One Direction // BC Place

July 17, 2015 - So I had the lovely opportunity of shooting my first stadium show for Beatroute BC at Vancouver's largest venue, BC Place.  It was definitely a challenge due to the colossal size of the stage (its shaped like a T) with a lack of a powerful telephoto lens.  (The photographer for the Sun had a nice 400mm with him!)

I was surprised the venue wasn't more filled up granted the teenage fandom that One Direction gets.  Despite this, the energy was still high among the fans moreso than the group themselves.  The full review by Rex N. Turr is can be found here and summarizes my feelings about the concert as well.  

Despite not being my ideal genre of music, I would love to shoot more pop acts due to the stage presence a lot of the big names have...and the production value of the sets!
 

Gear List:
Nikon D610 with 24-70 2.8 & 70-200 2.8

Bad Religion // The Commodore Ballroom

June 30, 2015.  Commodore Ballroom. - Oh, it seems like a dream come true to shoot Bad Religion, the punk rock heavyweights hailing from LA.  This was my first time shooting for Beatroute Magazine and at the Commodore Ballroom (hands down, my favourite venue in all of Vancouver).  

Bad Religion currently consists of vocalist Greg Graffin (who rocks a PhD from Cornell), guitarist Brett Gurewitz (the founder of Epitaph records and unfortunately, wasn't at the Vancouver show), bassist Jay Bentley, guitarists Brian Baker and Mike Dimkich, and lastly drummer Brooks Wackerman.  As of 2015, they've released 16 studio albums, 2 live albums, 3 compilation albums and 2 EPs (and yes...one that sports punk rock versions of your favourite Christmas carols).

Bad Religion has inspired a majority of the later 90s punk bands, who often cite them as one of their biggest influences (such as NOFX, AFI, Pennywise, The Offspring and Rise Against).  They differentiate themselves from the crowd with their use of 3-part vocal harmonies, guitar solos and lyrics that contain religious and political commentary.  They have contributed songs to many left-wing groups such as pro-choice groups and Fat Mike's Rock Against Bush.

Onward to the show, however, it was amazing to see 40-50 year old punk rockers with more energy than most upcoming acts now-a-days.  Although I've never personally seen them before, I feel that they've aged well, just like wine or a nice whiskey.  Gone are the years of fitting into the punk aesthetic; Bad Religion is the perfect example of being able to grow up and still questioning authority.  You don't need your piercings, tattoos or studded leather jackets to show that.  

Unfortunately, being a bigger act, I was only really able to secure the first three songs from the photo pit so I wasn't able to get good pictures of the wheelchair I saw crowdsurfing but below are the photos for you to enjoy! 

The setlist is included here:

View fullsize

Gear: 

Nikon D610 with 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8.

Brass: No Soap Radio // Album Release at the Astoria

June 12, 2015 - So not too long after the metal escapade at the Rickshaw, I was invited to shoot another set for NotYourScene Magazine - this time for Brass' album release of No Soap Radio at the Astoria on East Hastings.  For any of you dive bar lovers, this is one of the places to be!  Cheap drinks, cheap food and punk rock sounds like home to me!  Of course with such a venue comes less than ideal lighting, but again, I like a challenge.

First up on the docket was the two-piece band, PASSIVE, which consists of Gene Wilder and Wilder Jeans.  Of course, pseudonyms for names unbeknownst to me.  Regardless, twas a nice mellow dose of punk rock to start the evening.  The energy levels were a bit low I found but they were very musically pleasing to the ear.  You can currently check out their latest digital album, s/t here.

The second band of the night were the punk/grungy/alternative act, MOSFETT, formerly known as Hemogoblin  They are a three piece band consisting of Blair KinKnackers on guitar/vocals, Chasetopher Grace on drums/vocals and Li'l Brendo on bass.  A few more drinks in, and the crowd is getting more intrigued.  The speed has been turned up and the distorted guitars/bass sound super muddy, reminiscent of early recordings by Black Flag and Husker Du.  All in all, a fun performance with their music drawing from not only punk legends, but even touching on metal acts such as Motley Crue and Black Sabbath.  You can get a taste of their previously released album, Roswell, here.

Eric Campbell and the Dirt come rolling in as the third act of the night, a five piece act with...a violinist?  Yes, that happened!  The band itself draws inspiration across traditional rock n' roll, punk, blues, gospel and goth tunes.  Musically more diverse than the first two bands, they were definitely more intimate with Eric interacting with the crowd and even singing on the beer smeared floor in his red leather pants and zebra-esque hat.  The rest of the band did a great job too, however, have undergone some lineup changes.  Although not necessarily my cup of tea in terms of style, they are a fun time and a must watch if you haven't seen them before!  You can hear their album, Kill Your Love, here.

The hype escalates as Dead Soft enters and starts setting up on the stage.  This 3 piece act hailing from Prince Rupert consists of vocalist/guitarist Nathaniel Epp, bassist Keeley Rochon and drummer Graeme McDonald.  Self-described as a very heavy pop band, one can testify that this statement is true after being caught up in their mosh pits.  Although not necessarily "heavy" in the grand scheme of things, the band has some "dirty" vocals throughout their songs while maintaining really catchy, rhythmic choruses and basslines.  Their self titled album, Dead Soft, can be heard here.

Alas, we arrive at the headlining act, Brass, a four-piece punk outfit from Vancouver consisting of T-Strings, Z-Bigger Strings, R-Skins and D-'Tude.  What that stands for is confusing to both you and me, but that's kind of what punk rock is.  A fuck you to what we know and the establishment.  I don't even know where to start with these guys, I've been to around fifty concerts and this local act was probably the rowdiest one I've ever been too.  My camera ended up shotgunning more beer than I did that night, cans were flying, and the mosh pits were for real.  Having no barricade between the crowd and the stage made for a horrifying but rad time shooting, especially when the musicians decided to jump ONTO the crowd.  Maybe I've been lacking in the punk department or I'm getting old, but these guys really know how to put on a show.  I'll let the photos and their album, which you can find here, do the talking.  A must-see if you're in Van.

Gear List:

Nikon D610 with 24-70mm 2.8
Nikon D7000 with 10.5mm fisheye 2.8

Veil of Maya & Guests // The Matriarch Tour at the Rickshaw Theatre

June 9th, 2015 - For those who don't already know, I have been added as a contributor to Not Your Scene Magazine and shot my first show for them!  The lineup consisted of metal acts Veil of Maya, Revocation, Gift Giver, Galactic Pegasus and The Hallowed Catharsis.  Unfortunately Entheos was held at the border and wasn't able to pass through.  Also interesting to note is that this is the first all ages show at the RIckshaw in the last few years, which made for a surprisingly tame and safe environment despite all the moshing (no alcohol was served). 

Anyway, to begin, the first act The Hallowed Catharsis is a local band which implements a fusion of metalcore, deathcore, technical death and thrash metal into their mix.  The instrumentals themselves were pretty typical of metal, but Sean Ip's energy was off the wall.  Between his brutal growls and screams, his stage presence was massive.  Despite being the smallest band on the tour, they definitely held their own and got the crowd moving around quite a bit.  I'm definitely looking forward to see this band grow and mature, as they're still in their beginning years.  You can check out their latest EP, Organic Entrenchment here.

The next band on the list, Galactic Pegasus, is another local talent, hailing from Surrey, BC and are heavily influenced by djent in their style of metal.  Djent, in itself is a newer spinoff of traditional heavy metal which focuses on low tuned, high-gain and palm muting typically employed by bands such as Meshuggah and Periphery.  Their performance in itself was a lot of fun, with all the bandmates having a fun sense of humour, performing satire of other recent metal trends such as the "crab walk" or super heavy breakdowns.  GP was definitely the most exciting band of the night, performance wise.  Their music may be hit or miss for most metal fans, but it is one of the most fun I've seen.  You can catch their latest EP, Pariah, here.

Next up on the list was Gift Giver,  a tech/nu-metal act from Detroit, Michigan.  I know half of you are shaking your head when I write nu-metal, but these guys' act was intense.  You can feel the grittiness and hip-hop stemming from their Detroit roots, emanating raw energy and aggression.  To promote their latest album, they all donned "Shitlife" jerseys, a giant fuck-you to the mainstream and fitting a "metal look."  You can catch Shitlife on their website here.

Next up was Revocation, a tech-death/thrash band hailing from Boston, Massachusetts.  Probably the most technical of the bunch but was also probably the least showy.  Trying to run around, sing, shred all at once sounds like a nightmare! Regardless, the fretwork, harmonies, drumming and technicality of the music overall (e.g. irregular time signatures) definitely deserves some respect.  They'll definitely be playing on my speakers for the next little while.

Last but not least are the headliners, Veil of Maya of Chicago, Illinois.  VoM is a powerhouse in the deathcore scene and a contributor to the djent movement.  The Matriarch tour is to feature their latest album that dropped on May 12, 2015 and features more of a metalcore sound which caused some controversy with die-hard fans, notably their clean vocals.  The album itself was produced, mixed and mastered by From First to Last's Taylor Larson.  Conceptually, the album is a fun theme as all the songs are based off prominent female characters from popular culture (such as Daenerys from Game of Thrones and Aeris from Final Fantasy 7).  Although Matriarch itself is a clean and solid record, those who loved VoM's deathcore roots may not enjoy it.  The performance itself was a lot of fun, and the crowd was definitely riled up with circle pits, moshing and crowd surfing.  In conclusion, they're definitely a watch for any metal fans.

Unfortunately, I don't have any set-lists, but here is the gearlist:

- Nikon D610 with 24-70 2.8
- Nikon D7000 with 10.5 2.8 fisheye and 70-200 2.8