Bonnie Palace Oldham

I remember seeing Bonnie Price Billy in New Zealand almost ten years ago. My lasting memory from that gig was a man walking out during his set and yelling "play some real fucking music" (I assume he meant a blues jam). It was one of a few moments I was having around that time that led me to moving to Australia where I was hoping that they would be used to different kinds of music and therefore not act like a 12 year old punching back at something they don't understand.

Not so.

I was a little bit surprised (and scared because I was taking photos) at how minimal the stage at The National Theatre was when we arrived. It was a LARGE stage, with a drum kit, two amps, some leads and mics right in the middle, everything else was black... but this allowed the lighting man to do his thing - such a great venue to listen and watch music in.

There are (a lot of) people who can play music, but few I would actually call musicians. Bonnie Price Billy, or Will Oldham (Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Music) is a musician. He used the natural sound of the theater so well, singing away from the mic - and also unplugging his guitar totally for the last couple of songs with all three singers standing at the front of the stage not singing through the mic.

The intimate setting that Will and band provided allowed people to converse with him between songs - one man from Complainland, I mean England piped up and asked him why he had to sing so many songs with God as a subject. He liked his old stuff so much, but why did he have to sing songs that he (the man in the audience) didn't like at this show. No one really needed to answer that - it was obvious that this guy was a total tool who for some reason thought that he should have some influence over someones artistic output. Maybe he sings songs with God as a subject because... he... shit, I dunno... wants to? it's one thing to have this opinion but it's another thing to voice this opinion at a show bringing the tone down of what was a great performance. Obviously this guy could not comprehend music of this nature so his reaction was to hit out. Congratulations.

Get a blog, fuckwit. OH YEA, AND LET ME KNOW WHEN JOHNNY CASH WANTS TO COVER ONE OF YOUR SONGS.

Like me!

Shot for the AU review

See the whole set here.

Some video?

ME, Myself and I

So I'm going to start this blog entry with a simple question.

Why the fuck.... on a week night... would you have the main act... start at 12.30am.

The audience was deaf and tired by he time ME came on (or maybe that was just me, not them as in ME but me me, as in me, not ME) they (ME) shoulda been on at 10.30 (then it wouldn't cost me a $25 taxi ride home for payment of going and shooting a gig for free) anyway, i still have all my arms and legs so I'll move on.

I was shooting ME, with support from Redcoats, Porcelain and a band from Brisbane (sorry guys, I have searched the other myspace pages and can't find your name) ME and Redcoats were great, two very different acts but both kinda made the late night (did I mention that the main act came on at 12.30am?) worth it..

ME were a mix of the Beatles, Queen and Split Enz (Not that I have really heard that much Queen) while Redcoats were a mix of a stoner rock / metal band I have never heard of and another band i have never heard. Porcelain were cool, a great bunch of musos but the highlight of the band was an excellent singer.


anyhoo...

mittens made from a homeless dog

It's a Wednesday.
I'm on a tram.
It's 8.45pm.
The girl opposite me is eating fush and chups and wiping her fingers on the seat.
I'm drinking a V.

This can only mean one thing...

I am on my way to the Prince Bandroom, St Kilda to photograph The Handsome Family!

I used to work in a little indie record store in New Zealand called Rhino Records (which changed it's name to Radiant Records after Warner Music USA brought the Rhino Label and told my boss to stop using the name) My boss, Warren loved Elvis and country music, not that gay country music like Billy Ray - cool country, like Cash and Hank Williams. He used to listen to The Handsome family abit, so when the opportunity came up to photograph, I thought I'd give it a go. After photographing a couple of 'singer songwriters' and
A) being bored shitless and
B) being bored shitless of taking photos of one person

I was hoping they had a band, but they didn't - and it wasn't bad! they really knew how to interact with the audience, cute (strange) stories between songs broke the night up and it really was a great gig. It was one of those moments that you were watching a seasoned performer compared to someone who is young in their journey - and there is a huge difference. Ned Collette was the support, who I pretty much missed due arriving late, I got one cool pic of him though.

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

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...