Live Music
Ke$ha v Rouge Traders
Do any of you remember the performance stage at Australia’s Wonderland? Hanna Barbera characters would bounce around singing and dancing, a surreal ventriloquist act of commercial cliches? Your friend’s mum would make you sit down and watch, as she’d reminiscence her lost youth, while the Bush Beast and Demon taunted you in the distance?
Big Day Out 2010 (part ii)
And so we continue the epic saga that is Big Day Out #100.
The dapper young fellas who are the Horrors, impeccably clad in St Augustine Academy threads played a flawlessly effortless set. I did a shoot with the mastermind behind St Augustine last year for Academy for Men, you can check it out here.
Big Day Out 2010 (part i)
On Saturday 24th January Sydney held the 100th Big Day Out. It was a scorcher of a day, reaching 32 degrees by 8am. The day before the temperatures had reached 42 degrees. Thankfully, the sky refused to endure the heat any longer and showered us all with a downpour. Sadly, this is when Dizzy Rascal played, and I was stuck in a corridor, protecting my camera gear from the wet. By the time his first three songs were over (the only time photographers are allowed in the photo pit to shoot) the rain had stopped, the crowd was back in the stadium, as, after all, the show must go on. It was a great day, as always grueling at the time, what with the heat, the crowds, the running between stages, the bossy security guards, the bogans, but when I get home, and download the pics, there is always a sense of satisfaction. And so, here are some of the 3000 pics I shot, sans Dizzy of course.
My old mates Bluejuice, never one to disappoint on the performance front donned themselves in extra skin tight yellow jump suits. Like schizophrenic bees they buzzed around the stage, amping the crowd up for the rest of the day.
Karnivool took me by surprise. I really only went in to photograph the crowd, but as soon as the lead singer, Ian Kenny waltzed out donned in Avatar 3D glasses and a short sleeve shirt buttoned right up, looking very akin to the Mormans we all try to avoid at Town Hall. He was incredible. Mesmerizing. I couldn’t take my eyes, or my camera off of him. Later I saw Ian in the bar, he had his glasses off, and the Morman shirt was gone. No urge to take any more shots. Amazing act to catch if you can.
Who likes short shorts?
In preparation for Big Day Out 2010 I thought I might just show a gallery of legs from previous festivals. There’s only one thing that outnumbers southern cross tattoos at BDO, and that’s legs. I mean, it’s a long, hot day in the middle of summer. Why would you bother wearing pants? Really?
This year’s BDO is very exciting, as on the second day of the Sydney show we will be celebrating the 100th show! No doubt something pretty cool will be lined up for this… my bet is as good as yours, but guaranteed I’ll be there to snap away when it is revealed.
Here is a link to my BDO pics from 2008. It’s always an epic day, racing between the 8 stages, 3 songs no flash etc etc, it’s a real work out!
I am lucky enough to have a two day pass this year. Thinking of dedicating one day to the crowd, and the second day to the music.
