it sounded like a good idea....

I can't believe I actually ASKED for a New Years Eve photography gig, it seemed like a good idea at the time and I got a great gig - NYE at the Espy, St Kilda...

15 bands!

fuck yea!

I'm gona photograph 15 bands!

I got there all nice and early in order to catch the early slots and was greeted with some kinda metal/grunge sex child that was called Shaman Son.. a I-dunno-what-you-call-it-type-of-band-but-they-had-beatles-haircuts Frowning Clouds and slightly less heavy metal (I can say that coz I'm old) Regular John, all were good sets, it's hard to tell since I am there to photograph, I think I have a different experience going to a gig to listen.
Next up was The Gin Club, which were ok (see aove), but I was more impressed with the massive beards a couple of them were sporting. It was about now as the place began to fill up and people started getting really (really) drunk that it became obvious I was going to have real trouble even getting into the same room as the bigger bands, let alone find a good pozzy to take some shots from (move around? forget it!)
Next was the highlight of the night: Ouch My Face! apart from a great name, it was a excellent set, you should check them out, I am very nice and have given you the link to their space. I had wanted to shoot a band called Oh Mercy for a few months and we glad they were on this bill - they played the Gershwin Room (one of three stages that were going on the night - honestly, I felt like a little mouse on a wheel) which, in a nutshell, was way too fucking hot - great show from them though. I pretty much missed Tumbleweed in favour for some more space to take some shots in the Basement and caught the tail end of a party band caleld Alba Varden, I even scored a free CD (take note other bands) and also got to catch up with Spun Rivals who I shot a couple of weeks ago (good guys too). I also caught some other band on the Basement stage, I can't even be fucked going into my phone to see what their name was.
I'm not sure if I was over it or if I just didn't like Paul Dempsey by the time he and his band hit the stage at about 1am. By that stage I really was quite exhausted, deaf and over all the drunk people commenting on my beard - so maybe on a better day I would have liked it a little more. Ask me again if I want to shoot another NYE gig.. go on.. do it. Anyway, I think I got a couple of good shots to share...

I shot for these guys

I gots more photos here

disappointment

dis⋅ap⋅point⋅ment [dis-uh-point-muh nt]

noun

Buying white bread at the supermarket, only to find out when you get home that you accidently picked up the wholemeal bread.

[title]

The Dawrf sent me to the Cherry Bar to photograph Spun Rivals who were releasing their Double A-side single of "It Wants You Back" and "The Ballad of Adam and Steve" supported by The Box Rockets and Greasers. I think it could be the first time in my short time of photographing gigs that all three bands were great - I'm not gona sit here and give you a review..

why

because I'm not a gig reviewer.

I am just gona say that they all are well worth checking out if you get the chance.

I took the 5DMkii with the 70-200 f2.8 attached and the 20D, which I haven't used since I got the 50D as a backup to the 5D, it was like using a point and shoot, but it did the job - I had my 28mm f1.8 attached to that - I should have taken the 17-35mm f2.8 fer sure.


a small section of the full selection

Party like it's 1959

well well well.. I am officially blown away.

I got myself a ticket to see the Kitty, Daisy and Lewis from London, England at the Prince Bandroom, St Kilda - here in sunny Melbourne. I thought I'd try my hand at getting a photo pass since I had let the chance go with the place that I usually shoot for, which worked - yay me.

No shit words on a shit blog can describe how good it was - probably the best gig I have seen this year (apart from the Flaming Lips - well, the first 10 minutes of the Flaming Lips and all their razzle-dazzle) It easily stood beside Nick Cave as one of the best I have seen.
I stood there, abusing my 'three song, no flash' rule that was bestowed upon me when I arrived, thinking how great they were, and how sad it was that next time they play here it will be somewhere much much bigger and will suck the atmosphere out of the performance like um.. you know.. something sucking something out of something.. or something.

If you don't check these guys out you are gay.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

No pics from the other two bands coz the night belonged to Kitty, Daisy and Lewis (and their mum and dad! mum OWNED that double bass, fuck man, one of the best pieces of bass playing I have ever seen - after the gig the double bass probably had to have a smoke, but only if mum let it because that double bass was her BITCH)

I have been neglecting writing for this website

I have 3,172 more pics here

now, to the pics...

Woodsey and Me are like *this*

I had sex with Tiger Woods too....

Last Nite...

Thursday night in Prahan... I have stumbled into a time-warp.. somewhere in some kind of 1980's era, but the Strokes exist.

The Dwarf sent me along to onesixone lounge bar to photograph Fire! Fire!, High Fangs and The Fever.

I decided on going back to the regular lenseses this time around, but with the 70-200 f2.8 on the 50D and 17-35 f2.8 on the 5DMkii and the addition of the 50 f1.8 which I don't think I even used - I eventually switched the 70-200 to the 5D and the other to the other.
The light was SHIT.. there was alot of red, with some red and a dash of red thrown in for good luck - red is the enemy, especially at high ISO's but what can ya do? (convert them all to black and white!)

The bands were good, I'm still wondering why Fire! Fire! spent their whole set winning us over with (probably the best on the night) originals, only to play a Strokes cover to finish with!
The Fever are just a little too Strokes-ey for me, don't get me wrong, I love the Strokes, but one is enough. Hopefully they grow into their own sound, but all in all, a really impressive first gig.

yup.

the Strokes.

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