There was a two-song limit in place for photographing Joan As Police Woman. But not something sensible like Songs One and Two or Two and Three; instead it was the slightly bizarre pairing of Songs Two and Five. In retrospect there was some method to this madness, as these songs gave the differing opportunites of photographing Joan at her side-of-stage keyboard (Song One) and photographing her mid-stage whilst playing guitar (Song Five). The main downside to this arrangement was that it meant concentrating on which number song she was up to so as to not miss being able to take some photos.

It was the most full I’ve seen the Globe and it was a very interesting crowd that she pulled in. I never would have expected a middle-age woman in a nasty, very 80s looking, fire-hazard-of- an-all-in-one jumpsuit and pink boots combination to have attracted the audience that she did… It would have made for a good variety of social pics…

The lighting wasn’t up to the usual Globe standards, with lots of red backlighting aimed at the back of her head. And she was another one of those singers who always has their eyes shut. Musically it was probably a bit too jazz-caberet for me, so I only ended up staying for a couple more songs after I had to stop photographing. You can get hold of her performance from the Turn It Up To 10 blog.

The final additions to the 2008 Splendour In The Grass festival were announced recently, to go with the already announced list that I blogged about here, with the final 21 bands being as follows:

The Polyphonic Spree
The Drones
Bluejuice
Lyrics Born
New Young Pony Club
Yves Klein Blue
Tokyo Police Club
Little Red
Clare Bowditch
Robert Forster
Hadouken!
Bliss n Eso
Albert Hammond Jr
Paul Dempsey
Katalyst
Even
British India
The Galvatrons
Delta Spirit
Slot Machine
The Black Stars

One thing’s for sure, it’s no 2006 line-up, my only previous trip to the festival. It’s no 2005 line-up either.  Or 2004.  Or 2003… Overall it’s a very disappointing line-up.  I presumed with The Breeders playing in Brisbane on the Monday after the festival that they would be playing, which would have been one plus point from the final announcement, but it seems not, unless they’re going to announce them as a ‘surprise’ last minute act.

Usually with Fuji Rock being the previous weekend their line-up is usually a good guide to who will be playing at Splendour, but not this year it seems, with the Fuji Rock line-up being far superior, both musically and from a photographic point of view.

The playing times don’t get published until a week or so before the festival so I’ll have to wait until then to start planning the weekend and who I’m going to photograph with military precision.

I have previously photographed 13 of the 47 bands playing:

Wolfmother (and seen/photographed them waaaaay too many times…)
The Presets
The Grates
Operator Please
Van She
The Panics
Mstrkrft
The Gin Club
The Drones
Lyrics Born
New Young Pony Club
Yves Klein Blue
Robert Forster

Whilst I plan on photographing a number of those bands again, I’m open to suggestions as to other bands that I have to see/have to photograph so feel free to tell me who I must go and check out.