Live in Lisboa

The venue for the Lisbon gig was in this 2 story open ceiling industrial building in the middle of the 'arts/culture' neighborhood. We couldn't tell if it was a squat, a gallery, or simply a rad place where cool things happen. There was a decent group art show up that had works ranging from pen and ink, screen print, poster art, to illustrations, books, piantings etc... The venue was too big to look entirely full, but as usual, the band pulled out all the stops and turned heads. This was by far the toughest gig to photograph as the lighting was non-existent. I've been using a Canon Rebel xti with the kit lens (efs 18-55) and a ultrasonic 75-300 and built-in flash. Its small, easy to use, and there was no room in the tour van for anything larger.... needless to say I think it got the job done. I don't particularly enjoy the 'stock' style of band/concert photography where the musicians are flatly illuminated by a bulb. There is no sense of what the music sounds like, no sense of energy or dynamics, no sense of rhythm. I typically use a 1-2 second exposure with and without flash at an f-stop anywhere between 13-3.5. This seems to bring out a much greater idea of what the performance is like. The long exposures capture the motion (emotion) of the musicians mid-song and allows the available or stage lighting to achieve a sense of dynamic energy that could represent a sound/song. I also tend to utilize the zoom in/out to pull certain aspects of a song into and out of attention.

Whew... and Whoa....! Many updates coming!

Ok, so I need to really get back on track with updates since I'll have decent internet connection once back in the states. Sorry for the non-realtime blogging... but the tour schedule didn't really allow for cyber-nerding. Literally 1000's of photos had/have to be edited down so that I don't bother you with rubbish. Portugal followed Madrid, and would be the surprise of the tour. Lisbon, Porto, Braganca! A wonderful time in a beautiful country was had by all. Here are a few from the squat/art/event venue in Lisbon, pre-show. More pix soon!

On to Madrid

Pix from the Madrid and gig!

The Cure, Anti-Disco Club, Alicante, Spain

We arrived in Alicante on Dec. 8th to bit of a surprise, as the gig date was promoted for the 9th, the night we were supposed to be in Granada. However, after much deliberation, the band decided to stay the night and perform in Alicante and forgo Granada. We had to make the most out of it... and did so finely, to the delight of the locals and club.

Quick Update

Sorry for the time past btw updates. After joining the lads on tour, internet connectivity has been dodgy at best. But alas, Maus Habitos in Porto, Portugal has given me free ethernet connection. Be prepared for a blast of new updates with mostly photographs. Ok, from ATP we went to Dover and crossed the Channel to Calais, France. From there we headed to Kevin's maison in Champrosay, a village outside Paris. The following morning we headed south to the Spanish border, staying the night in Narbonne, just outside the Pyranees.

Kill Me Tomorrow Live at All Tomorrows Parties

I know my words have been a tad shorter these last few posts, but I'm hoping the photos will do most of the talking. What can I say, the band were absolutely on top of their form. Every song delivered to its sonic potential. Segues and innuendos were nailed, while the energy of the entire set was not only heard and seen, but obviously felt by the movement in the crowd and those lucky enough to witness and revel in the performance.