justice. They were incredibly funny and clever with brilliant voices.

I have mixed feeling about my photos from the night. The lighting was a lot better than I expected and I came away feeling like I'd nailed it. After editing the photos, there aren't anywhere near as many decent shots as I thought there would be but the ones that are useable I'm happy with. I just don't think they convey how great the show was. I did get to catch up with Miss Dolly Rose and Banbury Cross which was lovely. Banbury quite often does two or three shows in a night sometimes and I would love to cover all of those with her and do a sort of 'night in the life of Banbury Cross' (but not call it that).

It's nice to be doing more burlesque again, I really enjoy it and miss it. I do frustrate myself as it makes me wish I was working towards getting my book done but I just feel a bit directionless (and scared).

The rest of the photos from the night are here.

Retrotease presents Kitten De Ville

Thanks to Mr Keith Suave, I was able to go down and photograph Retrotease Presents Kitten De Ville in Clapham. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the show and it was a venue I'd never been to before. When I got in I met Tigz, who is a photographer I met at the LBW this year. It's quite nice shooting shows alongside someone you know. We managed to get a table on the corner of the stage with a clear line of sight which was lucky, any futher back and we would have had peoples heads in most of the shots.

The show itself was good and the lighting was really nice for some of it. They had really bright white lights which was great during the bits with The Devine Miss Em who was hosting but they seemed to dim it down for the actual performances and it seemed like a bit of a waste of such lovely lighting.

Madame Galina was superb as usual and I was really happy to photograph Ruby Deshabille. I've photographed her before at the Glitter Rooms, she is stunning and so easy to photograph.

I'm going to try and get my photos from the show I was at on Sunday nailed and edited tonight. I'm really excited about these photos and can't wait to get them up.

The rest of the photos from the night are here.

Simon Pegg & Bryan Hitch - Forbidden Planet

There were two signings at Forbidden Planet on Saturday which I covered. Both I was extremely excited about. The first signing was for comic artist Bryan Hitch. I've been a fan of his for quite some time and I've always followed his work. He is probably the first comic artist who truely wowed me with his work. The signing seemed to go really well and he was extremely nice. Take photos downstairs in the book department is quite easy as the lighting is fairly even. It was a pleasure to finally meet Bryan after all these years.

The second signing was for Simon Pegg. The really weird thing about this signing for me was that I still think of him as the guy from Spaced and while talking to him before the signing I suddenly was thinking "holy shit he's in Star Trek". Simon was amazing, very engaging, very funny and a pleasure to be around (he even brought Jaffa Cakes).

In contrast to the Bryan Hitch signing, the lighting upstairs is a lot harder to work with, the shop lights on one side and the sunlight from the open door where the people in the queue are coming in means that its hard to get the colours right and some of the colours on the edits look off but it's one of the areas I lack knowledge in.

These photos have jumped the queue a little bit and I now have two sets of burlesque show photos to finish editing and upload.

The Bryan Hitch photos can be seen here.

The rest of the Simon Pegg photos are here.

Your Demise - 100 Club

Your Demise played their first headline show since their album came out at a special show at the 100 club. It was nice to see a show there considering the venue is faced with possible closure. The 100 club is a good venue with an amazing history. The only time I have shot a show there was Gallows a few years ago.

I was really impressed with the first band on (While She Sleeps) and they were really fun to shoot. As it was still early there weren't many people down at the front but there was three photographers/people with DSLRs and we all really stood out. It made me feel quite self concious as a photographer.

Obviously as the night went on it got busier and once Your Demise came on the crowd were pretty rowdy. There was a few stage dives and people climbing on the crowd. I tried to stick to the sides to avoid getting battered. My camera was a bit better than it has been but something is still not right. I'm going to have to get it serviced soon.

I like the photos of Your Demise but I think my photos of While She Sleeps are definitely the best ones I took that night.

A friends band was playing tonight and I was pretty excited about shooting them. Sadly I had a bit of massive gig fail, I ended up turning up to the venue and finding out they'd already been on. Whoops. Sorry Sarah!

It's been a busy few days, I've got some shots from a burlesque show and I'm shooting another one on Sunday. I'm also shooting a couple of signings tomorrow (Simon Pegg and Bryan Hitch).

I feel a bit directionless at the moment and although it's good that I'm out taking photos, I wish I was working on/towards something.

Hang The Bastard

While She Sleeps

Your Demise

The Hang The Bastard photos are here.

The While She Sleeps photos are here.

The other Your Demise photos are here.