It was only when I started processing these photos that the significance struck home; as a photographer you wait years, a lifetime perhaps, for that one perfect split second moment to create an icon, construct the legend or fuel the myth. 

I know that every few blog posts I end up including a link to this photo; as a music photographer it’s inescapable.  Let’s call it ‘The Pennie Smith Moment’.  As music photographers will forever be posting in Flickr forums, historically the great music photos were not hindered by stupid music industry rules and conditions that are inescapable in the modern age.  ‘The Pennie Smith Moment’ happened because she was on tour with The Clash, had access all areas and was free to photograph for as long as she wanted, from wherever she wanted.

When opportunity presents itself you need to read the situation, anticipate what is going to happen next and be ready for when it does happen.

“I remember thinking something was wrong, realising Paul was going to crack – and waited. The shot is out of focus because I ducked – he was closer than it looks” – Pennie Smith

With the generously suppplied AAA pass from The Zoo, I find myself side of stage at the end of the Vegas Kings‘ set.  The band are building to an end of set noisy climax, Pete and Ben swinging their guitars around and holding them aloft as the end of the last song builds up to a crescendo. And then Ben has the guitar above his head and without warning  hurls it guitar neck-wards towards the stage.  Being the main guitar I’ve seen him over the last few years and with Vegas Kings also being in the studio recording a new album I just wasn’t expecting it to happen, expecting him to feign a throw and just swing it around.

So with the combination of not anticipating it, being a single shot photographer as opposed to a machine-gunner and the darkness of the Zoo I end up with a close-but-no-cigar single shot – an underexposed, not-quite-in-focus, noisy, red light lit photo that could only really be saved by making it monochrome, with Pete’s guitar lead dangling down the middle – and a yearning for another once in a lifetime photo opportunity, another ‘Pennie Smith Moment’ to come my way sometime soon.

More photos on Flickr.

Screamfeeder

Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side

Vegas Kings

The Blackwater Fever

New Jack Rubys

The Mercy Beat

Had a great night at the MereNoise Meltdown festival at The Globe at the start of the month (2 June).

Load of photos on Rave’s website and dumped bigger versions on flickr. The flickr shots are as I intended them to be; had to reshape them for Rave after they had initially been done.

The Money

The Shrewms

The Horrortones

The Hymies

The Warm Guns

Texas Tea

Vegas Kings

The Dangermen

Butcher Birds

Apart from moving house at the start of March also managed to tear myself away from unpacking to get up to the Valley to see a few things. A few here and more on flickr.

Bellrays

Vegas Kings

Comets On Fire

Grey Datsuras

Scul Hazzards

The Slits

Japanther

Photographed a few things in February and March that didn’t get around to putting in blogs due to moving.  Here’s some from the February batch, with more on flickr.

Bob Log III

Vegas Kings

Handsome Family

Vashti Bunyan

Love is All

Mean Streaks

Out of all the dates definitely the night that everyone had been most looking forward to. Jo forgot to put me on the door, so it’s a good job it was SixFtHick and my money was going to a good cause, otherwise it might have been an early night for me…

The Mean Streaks played a good show, not as good as the night before at The Rev, but better than the Byron Show. Although that night evened itself out if you viewed it from the comedy angle…

Eat Laser Scumbag put on another impressive show, following on from the gig at Fat Louie’s the weekend before, and the Vegas Kings followed suite.

But everyone was there to see the Hick, and they were the best seen them in my short life in Brisbane. The usual carnage but on a bigger stage than seen them before. The night ended with Ben swinging from the rafters, Geoff crowd surfing and a large chunk of the audience on the stage.

A few shots from the night below and more can be seen at: Six Ft Hick Album Launch

The Mean Streaks

SixFtHick