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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.

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.

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!

The Ugly World Tour

Can’t say I have ever been to a gig at Melbourne’s Palace that I haven’t enjoyed. Whether there as a punter or a photographer, each and every show has been nothing short of kick ass. Totally! The vibe is always blistering, the lighting is just perfect and more often than not – every band that plays there seems to regularly deliver the goods!

It was a veritable who’s who in the photo pit with plenty of familiar faces tho for some inexplicable reason, there was a dude amongst us shooting the gig in the pit with an iPhone. Ummm, yeah ok dude. ‘Scuse me whilst I try to get a decent shot or two!

The World Is Yours

I first saw Motörhead back in 1984. It was their first tour of Australia and it was one of the most blistering gigs I have seen in my life. It was the one gig where I remember my body being pushed to one side by an invisible presence known as volume. Yeah, the sound that was pounding off the stage like invisible waves was pushing me to one side. I had no idea what it was but I think after that night, I suffered permanent ear loss. My left ear was never the same after that night and I followed it up by seeing the band for a second time the next night. Yep, brain turned to pure mush.

So many bands boast ‘loudest band in the world’ – unless that boast has a Motörhead logo underneath it, they are liars. No one comes close!

Who Let The Trolls Out?

I was looking forward to tonight’s shoot as I finally would be shooting with a lens I have been hanging to get just for gigs. The Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 is a lens I have been clamouring to get for so long but due to budget constraints (ie broke) I have been stuck with the 24-105mm f/4(!) for the past couple of years. Yep, all the photos you see on this site, every single one – has been done with the f/4. *gasp*

I won a contest a couple of months ago on the strength of this photo and the prize was free lens rental for the weekend. Seeing as I was scheduled to shoot Finntroll tonight, and Motorhead tomorrow – it all worked out rather well.

Ride The Lightning

It proved to be an amazing array of anxiousness and raw emotion today. I don’t know how I got an ounce of work done as nearly every minute of the day was spent hovering over the old familiar ping of the inbox alerting me to mail, or watching the phone – begging it to ring!

I found out yesterday through my editor at Metal As Fuck, the wonderful Leticia, that I may be getting the chance to photograph Metallica. I hadn’t even bothered applying for a pass myself as I didn’t like my chances so to get a chance to shoot them, no matter how remote it seemed, just blew me away.

Wicked Game

It’s always a treat getting to shoot a band you absolutely adore! Having been a huge H.I.M fan for quite a few years now, I was greatly anticipating the opportunity to photograph these guys.

Which is saying something. Earlier in the day I won a pass to go and see the incredible Faith No More but I surrendered that ticket to my cousin. Couple that with the fact that also, Meshuggah were doing a show elsewhere – I decided to stick with Ville and the boys and finally get to photograph this truly incredible band.

The Impossibility of Reason

Tonight was one of the hardest shoots I’ve had to endure.

The allotted three-song limit was quickly cut down to half a song as the frantic security in the photo-pit alongside me – had their hands full within seconds of the band hitting the stage. Seconds!

All Hail Satan!

With the near-encounter with Rotting Christ yesterday in the streets of Melbourne, seriously – what better way to kick off 2010′s gig photography with a nice touch of Black Metal evilness?

I was scheduled to shoot both Rotting Christ and headliners Dark Funeral at Billboard tonight – one of my fave venues to shoot at by the way – for Heavy Metal website and all round cool dudes, Metal Obsession.

Corner Hotel Nu Metal

Even though I had secured to shoot this gig several months ago, I very nearly didn’t go to the show tonight as I was bordering on exhaustion. With a long week at work coupled with some late nights shooting and editing photographs – had all but taken its toll on me.

Never let anyone tell you otherwise, this is hard work. Granted, it is fun and always an eye-opening experience… but when one works a normal job during the day and then does rock photography purely for love, by night – the day’s do tend to get long, tiring and fatigue inducing.

Images & Words

With the past couple of gigs I have shot being two of the most rewarding experiences in the fledgling attempt at a career – a bad night was just around the corner.

I had never shot at the Palais before. This was to be my first night so I knew not what to expect. Although she is a gorgeous, classic venue and pretty much right in my own neighbourhood, I didn’t know what would be in store for me photographically.