in other newses...
Man I have seriously got to start practicing my speed at home like, at least an hour every day. Whenever I try to play super fast shit these days, I can play maybe three bars and then I get all sloppy and it's pissing me off! Especially since Biff has me playing these riffs that are not only speedy-as-fuck, but also somewhat complicated (as far as timing goes). I've definitely noticed that my chops are getting beefier in the past two weeks, though. Not where I want them to be, but steadily improving.
I need to go buy some new picks this weekend. I hate all the ones that I have and I lost my favourite one (those really fat, hard small ones with one pointy end and two rounder ones).
From my Twitter last night: fuck yeah, Lords is up next! Time to get even shittier than shit!
Last night Lords played the Casbah with Barn Burner, Titan (yaaawwwnnnnn), Vatican Chainsaw Massacre and Vilipend. It was an alright show, but not Lords' best. They seemed tired, or bored or something. And their new bass player seemed like kind of a doof. Plus their sound wasn't as face-melting as it usually is... I think Dave said Chris was telling him that his favourite amp got busted at some show.
I took a buttload of photos. I was totally in my photo-taking headspace. I love when that happens. Because I am so mood-swingy, it's really a gamble when I go to shows with the intention of taking photos because a lot of the time I just don't feel it when I get there, and I decide "nah, not gonna photograph this." I've missed out on getting shots at some pretty excellent shows because of my stupid moodiness.
Anyway, point is, I DID photograph the show last night and it was my first time photographing a show at Casbah. And... I was extremely pleased with the results! First off, thank FUCK Casbah doesn't use any red stagelights. Red lights (aka low-temp lights) SUCK for taking photos, especially live music photos (because you already have the challenge of photographing constantly-moving subjects). So when I saw that Casbah had nary a red light in sight (something I didn't notice until just last night), I nearly jumped for joy. Live music photography is challenging enough without annoying obstacles fucking up your photo temperature.
I have also been doing much more colour photography lately. My signature live shots have always been black and white, and they all have a definite, unifying look to them, due to the way I shoot. But I was getting bored and wanted to push myself, so I started experimenting more with colour. The thing I find with colour live photos is that my usual shooting technique doesn't work as well as it does with b/w. So I've had to try some new things and push myself even more, testing out new setting combinations and lens tricks, and if I do say so myself, I think my stuff has been turning out pretty good lately. Even Dave, who is my biggest critic because he knows what I'm capable of when I'm at my best, loved all the photos from last night, which is a really nice thing to hear from him (he can be so freaking picky, but I appreciate it because it's always constructive - he doesn't bullshit me).
I'll get around to posting some of the shots later on today... I hope you guys like 'em. So many of you guys on LJ have been with me since I first started my love affair with photography and you've always been so awesome and supportive of my efforts, so thanks a million, if I haven't said that recently.
It just feels nice to fall in love with live music photography all over again. I got disenchanted for awhile there, I think I was bored by always shooting the same bands, in the same venues, and I wasn't challenging myself so I got bored, and lost my passion for awhile.
***
I'm excited for Saturday night because there is this new music venue opening up called This Ain't Hollywood that some friends of friends started. It was a place called Copper John's but these three rad dudes took it over and I guess they renovated it all awesomely and re-named it. There used to be this wicked bar in Hamilton called the Corktown that was a total scummy punk rock, awesome-good-times place (well, technically it's still around but it underwent some huge changes in management a couple of years ago so it's like a totally different bar now, and from what I hear the new format/vibe is L.A.M.E.). It was probably like, I don't know, between 4-6 years ago that I used to frequent that place, and I just remember it was such a rockin' place, and I always had the best time ever whenever we'd go there. The music was wicked, the people were fantastic, the whole vibe of the place was just so cool.
Well, anyway, the one guy that use to run the Corktown, Lou, is this awesome older punk dude, and he is one of the three owners for this new place, and according to him, they're going for that same type of old Corktown vibe at the new venue.
I'm going down there Saturday night for the grand opening to meet up with some friends and have a shit-tastic night, and I'm really looking forward to checking it out.
This is why Hamilton rules, and why I'm so happy to be back here: this place is punk as fuck, the people here are so cool and fun and not as scene-obsessed as people in London, there are quite a few great options for bars/live music (as opposed to London where the only place I liked going was CTO. The Wick was alright, some great memories there, then it burned down. The Embassy was meh - apparently back in its heyday in the late 80s-early 90s it was incredible - but decent enough once in awhile, then it too burned down after it got sold to make room for condos or some shit... London is burning it's music scene into the ground). So yeah, it's just nice that I actually have the option of going to different bars that are actually GOOD that I can go to and hang with different groups of friends, instead of the same place and the same faces night in, night out.
Don't get me wrong. Call the Office is seriously special to me. I have a million insanely awesome and totally rock n' roll memories of that place, and it is basically my home away from home, always and forever. It's just... since it was THE Rn'R bar in London, there were a lot of douchebags that went there that I just was getting sick of. Most of my best memories of that place are from nights where there were maybe only 15 of us there. Sigh.
And, since I am a lover of change, I... needed a change. Of scenery.
Bla bla bla.
Tomorrow Biff, Dave and I are going to go down to the jamspace and drink beers and tighten up some riffs.
I still haven't gotten a single job interview and I've applied at probably, oh, 30 different places. I just don't get it. My resume is pretty good. Maybe I'm just experiencing shitty luck. It's SO discouraging.
I really want to get some spending money soon because I've been really in the mood to make some jewelery, and I need to get on down to some craft stores for supplies. Argh.
Ps. I used to think Jimmy Fallon was a weiner, but I've been watching his show this past week, and fuck, it is absurdly hilarious. I think I - gasp! - might even like his show better than Conan's! Will Ferrell was on last night and I literally was peeing my pants, they were so funny together.
I need to go buy some new picks this weekend. I hate all the ones that I have and I lost my favourite one (those really fat, hard small ones with one pointy end and two rounder ones).
From my Twitter last night: fuck yeah, Lords is up next! Time to get even shittier than shit!
Last night Lords played the Casbah with Barn Burner, Titan (yaaawwwnnnnn), Vatican Chainsaw Massacre and Vilipend. It was an alright show, but not Lords' best. They seemed tired, or bored or something. And their new bass player seemed like kind of a doof. Plus their sound wasn't as face-melting as it usually is... I think Dave said Chris was telling him that his favourite amp got busted at some show.
I took a buttload of photos. I was totally in my photo-taking headspace. I love when that happens. Because I am so mood-swingy, it's really a gamble when I go to shows with the intention of taking photos because a lot of the time I just don't feel it when I get there, and I decide "nah, not gonna photograph this." I've missed out on getting shots at some pretty excellent shows because of my stupid moodiness.
Anyway, point is, I DID photograph the show last night and it was my first time photographing a show at Casbah. And... I was extremely pleased with the results! First off, thank FUCK Casbah doesn't use any red stagelights. Red lights (aka low-temp lights) SUCK for taking photos, especially live music photos (because you already have the challenge of photographing constantly-moving subjects). So when I saw that Casbah had nary a red light in sight (something I didn't notice until just last night), I nearly jumped for joy. Live music photography is challenging enough without annoying obstacles fucking up your photo temperature.
I have also been doing much more colour photography lately. My signature live shots have always been black and white, and they all have a definite, unifying look to them, due to the way I shoot. But I was getting bored and wanted to push myself, so I started experimenting more with colour. The thing I find with colour live photos is that my usual shooting technique doesn't work as well as it does with b/w. So I've had to try some new things and push myself even more, testing out new setting combinations and lens tricks, and if I do say so myself, I think my stuff has been turning out pretty good lately. Even Dave, who is my biggest critic because he knows what I'm capable of when I'm at my best, loved all the photos from last night, which is a really nice thing to hear from him (he can be so freaking picky, but I appreciate it because it's always constructive - he doesn't bullshit me).
I'll get around to posting some of the shots later on today... I hope you guys like 'em. So many of you guys on LJ have been with me since I first started my love affair with photography and you've always been so awesome and supportive of my efforts, so thanks a million, if I haven't said that recently.
It just feels nice to fall in love with live music photography all over again. I got disenchanted for awhile there, I think I was bored by always shooting the same bands, in the same venues, and I wasn't challenging myself so I got bored, and lost my passion for awhile.
***
I'm excited for Saturday night because there is this new music venue opening up called This Ain't Hollywood that some friends of friends started. It was a place called Copper John's but these three rad dudes took it over and I guess they renovated it all awesomely and re-named it. There used to be this wicked bar in Hamilton called the Corktown that was a total scummy punk rock, awesome-good-times place (well, technically it's still around but it underwent some huge changes in management a couple of years ago so it's like a totally different bar now, and from what I hear the new format/vibe is L.A.M.E.). It was probably like, I don't know, between 4-6 years ago that I used to frequent that place, and I just remember it was such a rockin' place, and I always had the best time ever whenever we'd go there. The music was wicked, the people were fantastic, the whole vibe of the place was just so cool.
Well, anyway, the one guy that use to run the Corktown, Lou, is this awesome older punk dude, and he is one of the three owners for this new place, and according to him, they're going for that same type of old Corktown vibe at the new venue.
I'm going down there Saturday night for the grand opening to meet up with some friends and have a shit-tastic night, and I'm really looking forward to checking it out.
This is why Hamilton rules, and why I'm so happy to be back here: this place is punk as fuck, the people here are so cool and fun and not as scene-obsessed as people in London, there are quite a few great options for bars/live music (as opposed to London where the only place I liked going was CTO. The Wick was alright, some great memories there, then it burned down. The Embassy was meh - apparently back in its heyday in the late 80s-early 90s it was incredible - but decent enough once in awhile, then it too burned down after it got sold to make room for condos or some shit... London is burning it's music scene into the ground). So yeah, it's just nice that I actually have the option of going to different bars that are actually GOOD that I can go to and hang with different groups of friends, instead of the same place and the same faces night in, night out.
Don't get me wrong. Call the Office is seriously special to me. I have a million insanely awesome and totally rock n' roll memories of that place, and it is basically my home away from home, always and forever. It's just... since it was THE Rn'R bar in London, there were a lot of douchebags that went there that I just was getting sick of. Most of my best memories of that place are from nights where there were maybe only 15 of us there. Sigh.
And, since I am a lover of change, I... needed a change. Of scenery.
Bla bla bla.
Tomorrow Biff, Dave and I are going to go down to the jamspace and drink beers and tighten up some riffs.
I still haven't gotten a single job interview and I've applied at probably, oh, 30 different places. I just don't get it. My resume is pretty good. Maybe I'm just experiencing shitty luck. It's SO discouraging.
I really want to get some spending money soon because I've been really in the mood to make some jewelery, and I need to get on down to some craft stores for supplies. Argh.
Ps. I used to think Jimmy Fallon was a weiner, but I've been watching his show this past week, and fuck, it is absurdly hilarious. I think I - gasp! - might even like his show better than Conan's! Will Ferrell was on last night and I literally was peeing my pants, they were so funny together.