While a large amount of the other humans were out getting plastered on Cup Eve, there were a select few (about 1000) crammed into the Thornbury Theatre to witness Henry Wagons' latest offering Expecting Company.
Expecting Company is an EP/Mini Album that Henry recorded while on hiatus from The Wagons. I was lucky enough to be invited back to take the photos for the artwork so a follow up gig shoot was always on the cards.
A couple of familiar Wagonses make up this 6 piece band which also includes 3 members from another local Melbourne band The Nymphs who duet with Henry in leu of the original musicians who appear on the album: (Alison Mosshart (The Kills/The Dead Weather), Sophia Brous, Gossling, Jen Grant and Patience Hodgson (The Grates). Standing in for Robert Forster was Brian Nankervis from Rockwiz.
As usual it was an awesome performance from Henry, a true showman and all round funny motherfucker...
[If you can't read this post below, there is a strong possibility that you aren't a bearded person, or a beard lover, please follow this link to fix the problem]
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It's been a little bit quiet on the gig front, but I have been part of a couple of cool projects. One to do with music, the other to do with having custard sucked from my mature beard.
What do you want to read about first?
I thought so....
It was late one night and I was fighting sleep by looking at the endless amazing pictures on Instagram* when I stumbled across an image that Jen Cloher took while she was out scouting for locations for an upcoming video shoot. She asked me to come along and take some stills the following Saturday when a video was being made for her new single 'Mount Beauty'. It was in Warburton, or 'Warby' as the locals call it. I'm not a local but I am living in the wop wops now so I am as local as it gets. Without actually being local. Basically.
We had to meet Jen at 8am so Sylvia and I decided to get a motel, and what a creepy place it was! The ideas for photos were oozing out of the walls. So hopefully we'll be back to creep it up.
The shoot day was fun, but loooooooooooong... and we were only there for one of the days! and not even a full day!! After seeing the video all finished it really does put into perspective how much work goes into shooting even the smallest scene.
On to the photos!
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
(c) Michael James Christian 2012
And you can see the video here!
I really can't be bothered blogging the custard story right now... I will soon!
I was pritty excited to be photographing Bob Log III again... but I squeeled like a little girl when I found out that Puta Madre Brothers were going to be supporting them! Both are awesome to watch, listen to and photograph..
Put Madre Brothers were their usual awesome selves, you really have to see this one remaining three piece one man band.
Bob Log III... he's a one man party. Gracing the stage in his usual get-up PLUS attached balloons, the night was awesome before it had hardly begun. I do love Bob Log III, but he seems to attract a rather large amount of muters. And by munters, I mean M.U.N.T.E.R.S. Jeeeeeesus.
"Bob"
"bob"
"bob"
"I got you a scotch"
"bob"
"bob"
"BOB"
Quote of the night, from the girl who managed to persuade (read: beg, torment and pester) all of the photographers there to take her photo "I'm like a model"
wow.
anyway... don't let that make you miss out on either of these performers... you may even get an unexpected laugh.
Back on the saddle for the AU review, I managed to save myself $6 by photographing Mojo Juju on a Sunday night. I didn't know too much about them except for what I saw on the YouTubes and that all looked pretty cool. We got there in time to see the floor fill up with hipsters sitting down. Whatever posses these people to do that is beyond me. Not only are they so far up their own asses that they either don't care or don't realise that when they sit on the ground they are taking up approx two standing peoples space AND.. it's a fucking floor of a night club!
EWWWWWWW CARPET AIDS!
Anyway, the first band was Warren Ellis, I mean pretty lovely. A singer/guitarist and a vionlist... vionlist? vionite? yea. So I did think these guys were cool, but lost serious brownie points because I think that the hipsters sitting down (refer to paragraph 1) had something to do with their mellow sounds.
On to MoJo Juju! a most awesome act, very worth seeing live totally. I am going to spend most my week trying to buy a double bass off ebay or similar..
Anyway, this isn't a review. I'd review those carpet sitting hipsters in the face, but it's not a review..
I photographed Band of Skulls when they were here in 2010, ever since then I have been a fan. They came through again last week, as part of the Splendour in the Grass wave of sideshows and I went along for another dose of rock n' roll goodness.... (not to photograph, but to watch!)
Of course I still took some photos on my phone...
Copywr... why would you wana steel this? it's shit..
So Band of Skulls used to be called another band "Fleeing New York", I had thought that maybe they changed their name like Shihad had when they wanted to suck American dick, but this was done in 2008, not sure the reasons behind it.
Most of this gig was overshadowed by the fact that I just got myself a new camera and all night I wanted to lick it.
I have photographed Damn Terran a few times already, as an avid reader of my blog you will be aware of this. I have also photographed Money For Rope before, they have two drummers! Kingswood have recently won some JJJ awards, which is nice, but they really we not for me so I left after a few songs and let all the people who were enjoying them. Enjoy them.
The Black Seeds rolled into town in the middle of June, to promote their new album Dust and Dirt. I have seen these guys numerous times and now am lucky enough to be able to photograph them whenever they come to town...
We were trying to nut out some ideas for a nun shoot and the idea of a nana sort-of setting was raised. Ben said he had a place in mind, I asked him if it was nana, his reply "It's as nana as fuck". And he was right....
Another shoot down for Horror Sleaze and Trash. This time with the lovely Miss Sharah, and she was a pleasure to take photos of. Asking Ben to get in the photo is like saying WALKIES to a dog (in the nicest possible way, Ben)
