A Shadowy Muscles at The Forum amongst the Neon Kids

Getting my photography back up to date, next up was Muscles who was performing at The Forum in Sydney. This was a shoot for FasterLouder and was a pretty good night (even for a Sunday with a Monday at work afterwards). This was one of my first all ages gigs and all I can say is that kids have no idea how to act in a crowd. To make matters worse there was no barrier up in front of the stage to allow security to pluck those being squished out. Speaking to the Drum reviewer she said she couldn’t believe it and that the crushing looked more like a rock/metal gig than an electro all-ages gig! Support was from the very able Cassette Kids, who have since won a spot at the Big Day Out through TripleJ’s Unearthed program.

More shots after the break or see the full set at flickr.

Shot for FasterLouder.

Muscles from the floor

The view from upstairs

This shot got a fair bit of publicity via the website Mess+Noise.

The Cassette Kids

Shot for FasterLouder.

Read on and comment if you like!

July

My Birthday Present to myself – my first L-Series lens from Canon, a 70-200mm f/2.8 from d-d-photographics.com.au. Also pictured are my Moo mini business cards from England based on a selection of my flickr shots… they lasted all of 2.5 months

July represented a ramp up in the hectic nature of my photography and life in general. I got to shoot a number of bands including: Something With Numbers at University of Newcaste’s Bar on the Hill and 28 Days playing out at Maitland. A follow up to Mewfest:Easter 2007 was Mewfest777:Winter 2007 to celebrate my 25th birthday. Friends came up from Sydney, and also some of my Newcastle mates dropped in, dropped down to Sydney for Sunny’s 25th birthday bash, enjoyed the EnergyAustralia graduate dinner (after presenting during the day on our rotation), shooting some random work shots for the presentation, catching up with my Great Aunt who was down from Queensland with family and got some surf shots in to the bargain.

A rather popular shot of the junk I keep in my pocket – I need tto update this!

The Inches from Melbourne supporting Something With Numbers at Bar on the Hill in Newcastle

Something With Numbers at Bar on the Hill in Newcastle

My Birthday Cake – lovingly made by my best mate’s (now) wife Sarah

Housemate Ben Lange relaxing on the couch

Surfer at Bar Beach in Newcastle

Well, it’s interesting to me (larger panoramic)

Pasha Bulker, having been removed from the beach undergoes repairs in Newcastle Harbour (larger panoramic)

Sunny’s Birthday Cake

My rellies new Black Lab Penelope (aka Penny)

My Great Aunt Tot at Nelson Bay

Newcastle girl band Amathyst supported 28 Days

28 Days playing out at Maitland’s Club House Hotel

August

My final month in Newcastle was jam packed to say the least. On the band front I started with a friend from TheRoot42.org Ben van Grootel’s band from Perth Streetlight hitting up Oxford Street’s Spectrum and finished shooting the Midnight Juggernaughts at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle. In between were the Kaiser Chiefs at the Hordern Pavilion (my first, and I finally met both Will Reichelt and Daniel Boud both of whom I’d followed on flickr for some time), The Beautiful Girls playing Newcastle’s Bar on the Hill and the local band competition Resonate. The month also saw a visit from Switzerland of a friend from TheRoot42.org Thierry Blancpain, a meetup of the Sydney members of TR42, the annual trip with the Manly High Guys to Mike’s Farm, a lunar eclipse and packing up my room to head back to Sydney.

Perth’s Streetlight play at Oxford Street’s Spectrum

Perth’s Streetlight play at Oxford Street’s Spectrum

Kaiser Chiefs play a packed Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The opportunity to shoot was a thank you gift from the band for developing the open source jmc_event_manager that runs their gig guide on their site.

Cruising the Hunter with Thierry visiting from Switzerland

The Beautiful Girls performing at Bar On The Hill in Newcastle

Road case – old school style

Logan Wines at Mudgee – beautiful winery and beautiful wines

Fireside at Mike’s Farm. The challenge is always a bigger fire than the year before…

…I think we did a pretty good job

Driving back from the farm via Mudgee (larger panoramic)

Pedal Shots at the Resonate band competition at The Brewery in Newcastle

Dusk at Bar Beach during the lunar eclispe

The Lunar Eclipse!

Damn Arms, a great bunch of guys from Melbourne, supporting Midnight Juggernauts in Newcastle

Midnight Juggernauts close out my August, quite literally

September

September started with two gigs in one day – the Bimbadgen Blues Festival in the Hunter Valley and Kora at the Gaelic Club in Sydney. I also had to move the majority of my belongings to Sydney and pack up my room. I’m a tad crazy! From there Sydney saw APEC come and go, along with the fence and the Chaser security penetration. A friend had started a new band so I volunteered to shoot them in at the Hopetoun Hotel and also shot the guys from True Live once more, this time at the Annandale Hotel, and Shapeshifter at the Gaelic Club. Work changed to Sydney with a new group and I attended a conference too. The move back home was interesting to say the least, and it’s taken a while to get used to the bus travel once more.

Bimbadgen Blues Festival goers

…more of the crowd!

Sunsets over Bimbadgen Blues Festival

Budspells supported Kora at the Gaelic Club

The calm before the storm of APEC in Sydney

APEC Week – the Sydney Opera House

Light Trails in Sydney

Tal at the Hopetoun in Sydney

True Live with support from King Farook, Paris Wells and Amali Ward at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney

Shapeshifter and Foreign Dub Soundsystem keep the Gaelic Club aliv till the wee hours of the morning – playing after a set at Parklife

October

October opened with a lovely night at the Vanguard to shoot Hollie Smith and closed with the Annual PVSOC Dinner. In between I had the opportunity to shoot Regurgitator at the Metro Theatre, Urthboy, Hermitude + The Tongue at the Gaelic Club, UK’s The Klaxons at the Enmore Theatre, Butterfingers at the Forum, Vasco Era once again this time at the Annandale Hotel. I also attended the EA Staff Club Masquerade Ball, a bit of a wander around the Rocks for a Beer Festival, one of Macquarie University’s productions that Stu was playing piano in and a roadtrip with the VeeDub Club to Bowral with Seb. I was also involved in my first paid shoot – the media day of the Sydney Motor Show for CarsGuide.com.au. October also saw me replace my trusty Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 with a Canon L-Series version as I’d slightly damaged the Sigma and it could no longer guarantee me quality images at the f/3.2 I normally shot at. As with the 70-200 I was suitably impressed by the quality of the glass – L-Series needs to be used to be believed!

The magical hands of New Zealand’s Hollie Smith at the Vanguard in Newtown

More pedals It’s all about the details!

This seems to have been a rather popular photo of the Masquerade Ball!

Just something about this shot that I really like

Jump shot + more from Regurgitator’s support act New Pants (from China!)

Shooting the ‘gurge once more – Regurgitator at the Metro Theatre in Sydney

The Sydney Motor Show – my first paid gig!

Urthboy at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills

The Tongue at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills

The Tongue with Urthboy

Melbourne’s Damn Arms supporting the Klaxons on tour from the United Kingdom

The Klaxons play to a packed out Enmore Theatre

Butterfingers at the Forum Theatre in Enmore

The Vasco Era’s Sid O’Neil – perfect lighting from the Annandale Hotel

The Vasco Era rocking the Annandale Hotel

Archy + Mehitabel playing at the Lighthouse Theatre by Macquarie Uni’s Musical Society

Seb’s family’s VW Beetle Cabriolet at Milton Park Country House in the Southern Highlands

More cars from the VW Club Cruise to the Bowral Car Show

November

November was one of the busier months gig wise, shooting Sounds in the Grounds at Sydney University, Xavier Rudd on his national tour, Beleruche out from the United Kingdom, my mates band The Gays, Sneaky Sounds (with support from Sweden’s Robyn and Australia’s most excellent Van She) and Ohmega Watts. I also found time for a dinner in Newcastle with the Safearth group, heading out to the Sydney Convention Centre for E21C, Dad’s side of the family’s Christmas and the National Art School’s 2007 exhibition of work.

Performers at Sounds in the Grounds, from top: Gotye, Gotye, Wolf & Cub, I Heart Hiroshima, The Crowd.

Xavier Rudd performing at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown

Jeremy Fisher, from Canada, supported Xavier Rudd on his Australian Tour

Conferences can be fun to shoot! The E21C Conference with: 2007 Australian of the Year Tim Flannery, KPMG’s top demographer Bernard Salt, absolute champion journalist George Negus, my (by then) former housemate from Newcastle Ben Lange

Belleruche perform at Will & Toby’s – Kathrin deBoer’s eyes and voice are absolutely captivating

Sneaky Sound System brought me back to the Hordern

Robyn supporting Sneaky Sounds at the Hordern

Favourite photo of 2007 – Van She perform at the Hordern with Sneaky Sound System

The glo-stick-fluoro-crowd at Sneaky Sounds

Ohmega Watts hits up Sydney at the Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst

My cousin’s little girl Ella at the Courtney Christmas Party

December

The final month of the year was a very busy one. I had two weddings – James & Lee and Stu & Sarah (where I was also Best Man) – with the associated bucks parties, family stuff for Christmas, a ramp up of work and more gigs. I got to cover TripleJ’s Elements Tour at the Metro, an all ages with Muscles at the Forum, Blackalicious at the Forum and finally to top the year of one of my favourite artists – José Gonzáles at the Enmore Theatre.

TripleJ’s presents Elements Tour – Artists from top: Z-Trip, Swollen Members, Jungle Brothers

James and Lee’s wedding was held up at Kurrajong Heights

Muscles’ all ages show at the Forum in Sydney – never been at a crazy floor at a gig!

Cassette Kids supported Muscles

Stu + Sarah’s Wedding (top photo: Kate Butcher)

The next generation of the Head family at the annual Head family gathering on Boxing Day at Box Hill

Blackalicious playing the Forum in Sydney

DJ QBert (top) and People Under the Stairs (bottom) supporting Blackalicioius

The crowd awaits Blackalicious

An end of year treat – José Gonzáles playing at the Enmore Theatre – absolutely awesome

Emily Barker supported José Gonzáles

Farewell 2007: The surf during the day, and the stars just before midnight

2007 was a phenomenal year for me and my camera. I got off my arse and started shooting gigs bigger than ever. In a short six month period, while living in Newcastle, I shot local and international touring acts both up there and down in Sydney. Since then I’ve been getting more opportunities and requests to use my shots (and hopefully start paying back some money on the gear front – to all bands and touring companies, our gear doesn’t come cheaply, so unless you’re playing for free at the gigs I’m shooting, show some respect back to the photographers when you look at the contracts you have them often sign and realise that they must pay for their gear and training, just like you have to!). So without further ado, a month by month description of 2007 with photos.

So, read and look on!

January

New Years Eve as viewed from McMahons Point

January saw the year begin with a bang. I spent New Years Eve with some friends from uni at McMahons Point and then on to Manly to catch up with Charles+Kate and the rest of the Manly High guys.

New Years Eve at McMahons Point overlooking Sydney Harbour

There were also a few shots when the surf got good for the Billabong Junior Pro down at my home beach at North Narrabeen.

Billabong Junior Pro at North Narrabeen

The final treat for January was the seventh annual Australia Day camping trip – this year to Booti Booti National Park.

Seventh Annual Australia Day Camping Trip at Booti Booti National Park

Seventh Annual Australia Day Camping Trip at Booti Booti National Park

Seventh Annual Australia Day Camping Trip at Booti Booti National Park

Seventh Annual Australia Day Camping Trip at Booti Booti National Park

February

February was my last month in Sydney for half a year and was rather busy (as always ). This month saw me head out to Petersham for Green Beats, shoot Tom and Toby surfing at Manly, get up early to shoot sunrise over Long Reef – and sunset over Palm Beach, enjoy the 2007 Tropfest extravaganza in the Domain (and shot The Bamboos for the first time), attend Kate Butcher’s art exhibition at the national art school (along with some driving long exposure shots).

Green Beats at Petersham Bowling Club

Toby at Fairy Bower

Morning at Long Reef (larger panoramic)

Morning at Long Reef – small boat on the horizon watches the storm about to hit

Barrenjoey Lighthouse at sunset

Panoramic at Barrenjoey Lighthouse looking over the cottage (larger panoramic)

A big night out at Tropfest – and the first in three years where it didn’t rain (unlike 2006 where I got absolutely saturated)

North Sydney makes for fun long exposure driving shots (especially now I have a remote release for the camera – this was performed via a lean, click + hope method)

Kate Butcher’s art exhibition at National Art School

Kate’s younger sister hating the camera during the opening of Looking for Line.

March

March was my first month in Newcastle, and also culminated in a rather large amount of driving. During the first weekend alone (including the Friday with an RDO) I headed up to Newcastle to briefly become acquainted with my new residence before heading back to Sydney and on down to Jarvis Bay for my cousin’s wedding and then back up to Newcastle, via North Narrabeen and Haberfield, with Stu to move a bed and other random furniture into my new Newcastle abode then back to Sydney. I finally moved myself up more permanently on the Tuesday night, following two days of training for work. March also saw me climb down at the Narrabeen slabs with Jared, Lee and Heath, shoot some absolutely stunning surf down at Bar Beach (one of the shots has ended in an Australian surf guide – first shot published in a book!), shoot both Roger Explosion’s EP Launch at Kings Cross’s Candy’s Appartment and triplej unearthed j-award nominee Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers as they supported Newcastle’s The Seabellies EP launch up in Newcastle at the Cambridge Hotel and attend SemiPermanent2007 at the Convention Centre at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

The Valkyrie/Traktor at my new local beach (Bar Beach) for six months in Newcastle

Bar Beach – my Newcastle local beach (larger panoramic)

My sister Hannah performs for the camera at Jarvis Bay for my cousin Susan’s wedding

A little’un is intrigued by her shadow at Jarvis Bay for my cousin Susan’s wedding

Jarvis Bay for my cousin Susan’s wedding

James climbing at the Narrabeen Slabs

My old climbing shoes (and hairy legs) with Heath belaying in the background

This is my shot of Newcastle’s Bar Beach that made it into the sixth edition of The Surfer’s Travel Guide from Liquid Addictions

One of my most viewed surf shots on flickr. I want to get this blown up to wall size one day.

Big City Exile supporting The Seabellies’ EP Release at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle

Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers supporting the Seabellies’ EP Release at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle

The Seabellies EP Release at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle

The Seabellies EP Release at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle – one of my favourite shots of the year, the colours just work so well with the colours of the wood.

Roger Explosion EP Launch at Candy’s Apartment in Kings Cross

Mike O’Meally, phenomenal skate photographer from Sydney (now living in the States) showers the crowd with film (you know, the stuff you used to put in cameras ) – I picked up a t-shirt that I donated to Tom

VIRB is subversive – taking over the MySpace stall at SemiPermanent2007

A photo of the photo that I want to one day have in my collection. September 12, 2001 – New York City. Photo: Mike O’Meally.

April

By April I had finally got most of my life moved up to Newcastle (well, the parts that I couldn’t live without) and had a desk and a set of shelves and could actually live and work. After such a hectic March, April was a month of quiet times, so beyond a trip to Dudley to shoot Grant Walmsley (one of my housemate Ben Lange’s good friends) as he started out on the music circuit solo (following some quiet times during the post-Screaming Jets days) and rounding out the month with my first piece of contributor work for InTheMix with DJ Luke Fair hitting Newcastle not much happened (although my mates did come up for a bit of a trip at easter to get away from Sydney and hit the wineries, to differing degrees of success).

Grant Walmsley plays an intimate show for the people of Dudley

Grant Walmsley plays an intimate show for the people of Dudley

Grant Walmsley plays an intimate show for the people of Dudley

May

I headed down to the carpark at the end of my street in Newcastle to shoot some sunsets – the colours were amazingly vivid in comparison with back on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, owing mainly to the lack of high hills to the west. This month also saw the 24 hours of flickr, participation in a short-course on Earthing through work (I was part of the Network Earthing group), an inspection of Newcastle’s old Zone Sub through Engineers Australia, the beginnings of my art classes, getting up way too early at South Curl Curl for a sunrise shoot, another shoot for InTheMix – this time the classical-jazz-hiphop fusion of True Live at the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, a visit to a 132kV substation in Sydney for work, and more trips to and from Newcastle/Sydney. Phew!

Sunset over Bar Beach, Newcastle

The Panoramic of the sunset (larger panoramic)

24 Hours of Flickr – bouncing across the Roseville Bridge

Night driving on the freeway to Newcastle

Kiosk inspection during the Safearth Earthing Short Course at Swansea

The Old Newcastle Zone Substation’s control board

Well, it was meant to be a banksia… I kinda like it though

My room was so awesome up at Newcastle – need to find another good place to move to in Sydney pronto!

The early bird catches the worm – living on about 3 hours sleep max to get up for this shoot at sunrise at South Curl Curl

Captured from the window of my car – this is another of my absolute favourite shots of the year from down at Curl Curl

It got real foggy one day at our place in Newcastle. Real foggy!

True Live rocking the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle

Who would have thought that violin, cello, double bass, keys and drums would work for hip-hop? True Live rocking the Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle

The F3 cruise – setup was my tripod in the back seat!

June

The start of June and Ben and I were both in Newcastle at the same time – so he decided I needed to see the area and he took his bright yellow ute up to Nelson Bay for the day. June also saw me shoot The Vasco Era for the local online music zine I’m With The Band, Newcastle hit by ferocious storms leaving the Pasha Bulker stranded on Nobby’s Beach, a few birthdays around the place (Stu’s 25th and Sue’s 21st) and shooting further gigs for FasterLouder with South By Inner West at the Annandale Hotel and for InTheMix The Bamboos + TY at the Forum in Sydney.

Ben and his bright yellow ute (he’s also got a bright yellow VW Beetle)

Winter Afternoon at Bar Beach (larger panoramic)

Sid O’Neil from The Vasco Era sporting a touring injury

The Vasco Era at the Northern Star Hotel in Newcastle – they so needed a bigger venue!

Whiskey Go-Go’s supporting The Vasco Era at the Northern Star Hotel in Newcastle

The Pasha Bulker on Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle on the night of the storms – we braved the elements to get this shot!

The Pasha Bulker on Nobby’s Beach in Newcastle – a nicer shot taken after the weekend in much kinder weather (windy as all hell, but no rain).

The Mares at the Annandale Hotel for South By Inner West

Moscow Schoolboy at the Annandale Hotel for South By Inner West

New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands at the Annandale Hotel for South By Inner West

Perth’s The Panda Band at the Annandale Hotel for South By Inner West

Sue’s entertaining brother’s twirl fire at her 21st

Finally, a self portrait that I like. It’s not quite in focus, nor is my face evenly lit, but I really like this shot

Another of my fave acts for 2007 – The Bamboos playing at The Forum in Sydney

TY with the crowd at The Forum

TY’s DJ at the Forum

Support act for The Bamboos and TY at the Forum

My family’s cat Meg – gorgeous but not so clever (who needs brains when you have beauty?)

Charles at Stu’s 25th Birthday

Stay tuned for Part II!

The stunning Kathrin deBoer, singer for Belleruche

I got in touch with the guys behind Tru Thoughts, the record label with The Bamboos on their books, after talking to their web developer. Long story short, they use the event manager I created for Textpattern on their site to manage their artists’ gigs. They then asked if I’d come so to say hello and take some shots for them of their band Belleruche. Was great to meet up with people who actually use some of your work in their business, and Belleruche was definitely a band worth catching. Their lead singer, Kathrin deBoer, is an absolute gem with such a powerful voice.

More shots + commentary after the break.

Full set of photos at flickr.

Shot for Tru Thoughts and Niche Productions.

I believe that this is one of my best shots I’ve taken for a while – Sid O’Neil at the Annandale Hotel leading The Vasco Era

Isn’t it amazing what a lighting rig can do. I first shot guitar strumming Sid O’Neil, his bass playing brother Ted and drummer Michael Fitzgerald at a small pub in Newcastle around five months back (Photography: The Vasco Era @ Northern Star Hotel, Newcastle – 2nd June 2007 or the flickr set The Vasco Era @ The Northern Star Hotel) with a less than basic light set up. This time at the Annandale Hotel the lights were up, Sid’s fingers were not bleeding (as far as I could see), the blood spatters on his guitars had been cleaned away and the music was classic Vasco Era goodness. These guys are just such a fantastic live act – I always have so much fun shooting them. I only wish I could have been around for The Fumes and the Skybombers, instead I was shooting the first gig of the night – Butterfingers.

More photos after the break or on flickr at Vasco Era @ The Annandale Hotel, Annandale

Shot for The Dwarf.

Butterfingers are Back!

Part of a “two gigs in one night” outing for me saw Butterfingers come back to the Factory Theatre in Enmore to treat the crowd to their playful tunes. Support was provided by the more than able Bluejuice, a lot of fun to shoot, and Bukk City, not quite as polished an act.

More photos after the break or at the full flickr set.

Shot for The Dwarf.

Support: Bluejuice

Support: Bukk City

My best jump shot of the night was for the Chinese support act New Pants

My first gig with The Dwarf saw me shooting the boys (and girl) from Regurgitator as they took to the stage at The Metro. It was the usual bigger gig restriction of three-songs-no-flash – though luckily this didn’t apply to the earlier acts.They were ably supported by the Australian up-and-comers I Heart Hiroshima and also New Pants all the way from China (those guys rocked!)I also managed to meet up with a fellow Sydney music photographer while at the gig – Anthony Yong

Regurgitator

New Pants

I Heart Hiroshima

Shot for The Dwarf.

Hollie Smith’s able hands on the keyboard at The Vanguard in Newtown

My mate Duncan and his brother Angus were heading along to see New Zealand’s legendary jazz singer Hollie Smith, so I checked FasterLouder to see if I could cover it for them. Luckily I was given the spot (although my name mysteriously wasn’t on the door list, but with camera in hand and an email to and from the EMI representative I was deemed trustworthy enough for the venue to let me in to shoot. Mysteriously another couple of fellow Sydney flickrers were present and snapped me in action (or inaction rather) – check at the bottom.

Hollie Smith

Support

Me At The Gig

Photo: Michael Christian

Shot for FasterLouder

30 second exposure of Foreign Dub Soundsystem at the Gaelic Club in Surry Hills

The New Zealand Drum ‘n’ Bass band Shapeshifter hit the Australian shores for the Parklife festivals around the country and played a small sideshow in Sydney 4 hours after they went on stage at Parklife in Sydney (big night for them). Wasn’t expecting them on so late, and ended up bailing earlier than I would have liked due to a splitting headache (with earplugs in the sound didn’t make it worse mind). Was a rather fun gig too. Support was from Foreign Dub Soundsystem (who’s singers were great). Enjoy.

Shapeshifter (NZ)

Support: Foreign Dub Soundsystem

Shot for Niche Productions and InTheMix

Tal playing at The Hopetoun in Sydney

I was invited by a friend, Jeremy Curran, to shoot a gig at the Hopetoun for a new singer that he’s backing up as violinist in her support band these days. With a conference to go to the next day it was a pretty busy night and had to bail early (so many apologies to the other acts on that night).

Hope you all enjoy!