Eels @ Den Atelier
I have to say that I was amazed when I saw that the venue was sold out. Especially on a Sunday night with a big Music Festival and the yearly fair going on at a few km away. I guess that speaks for the Eels popularity around here.
I was however to be hugely disappointed (not musically) by the Eels. I was told (as were all the other photographers) that we had our regular 3 songs no flash routine, but we were thrown out of the pit after a minute or so into the show. And that for no apparent reason. On the way out of the pit somebody from their crew told us that we could take a few more pictures from within the crowd though if we wanted.
Now I do and always did respect the rules that management has laid out for us, sometimes it’s one song only, sometimes it’s from an elevated spot in the back of the venue, sometimes it’s even from the side of the stage and I don’t mind, the rules are the rules. But I don’t understand why photographers are allowed into the pit only to be asked to leave before their allocated time is over?
What happened then? Well by the time we were back in the crowd the second song was nearly over, I looked around took one picture and to be honest at that point I thought, well if they don’t want us in the pit they don’t want their pictures taken and I left (first time I’ve done that). Especially since there were ans who paid to be there who saw a bunch of photographers blocking their view.
The few pictures I was able to get can be seen in the flickr slideshow below:
Daniel Balthasar @ Den Atelier
Daniel Balthasar opened up for The Kooks at the Atelier. It’s a local band that has made it’s name here in Luxembourg. Those who were not fans before they started probably are now if I believe what I’ve heard behind me in the pit. Visit them on their website.
The light was quite ok here, the only drawback was that I had the opportunity to go on stage to take my pictures, but the stage was so cramped that there was no point, movement would have been close to impossible. A whole part from the second song was lit with red spotlights which is not so nice. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 for all three songs.
You can see the rest of the pictures here or below in the slideshow.
Pink Martini @ The Rockhal
Pink Martini performed in a nearly sold out Rockhal (Club) last night. I was surprised by the stage when I got in the pit. Every square meter was used for some kind of instrument. Thomas Lauderdale won the crowd from the start by talking in Luxembourgish (yes we have our own language). China Forbes has a captivating charm that didn’t leave the fans unimpressed.
Photographically the concert was very “bright”. I dialled down to ISO 1000 for most of the pictures. The only issue was that the light was so bright on China Forbes that the background often plunged into dark blacks. Some of the band members were hidden behind instruments which made it impossible to get a proper photograph of them. The size and disposition of the stage made for some very nice Fisheye shots. I shot the whole three songs with the 70-200mm F2.8, 28-75mmF2.8 and Fisheye 15mm F2.8.
The rest of the pictures here or below.
Slash @ The Rockhal
Wow, …… what more can I say? Sometimes I find myself in the pit and tell myself: What a great job to do …. If someone would have told me 5 years ago that I would be photographing Slash at a concert I would have laughed out loud, but secretly I would be wishing it was true. Slash was terrific, he delivered a performance that will be remembered amongst those who attended for a very long time. Not to be missed is Myles Kennedy as the lead singer who delivered a very solid performance as well.
Photographically it was really hard to focus…. Myles and Slash both gave us a lot to photograph. Lighting was very variable but nice. The only really dark moments were when they ran to the edge of the stage on the left or right. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 only as it was not very easy to get a good composition with the 70-200mm F2.8 due to the monitors on stage that were blocking the view.
Enjoy the rest of the pics in the gallery or in the slideshow below.
Porn Queen @ The Rockhal
Porn Queen is a local band that performed as a support act last night to Slash. I was really impressed by the bands performance. They were really all over the stage and musically rocking it. I think Slash couldn’t have chosen a better opening act. While exiting the pit I was asked twice if I knew who the band was.
The light consisted of spots mainly. Very often the background went really dark which often results in a “black hole” effect on pictures. I’m not really fond of that. The trouble is that if you try to bring up the back you tend to overexpose the front quite fast. I shot this one with the 28-75mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8.
The rest of the pics in the gallery here. Or in the slideshow below.
Anthem of the Sun @ KuFa
Anthem of the Sun is a young Luxembourgish band that has a lot of potential. They won a contest that allowed them to perform at the Rockhal this year. Their performances was quite impressive considering their stage experience. One of the members is using an electric violin which gave a really different feel to the sound. I had not seen one before on stage.
Photographically it was tough to get a nice exposure on all the band members. There wasn’t much light on the drummer or the guy behind the keyboard. I used the 15mm F2.8 Fisheye, 28-75mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F2.8 for this show.
The rest of the pics in the gallery here. Or in the slideshow below.
Bullet for my Valentine @ The Rockhal
It’s not the first time the welsh metalcore band stops in Luxembourg for their show. Their fans are numerous as the Rockhal was sold out for the event. The band has quite some history that goes back all the way to 1998. As I stated in a previous blog I am not a metalcore fan but I must say I kinda liked Bullet for my Valentine.
The light was good and diverse on this one. The stage was quite big and empty which made it tough for group compositions. The pit was quite narrow which made it difficult to move and the left part of the stage was not reachable for most of the three songs. I shot the show with the 70-200mm F2.8 and the 28-75mm F2.8.
The rest of the pics here, or in the slideshow below.
Versus You @ Den Atelier
Versus You is a local band that is doing very well for itself. They were playing here as a support act for Rise Against. They did a nice job of warming up the crowd for Rise Against. Here’s their MySpace page, have a listen to their music.
The light was actually great on this one. A bit of red but white light was dominant. It’s a welcome change for me. The pictures were taken with the 28-75mm F2.8
The rest of the pics in the gallery here, or below in the flickr slideshow.
Rise Against @ Den Atelier
Rise Against kicked ass last night @ Den Atelier. The venue was sold out for weeks now and fans were eager to see Tim McIlrath and his guys from Chicago. They were fantastic on stage. By the time the played “Long forgotten sons” people were out of it.
Photographically it was ok. A mixture of blues, magentas and the dreaded reds. Some whites here and there. Security had a lot of work in the pit so that was a bit distracting. I shot the whole show with the 28-75mm F2.8. The stage was too busy for the fisheye and I was too close for the 70-200mm.
The rest of the pics here, or in the slideshow below.
The Temper Trap @ Den Atelier
When I heard about this assignment I didn’t know the Australian band. It’s only when a friend send me the link to the video of “Sweet Disposition” that I got to know them. It’s a great video, if you haven’t seen it yet have a look at their website or youtube. Anyway, since then I was hooked and really looking forward to this concert.
Photographically it was a good mixture of lights. The show in itself was quite static which made it tough to make different compositions.
The rest of the pics here in the gallery or below in the flickr slideshow. Enjoy…..
36 Crazyfists @ Den Atelier
36 Crazyfists were part of the three bands that performed on Sunday. They were the first ones to start the show. I was impressed by seeing them close to the stage already well before the show began. They were talking to fans and signing autographs. When they were done with their show they all were amongst the fans, having a beer, talking, taking pictures with fans. I think that’s really impressive and sends out a positive message. Respect to them for that.
Lighting was rather dull, blues, magentas and reds. Quite dark too, but that’s the usual treatment with metal bands most of the time. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 only for this show. The pit was the biggest I’ve seen tough, it really left a lot of room for movement and composition.
As always the rest in the gallery here or below in the flickr slideshow.
Unearth @ Den Atelier
I can’t say that I am a metalcore fan, but when I see a show like the one performed yesterday by Unearth, I can see that change some time in the future. Unearth was founded in 1998 in Boston, so they’re not really new in the scene. In fact one of the show goers told me that Unearth was at the very beginning of the metalcore movement.
Photographically magnificent, they really gave me something to photograph, they even sometimes went as far as “announcing” their moves with small gestures. I had a blast photographing this concert.
The rest of the pics here or below in the flick gallery below:
Beatsteaks @ The Rockhal
Arnim, Thomas, Bernd , Peter and Torsten from the Beatsteaks sure feel at ease on stage, one could clearly see that. They delivered a solid performance at a sold out Rockhal last night. The crowd was mad for the guys from Berlin.
Lighting was really nice for once, a rich mixture of colours and a lot of white on the performers. Sadly it was one of those concerts where I was not able to move in the pit. It was only 50 cm deep on a length of maybe 7 m, which is not that bad, but there were 7 photographers in there and 5 security guys. That made is a bit crowded and hard to move. Basically I was able only to slightly move during the three songs. Movement was fast on stage and crowd interaction was plenty. I used my 28-75 mm F2.8 only for this one.
The rest in the gallery here.
Lila Downs @ Den Atelier
Lila Downs is a Mexican singer who writes her own songs or sometimes uses more traditional songs from Mexico and South America. Her first CD was released in 1996 and now she’s touring the world. The venue was not sold out but packed.
I never thought I would say this, but there was too much light at this one. I was able to shoot over 1/200th with ISO 1250 many times during the concert. Usually I like to underexpose a bit, but I went home with some slightly overexposed shots. The light did not vary much, it was a lot in the magentas and reds. I used the 28-75mm F2.8 and the 70-200mm F2.8.
The rest of the high res pictures here.
Hayseed Dixie @ Den Atelier
Have you ever wanted to hear a Bluegrass version “Hells Bells” or “Highway to Hell”? If that’s the case there’s no way around Hayseed Dixie. Those men know how to have fun on stage, and they are a treat for photographers.
John Wheeler (aka Barley Scotch), Don Wayne Reno (aka Reverend), Dale Reno (aka Deacon) and Jake Byers (aka Bakesnake) form Hayseed Dixie who started back in 2000 with (well you guessed) AC/DC covers. By now they have a solid base of fans, which is deserved considering the show they pull off on stage.
Oh and if you were wondering, …. yes it’s a fridge full of beer behind them on stage….
Photographically it was pretty standard. Lighting was ok with a lot of strobes, some reds but thank god not too much. The challenge here was that there was not lead so to speak. All four of them are “the lead”, they were all very entertaining and always had a smile or an expression ready for the camera. I shot the permitted songs with the 28-75mm F2.8 and the Fisheye 15mm F2.8.
The high res gallery can be found here.
Transatlantic @ The Rockhal
Transatlantic is an all-star band: Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neil Morse (former Spock’s Beard), Pete Trewasas (Marillion) and Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings). They played for the first time in Luxembourg in a nearly sold out venue. The atmosphere was awesome, their fans really made it worth their while.
Photographically this was somewhat different in that we were not allowed the usual 3 songs but only the first ten minutes, and we were not allowed in the pit until the show was to start, basically no “location scouting”. The lighting setup was multicolor strobes with red being the dominant choice here. (one day somebody will have to explain to me why they love red so much). I shot the whole 10 minutes with the 28-75mm F2.8 except for one or two frames with the fisheye.
Make sure you check out the rest of the set below or in higher res in the gallery here.
Music, Concerts, Photography ……. some thoughts
I thought it was about time that I share some of my impression about concert photography. I am asked quite often about it, so here’s how I perceive concert photography and everything around it. It’s going to be a looooooong post.
I see myself as very lucky to be able to shoot concerts. Photography and music are two passions of mine and combining both is like a dream come true.
Since I’ve been photographing concerts I have that “rule” that I also photograph the support act. There’s quite a few reasons for that. One being that for me it’s a sign of respect towards the band, you will see that more often than not they’re very good performers and you’ll end up enjoying yourself shooting their show. And then I think it’s a good way to “warm up” for the shoot to come. You get a feeling about the light for the show (although it may and will probably vary from the support act to the main act), you can spot details that could be problems or that could lead to better pictures. Seriousely, worst case scenario … the band sucks you discard the images and that’s it. At least you had some practice.
Another interesting part of it is that every concert is different and you learn new things every time. You can’t be 100% prepared, improvisation is part of the game here. If the picture “works” it doesn’t matter how you got it, as long as you respect the rules. Then there’s the rush, you’ve got 3 songs (sometimes even less) to take your pictures. As you can imagine, the situation in regards to light is less than ideal. Basically you have to work fast, … very fast. I usually end up with 100 to 120 pictures in those +-12minutes. I have to produce approximatively 20 pictures for the publication.
My post processing on the first few concerts was quite intense, as I was used to portrait photography. I ended spending behind the screen after the concerts. I’ve completely stopped that. Sometimes I crop some of the pictures or adjust the white balance but that’s basically it.
I see some concert photographers out there who publish some pictures that are not in focus or the composition is really off. I have become very careful about that, if the picture is technically not ok I will not publish it. Exceptions are pictures that I wanted to look a specific way, which points to the fact that even concert photography is still an art. We should all strive to still remain creative even though the timeframe is very small.
Well, I guess that’s it, …. I hope that the post will give people some answers they were looking for.
Cheers,
Tom
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