Ziltoidia Attaxx!!!

Half way through a crazy week of shooting the cream of the crop when it comes to the Metal genre! Seriously, the Soundwave series of gigs – both the festivals and the ‘Sidewave’ shows manage to bring out some of the finest bands from all over the world! Big Day Out? Forget about it! This is where it’s at and on a Wednesday night you could have taken your pick and seen a slew of gigs at nearly every major venue in Melbourne. You soon come to the realisation that the Metal genre is in an incredibly healthy state right now yet our radio airwaves are polluted with all sorts of mindless dribble and mastobatory schlock designed to sell soap suds!

Blasteroid

I always find shooting multiple acts on a bill to be quite a challenge as by the time the main headliner hits the stage, your energy levels are nearly non-existent and concentration levels begin to wane.

This probably explains why I haven’t dared shoot a festival yet. But soon… soon I will tackle that beast!

Tonight’s bill featured three superb acts as part of the Soundwave Sidewave gigs. Mastodon, Gojira and Kvelertak proved to be a veritable feast of the finest international Metal representing the USA, France and Norway.

Where The Serpents Ever Dwell

Miss & Mr Alternative bills itself as ‘Australia’s Most Exciting Alternative Model Competition’ and this is certainly a title it clearly lives up to.

I was honoured to be asked to be one of the official photographers for the event so I was keenly anticipating the night for a few weeks even if I have had an incredibly busy past few days shooting a slab of gigs. Still, when an opportunity presents itself, one should jump at the chance without a moment’s hesitation!

Little Victories

I fell in love with the Horrors when they released their brilliant debut ‘Strange Houses’ album in 2007. I must’ve played that sucker to the point of totally and utterly destroying every digital fibre on that disc. Just an amazing album that still gets regular spins today.

Blunt Force Trauma

I sat in the photo-pit about 20 minutes before Cavalera Conspiracy were due to hit the stage. I always find this to be a calm time before hell is unleashed. It gives me a chance to get a feel for things, check out the lights and prematurely plan my camera settings. Of course, those plans get thrown out of the window pretty damn quickly but you do need to keep your wits about you because your three song limit comes and goes in the blink of an eye.

Phantasmagoria

I have fond memories of the Damned’s heyday back in the day. They were clearly my sister’s fave band at the time and I distinctly remember her room plastered full of posters and pinups of Dave Vanian and crew. I also remember driving her to (the now long gone) Venue in St.Kilda to see the Damned on their first Australian tour many, many years ago. A veritable plethora of nostalgia when it comes to the Damned so that made for high anticipation before tonight’s shoot on the band’s return trip to Australia.

Conjure And Command

You know, you lose track of the amount of gigs one has photographed over the past few years. You lose track real fast. One gig bleeds into the next and for the most part, you can get a little complacent and find yourself in photographic auto-pilot. But… every so often, a classic falls your way and you’re left on such a high and infected with a restless, sleep interrupting buzz – well into the cool, dark confines of the AM digits on your clock!

Toxic Holocaust fucking blew me away tonight. I’m talking smithereens here! Kaboom!

Making Monsters

Honestly, I hadn’t heard too much of Combichrist’s catalogue but what I had heard, I did like. Add to the fact that they were a highly visual act, which would hopefully make for some cool shots, that left me in high anticipatory mode for the show! Oh yeah, I’m easily excitable!

A few days before the gig I prepared somewhat, looking over some YouTube videos of the band just to see exactly where they all stood and what sort of choreography I could expect. As far at YouTube clips go – yeah, they looked totally cool so I got a feel for what I would expect tonight.

Third Printing

There are still a limited amount of copies of my book left. Based on my forthcoming photography exhibition, the book features over 50 of my personal favourite live music photos. It is beautifully bound in hardback form, features a dust cover and is of the highest quality possible. I would not be putting my name on it if it wasn’t.

The Devil’s Rain

It was with great excitement and anticipation that I got the call up to shoot The Misfits. Whoa dude! The Misfits! The band hasn’t toured these shores for the better part of 5 years and they were always a band whose name I had hastily scribbled onto a natty piece of paper and ceremoniously dumped into the old bucket list of bands I’d love to shoot!

With or without the mighty Evil Elvis Glenn Danzig, the Misfits still are a classic legendary punk band and I for one, was super excited about the opportunity to be in their photo-pit tonight.

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

I was contacted by Transit Lounge Publishing who were after one of my photos of Brunswick Street to be used on the cover of a forthcoming book. (photo above)

The book is titled ‘Playing House’ and is by author Amy Choi.

Ace Frehley No Regrets

Undoubtedly it is always a huge thrill seeing your work published in any format. But when your work is on the verge of being seen by millions in a New York Times Best Seller, then that thrill gets even more exciting!

The photo that was featured in the book was the very last photo I took after being on tour with Ace and his band throughout the Australian Tour in early 2010.