mikesaid

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

New directions

Hello! So this blog has been dormant for some time now, the main excuse is because, for various reasons, I'm not really shooting any gigs. But I've been missing shooting and blogging so yesterday I had the thought... Why does this have to be a music photography blog? If my circumstances change then why can't this blog and my subject matter just change with it? Am I a photographer or am I a music photographer? Who am I? Why do I feel this way? Why is someone talking loudly in the quiet carriage on the train? What does "Dandenong" even mean?

Wait... what?

I lived in Sydney for 3 years before moving to Melbourne and I cut my teeth on the mean streets of that strange town with my trusty 20D and a cheap lens or two, shooting mostly street related photos. So I'm going to start taking my 20D with the same cheap lens to work with me again... I commute 20 hours per week so there will be A LOT of commuting photos.. I'll be shooting on the 20D and my iPhone and I'm going to evolve. Fuck. I might even try a new thing or two!

I'll still shoot gigs but it's not going to be the be-all-and-end-all of my shooting. That would be a great disservice to my photography passion. I'll be blogging a lot from my phone so the format may not always be the same between posts but I'll try and tidy this up at home :)

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Wagons - Caravan Music Club

We had plans of taking Theo to his first proper gig, and what better band than the Wagons and what better venue than the child-friendly Caravan Music Club. The poor wee guy fell ill in the week leading up to the show so he decided that he should stay at home, and mum should too...

As with any gig I usually photograph nowdays - I have to like the band, and like the Wagons I do... and the Wagons like me, so it's all working out pretty well. I have shot these guys too many times to recall. Twice on this tour alone. It's great to see a band (who is usually great live) exceed your expectations. I can put it all down to playing a stack of shows between the gig at the HiFi and tonight. They were fantastic, so well played and it was a pleasure to shoot them again.

Photos!

Amazing video made by Si Philantropist

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Beards!

You will be aware that I have had some photos in the latest Beards album. Part of the deal was that I would be able to photograph them with a AAA pass when they play Melboune on their latest tour promoting The Beard Album.

I managed to have a chat with all the guys, and just as I thought - they were all really cool. We spoke about beards, my step-son who loves them and Louie CK - that's a pretty good conversation right there, if you ask me. By the time they took the stage I wasn't able to get ANY good vantage points for photos from the crowd side so I went back / side stage and shot from there. I had initially thought that I had done myself a great disservice because this is a band that you are better off shooting from the front, as they are fucking brilliant showmen. But by the end of the night I had some cracking shots - most of which were taken in the last half of the show - further proof that this three song rule is utter bollocks (I'm not sure if the Beards had this rule on the night).

So yea. I have shot these guys so many time - and written about them just as much. If you have a beard, like beards, or think that one day you might be manly enough to grow one, or think that it's too late for you (it's never too late) but you may be in a position of responsibility and want to do something just and right with that position - or if you are a bearded lady or if you are anything... you should check these guys out - and more importantly, if they ever play in your city - GO SEE THEM!!!!

Photos!

Videos!!!!!

.....

...

I don't think they have made any videos for this album!

SO HERE IS A FULL CONCERT!!!!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Band of Skulls - HiFi, Melbourne 17.06.14

I have seen Band of Skulls twice before tonight, the first time was when I photographed them waaaay back in May 2010, see the set here. And again in July 2012 but I wasn't photographing.

They have recently released their third album called Himalayan and this makes three fucking great albums in a row from them - which is unheard of in this day in age* I don't really want to compare them to Led Zeppelin because I recently had a listen to Led Zep I, II and III and I find them to (mostly) be a bunch of pretentious wankery. But, I think Band of Skulls is Led Zeppelin without the wank... maybe? (this is why I take photos and don't review) I can't believe that drummer Matt Hayward was overlooked when Led Zeppelin reformed and they instead went with Bonzos son, Jason, who basically shot his drum jizz all over the place with out any real finesse - and also, more importantly, Matt has a beard:

Jason

Matt

anyway....

Band of Skulls comprises of Russell Marsden on Guitar and Vocals, Emma Richardson on Bass and Vocals and the previously mentioned Matt "I'm better than Jason Bonham" Hayward on Drums. They are from Southampton in the UK (despite what the gig board tells you at the HiFi in Melbourne) and have been around since when they formed as a band.

I found the HiFi to be a bit 'boxy' for them - they have sounded better the last couple of times I saw them but having said that I did watch most the gig from the front/side. There were loads of 'togs (that's industry lingo for photographers, not bathers, swimmers or trunks) so I thought I'd take a punt and shoot the first song from this great vantage point for shooting with a zoom that the HiFi offers - I then made my way through the crowd to the photo pit for the rest of the 3 songs we are given...

FUN FACT 1: Emma Richardson is an artist: Check it out
FUN FACT 2: My son LOVES the band and will crack the shits (even in his sleep) if we turn it off in the car (it will also calm him down).

So we have learnt some important stuff today:

Band of Skulls are great, and if you like rock music, you should listen to them.
Jason Bonham has a lot of drum jizz, but with very little finesse and has made a career on his fathers name (who was a excellent drummer B.T.W.)
Matt Hayman should have drummed for Led Zeppelin on their 'comeback' shows.
I should just stick to photogracizing.

* I have no idea if this is true.

Photos! and videos!!!

Now for some videos from their current album.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Hi.

Hello, firstly I'd like to apologise to my loyal reader for my absence... it's been a crazy first half of 2014 - I made a planter box and my partner and I had a beautiful baby boy named Theodore - he's awesome. If you follow me on instagram you may have noticed this.

So I am back in the saddle, on the wagon so they say. Speaking of Wagons, (did you see what I did there?) they have released a new album called Acid Rain and Sugar Cane and my photography features throughout it's pages. I didn't shoot the cover this time - that honor went to Kane Hibberd who also shot the band photo you see on the back of the album.

The new album is fantastic, it fits nicely into the music genre 80's Country, well for me anyway. I seem to recall hearing it on my mums record player in 1986 when I was nine, but that can't be true.

They are currently on tour promoting their new album and rolled through Melbourne recently with Jonny Fritz (USA) and fellow Melbournite Fraser A Gorman as support. I arrived early enough to start on the rider before anyone got there and finally got to see backstage at the HiFi (it's basically a wobbly staircase leading to a room with 2 couches, 1 frudge and a table. And a floor). It's been a long while since Wagons played a full band show in Melbourne, as usual it was fantastic - I really enjoy photographing for a band instead for a publication because you usually get AAA access, this provides two things: I get to capture the show documentary style, I can take time with my shots and I also think that a gig gets more interesting to shoot as the night progresses. With the usual 3 song rule that can be imposed on shooters means you end up with 800 photos quickly fired off hoping that you may get 50 or 60 decent ones, and 5 killer shots. Number two - I'm not going to lie, it's nice to feel important.

So time for pics and videos (I still remember the format!)

Photos included in the new Wagons album artwork:

Videos!

Jonny Fritz:

Fraser A Gorman:

Wagons:

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Milk! Records Christmas Party

Milk! Records was started a couple of years ago by Courtney Barnett, and has since grown to a nice young indie record label hosting the likes of Jen Cloher, Fraser A. Gorman and Courtney herself. It must be a nice feeling to start something up and in just a few short years you can hold a Christmas party at one of Melbourne's classic live music establishments and sell it out.

I recently photographed Jen Cloher when she toured with two other Australian musicians, Mia Dyson and Liz Stringer as Dyson Stringer Cloher (I have included photos from that gig in the below set) which was an awesome show - but tonight we were treated to what seems to be in fashion right now: playing entire albums. I'm not complaining - In Blood Memory is a wonderful, gritty (recorded live) studio album which is a departure from her previous, more elaborate albums. It comes across beautifully live.

I had not heard much of Courtney Barnett, maybe a couple of songs here and there, and I liked them. I loved her set, it's nice to know that there is still some rock in the local hipster scene.

Special mention must go to Jen's idea of starting a punk band called Vomit Cock.

I just wanted to say Vomit Cock.