Converge & Kylesa – Live in Birmingham
Photographing bands can be pretty amazing. It can also be a little dangerous on occasion. And that’s why I love shooting the smaller, rowdier gigs. You never know what might happen next.
Converge are a somewhat legendary hardcore band from Massachusetts who have been a force to be reckoned with for 20 years. Their live shows are intense, so when I set out to shoot them at Birmingham Academy this month i wanted to try and capture some of the energy of the show.
I reckon I managed it…
A couple from support band, Kylesa, too…
Eric Clapton + Steve Winwood @ Birmingham LG Arena
OK, let’s not kid ourselves here… These aren’t the best live shots I’ve ever taken!
Unfortunately, despite having a photo pass for the Eric Clapton gig, we were only allowed to shoot from half way back in the LG Arena, and only for the first 2 songs! That’s a good few hundred feet from the stage. Not great!
Still, this is Clapton we’re talking about here. I was still honoured to be there. And he had his mate Steve Winwood along for the ride.
Most of my shots were, predictably, very similar, so here are just a few from the gig.
Parkway Drive + Despised Icon @ Manchester Academy
Chances are most people reading this blog have never heard of Parkway Drive or Despised Icon.
More than likely, most of you won’t like them either! They’re both very, very heavy bands. They’re also, in my opinion at least, both amazing!
They’re also great to photograph.
Here are a few from their Manchester show a couple of weeks ago…
See my photos with a gig review on the Birmingham Live site.
KISS at Birmingham LG Arena
Some bands are a bit dull to photograph in concert. They stand there in subdued lighting, staring at their instruments and hardly communicate with the crowd.
KISS are not one of those bands!
Earlier tonight I was at the LG Arena in Birmingham to photograph KISS for the second time and the self-proclaimed “hottest band in the world” are possibly the most fun band you could ever want to have in front of you when you have a camera in hand.
Here are just a few of my fave photos from the gig…
Glen Campbell – Birmingham Symphony Hall
Occasionally in my job I get to photograph true musical legends.
Glen Campbell is one such artist. I was the only photographer accredited to shoot Glen at his Symphony Hall gig and it was an honour to be there to do so.
Since then, I’ve been a little concerned to speak to several people who have never heard of him!
This is the man that made Wichita Lineman & Rhinestone Cowboy the classics they are.
This is the man who has played on records for such artists as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Jan & Dean and the Righteous Brothers.
He’s now 74 years old and still performing like a true star.
Here are a few photos from Friday night.
Suffocation @ Birmingham Academy
On Good Friday I got to hang out with legendary death metal band, Suffocation, on a job for Terrorizer magazine.
Despite playing some of the heaviest, most brutal music you’re likely to hear, they could not be nicer people and made us feel more than welcome. I got a few portraits of the band and then, later, shot the gig, where they were supported by Annotations Of An Autopsy.
A Day To Remember + Architects – Live in Birmingham
Yesterday was Mother’s Day in the UK and the weather was glorious so we took the family down to the Cotswolds where we had dinner and enjoyed the spring sunshine. We were also down there to shoot an engagement session which I’ll be posting on the blog soon. It was a great day.
By complete contrast, the evening was spent with 3000 metal fans at Birmingham Academy where Florida’s A Day To Remember were playing. I was much more interested in the two support bands, Your Demise and Architects.
Unfortunately, I got there just too late to shoot Your Demise but they put on a great show. Architects were on great form and, although the lighting was tricky, I was pleased with the images I captured.
We only got to shoot the first two songs for each band so the pressure was on! Here are a few pictures from last night…
Firstly, Architects
A packed house at the Academy
and headliners, A Day To Remember
Peter Andre @ Birmingham Symphony Hall
Ok, so let’s get one thing straight…
My music taste is extremely varied. I love my punk & metal. I love mellow singer-songwriters. I used to be a house DJ and I listen to some pop music too. I’ve seen Michael Jackson, Madonna, Kylie & Prince live but my musical tastes do not reach as far as Peter Andre! Sorry Pete.
I do think he’s a genuinely nice guy though and he’s obviously a major celebrity, at least in the UK. So when I got the chance to photograph his Birmingham gig this week, I was happy to do so. I only got 2 songs to do my thing but managed to get a few good shots…
This is Pete’s brother, Michael Andre who acted as warm-up DJ and did a good job too.
And then the screams were deafening as Pete appeared… The audience was predictably 98% female!
Ocean Colour Scene at The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham
Last night one of Birmingham’s most popular bands, Ocean Colour Scene, played an intimate gig in the back room of The Rainbow pub, around the corner from our studio. It’s always great to see big bands in small venues and I was surprised to find out I was the only photographer to be issued a pass for the gig.
Here are a few photos from the gig. You can see a full review on the Birmingham Live website.
Them Crooked Vultures (aka Queens Of The Led Fighters)
It’s been a week of photographing musical legends this week. Not just a Sex Pistol and Depeche Mode but also a super group featuring Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens Of The Sone Age) and John Paul Jones from LED ZEPPELIN!
For those that don’t know, the band is Them Crooked Vultures. They played Birmingham on Monday night and here are a few photos from the gig…
This man played on “Stairway To Heaven“! Nuff said.
This man played on “Smells Like Teen Spirit“. Nuff said.
