Ian Bines Photography

Toots & The Maytals

2011-09-12T16:31:00.000+01:00

Friday night legendary Reggae band Toots and the Maytals performed infront of a packed Brixton Academy. With support coming from Bitty McLean and frontman Toots Hibbert's daughter Leba Hibbert, who also accompanied the band as a backing singer. There was a wide variety of people in the crowd from fans of Toots and the Maytals from the 60s and 70s to the new generation of fans that they have seemingly picked up over the summer having played a number of festivals including Summer Sundae and Bestival. He also had one very well known fan in Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who joined the photographers in the pit from the start before joining Toots onstage for 1969 hit 'Monkey Man'. You can see the video here

A Month of Festivals

2011-08-08T23:40:00.000+01:00

Over the last few weeks I've covered 3 festivals, Latitude, Camp Bestival and most recently The Big Chill. Latitude started well, Friday was hot and sunny and everyone was happy, however that didn't last and after a day of rain on Saturday people, including myself, were getting stuck in the muddy car parks, some people even deciding to abandon their cars for the night and jump on the shuttle bus to get home. Sunday was hot and sunny one minute, then dark and raining the next and that lasted all day. However, it didnt stop the likes of Ed Sheeran, Anna Calvi, The Hurts and headliners The National and Paolo Nutini from putting on strong sets on the huge main stage.

Other acts that performed across the weekend at Latitude included The Eels, My Morning Jacket, Chapel Club and KT Tunstall to name a few. You can see the full Gallery of photos HERE

Last weekend I headed to the family orientated Camp Bestival in the historic grounds of Lulworth Castle. Headline acts on the main stage were Blondie, Primal Scream and Mark Ronson, who performed a tribute to Amy Winehouse, bringing 'Valerie' writer and Zutons frontman Dave McCabe on stage with him at the start of his set to perform an acoustic version of the track she made famous. And it was one of my images from that opening song that got published in the Daily Star on Monday last week. The origional image is below

Other acts that performed over the weekend included Laura Marling, Ms Dynamite and kids comedy duo Dick n Dom.

The full Gallery of photos from the festival are HERE

Then this past weekend I travelled to Herefordshire for what I thought would be my favourite festival of the summer, however, there was a noticeable lack of atmosphere around the place and it seemed all effort from the organiser's had gone into securing the services of Kanye West for the Saturday headline slot. And with all three headline acts, Chemical Brothers, Kanye West and Rodrigo y Gabriela not giving the photographers much chance to get any decent shots, it was quite disappointing. Highlights of the weekend for me were Aloe Blacc, Jamie Woon, Dionne Bromfield and Janelle Monae.

After a real struggle to find any photos of Kanye West or Rodrigo y Gabriela, this was the best I could come up with...

There was a wide variety of acts over the weekend including Jessie J, Wapaint, Neneh Cherry and Steel Pulse to name just a few. You can see the full Gallery of images HERE

That's the last of the festivals for me this summer, so its now back to the sweaty clubs and indoor venues for me!!

Senior Open Championship

2011-08-08T17:59:00.001+01:00

Last month, after failing to gain accreditation for the Open Championship golf at Royal St. George's, I was successful in gaining accreditation for the Senior (over 50's) version of the event at Walton Heath in Surrey. I was delighted none the less, the field was strong for a Senior event, Tom Watson, Mark Calcavecchia and defending champion Bernard Langer topped the bill but were 3 of many players in the field that still turn out on the main tours. The hospitality for press and photographers was again brilliant, something I'm still not quite use to. The event was eventually won by American Russ Cochran, who came from nowhere on the final day to win comfortably.

(Above) Senior Open Champion 2011 Russ Cochran

(Above) Tom Watson

(Above) Runner Up David Frost

Defending Champion Bernard Langer

See the full Gallery of photos HERE

Aloe Blacc at Somerset House

2011-07-14T10:00:00.000+01:00

Sunday night Aloe Blacc played London's Somerset House as part of the Summer Series Festival. He was supported by firstly Yasmin, who played tracks including her single 'On My Own', and Dionne Bromfield, who at the age of 15 has just released her second album 'Good For The Soul' on Amy Winehouse's record label Lioness.

Aloe Blacc came onstage to his band playing the instrumental of his hit single 'I Need A Dollar' and went straight into his opening track 'Hey Brother' and continued to play tracks from his debut album 'Good Things' some of which included mid-song instrumental breaks where he involved the crowd. He ended the night with hit 'I Need A Dollar'.

The Feeling and The Noisettes at Kew The Music

2011-07-12T12:39:00.001+01:00

Last Wednesday I covered the opening night of the Kew The Music festival at Kew Gardens. The Feeling and The Noisettes played a double bill headline show to a crowd mainly made up of a sea of people sat on blankets. There were some hardy souls who made their way to the front of the stage and by the time The Feeling took to the stage the standing area was pack. And with the photo pit full with camera crews, the photographers had to get a space amongst the crowd. The Noisettes were up first and lead singer Shingai Shoniwa was as charismatic and energetic as always playing songs such as 'Don't Upset The Rythm' and 'Never Forget You' while hanging off of any available stage prop.

By the time The Feeling came onstage, the standing area was full a large amount of people arriving just in time for The Feelings set. They played songs from their debut album 'Twelve Stops and Home' such as 'Never Be Lonely' and 'Fill My Little World' aswell as tracks from their recently released second album 'Together We Were Made'.

Cornbury Festival 2011

2011-07-11T19:33:00.001+01:00

Last week I spent the weekend in the beautiful surroundings of the Great Tew Estate in the Cotswolds for the Cornbury Festival. It was the first time the festival had been held at the estate and was also the first year it was being held over 3 days, instead of the 2 day event of previous years at Cornbury Park in Charlbury. The new set up of the festival was due to the deal made between festival organiser Hugh Phillimore and major promoter's 3A Entertainment which kept the festival going after going into liquidation last year. Something you wouldn't have known by the fantastic set up and organisation of the event. There was a nice little press area for photographers and journalists, all organised and looked after by the lovely people at Borkowski PR and with only 3 stages, it was a very relaxed and friendly festival to be at. For a festival of Cornbury's size, the line up was more than impressive with headliner's including James Blunt and The Faces, who's line up included Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall, as well as Sunday headliner's Status Quo.

Other acts over the weekend included the legendary Ray Davies, Cyndi Lauper and The Straits as well as younger acts such as Eliza Doolittle, Olly Murs and Imelda May, which is just an example of the eclectic stance Cornbury has on the festival scene.

The highlight of the weekend was by far the performance of American Soul/Rock band Vintage Trouble. I'd heard a few good things about them before the weekend so was looking forward to seeing them perform on the Pleasant Valley stage. Lead singer Ty Taylor has been likened to soul legend James Brown, but I find its always far too easy to compare artists instead of looking for an individual description of an artist. Ty's stage presence is as impressive as any I've seen for a long while and all the photographers in the pit seemed to enjoy the bands music just as much as they enjoyed photographing such a charismatic band. Although the band only formed in 2010, they have already had a busy summer of festivals and supported Bon Jovi on the UK leg of their Greatest Hits tour, so the hype surrounding the band seems to be much deserved.

There was also a lot of 'photo call' opportunities over the weekend, something that I've not experienced before but something I wasn't too keen on by the end of the weekend as its just a snap shot of artists before they go onstage, and I'd rather take up more space on my camera taking shots of the artist on stage. However, Cyndi Lauper wouldn't allow photographers in the pit for her show, but did agree to a photo call, so this was my only opportunity to get any photos of her.

All in all, I had a great time at the Cornbury Festival and will hopefully be back there next year with a just as impressive line-up as this years.

Update

2011-06-30T10:00:00.000+01:00

Its been a busy couple of months, mostly non-photography related, but I've been meaning to update the blog for a few weeks. In April, I travelled to Goa for a couple weeks. I've been there several times now and I love it a little more each time. The people, the weather and the culture are just a few of the things that makes it such an amazing place that you don't want to leave and I always seem to come home humbled and inspired. Below is a couple shots I took while there.

There's a few more photos from my trip to India on Flickr

Since I got back I've only shot one gig, Olly Murs at Hammersmith Apollo. With the seating in place downstairs, again, it was a tricky shoot trying to stay out of people's way and getting a spot amongst the other photographers but I was fairly happy with what I got, here's a photo from the show.

Check out the full set of Olly Murs photos on Flickr

Then, at the beginning of June, I covered my first official sports event The Saab Wales Open golf at Celtic Manor in Wales. When I arrived on the Monday for the first Powerplay Golf event I experienced a whole different type of photographer hospitality than normal for me. Your welcomed at the Media Centre with your own workspace, hot and cold drinks, snacks, TV's and every bit of information you may need for the week. The weather on Monday was typical for the Ryder Cup venue, wet and windy but it cleared up in the mid afternoon for the start of the event which was being broadcast live on Sky Sports. It included current stars such as Ian Poulter, Graeme MacDowell and Paul Casey and Women's stars Paula Creamer, Helen Alfredson and Caroline Hedwall as well as golf legends Ian Woosnam and Gary Player (below)

The event was won by Caroline Hedwall, who had only won her first event on the Ladies Tour a day previous.

The full set from the Powerplay event is on Flickr

It was then back to London for a couple days of the day job before heading back down the M4 at 5am on Thursday morning for the start of the Wales Open. Thursday and Friday were almost tropical conditions, short and t-shirt weather, with not a breath of wind. So when I arrived at my hotel on Thursday after a long, hot day the last thing I needed was to discover the hotel I'd booked made Faulty Towers look like the Ritz. Unquestionably the worst hotel I've ever come across. So after reluctantly spending a long uncomfortable night at the hotel, I packed my things at 6am Friday morning and was out of there. Luckily, a friend of mine managed to sort me an amazing room in the Celtic Manor resort amongst the players and Sky Sports presenters. After experiencing one of the worst hotels, I was now staying at one of the best I've come across, a massive difference from the night before. Anyway, back to the golf. The event was eventually won by Sweden's Alexander Noren, who stayed at the top of the leader board from Friday until the end when he won by 2 shots from Dane Anders Hanson.

The full set of all four days of the Wales Open are on Flickr

So all in all it hasn't been all bad this past couple of months and I've now got a couple of festivals coming up over the few weeks, and hopefully some pre-season games for various London football clubs, so hopefully I'll have plenty more photos to show in the coming weeks.

Lykke Li

2011-04-15T12:08:00.000+01:00

Lykke Li last night played a sold out show at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London supported by Australian Sarah Blasko. Playing the second night of her sold out European Tour Lykke Li took to a stage draped with thin black material hanging from the rafters, dressed in a black leotard and a flowing black robe backed by a six piece band. She played tracks from her new album 'Wounded Rhymes' including 'Rich Kid Blues' and opened with 'I'm Good, I'm Gone' from debut album 'Youth Novels' as well as a cover of The Big Pink's 'Velvet'. She creates a very dark and intense atmosphere with her music, the intensity comes very much from the drums, she also has her own drum and symbol which wallops every now and again, and her exaggerated dancing around the black drapes and smoke filled stage creates the dark atmosphere.

Faithless

2011-04-08T19:00:00.000+01:00

Last night Faithless played the first of a two night stint at Brixton Academy, their last shows before splitting after 16 years and having sold over 15 million records worldwide. A huge projector screen hung at the front of the stage before the band took to the stage, showing photos from festivals, shows and backstage throughout their career. Their very last show tonight is being aired in cinema's across the country, and if its anything like last night there will be some serious parties taking place around the country.

Nas & Damian Marley with Special Guest Erykah Badu

2011-04-01T10:28:00.009+01:00

Nas and Damian Marley bought their Distant Relatives world tour to London's Wembley Arena last night for the opening night of the UK leg. With special guest Erykah Badu supporting it was a strong line up which brought in a mixed crowd. There was a party atmosphere from the start with DJ Semtex warming up the crowd before Erykah Badu took to the stage.

There was a strong reggae vibe about the whole evening, but the ageing English fella, occasionally attempting a Jamaican accent, and jumping around the stage seemed abit out of place with the vibe, but he seemed to get the crowd rowdy for the imminent arrival of Damien Marley and Nas so I guess it swings and roundabouts. When Nas and Damian Marley took to the stage, with two guys walking back and forth waving huge flags, they performed tracks such as 'Nah Mean', 'Strong Will Continue' and 'As We Enter'.

Imelda May

2011-03-18T13:40:00.007Z

Last night Imelda May played Camden's Roundhouse. The Dublin born Kentish Town resident celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a packed out Roundhouse crowd which included a large amount of Irish people, some of which Imelda picked out as relatives. The stage was made up of huge red velvet theatre like drapes, and a backdrop of the 'Mayhem' album cover. There was also a large shamrock in the middle looking down over the crowd.

With support from Big Boy Bloater and his band 'The Limits', who supported Imelda May last time I photographed her in 2010, Imelda May and her band, which includes her husband, guitarist Darrel Higham, came onstage and sang songs such as 'Love Tattoo', 'Kentish Town Waltz' and title track 'Mayhem' as well as her cover version of 'Tainted Love'.

Beady Eye

2011-03-11T09:59:00.006Z

Liam Gallagher's new band Beady Eye ended their first UK Tour last night with their second show at The Troxy in London in front of an incredibly rowdy crowd.

The band came onstage to chants of 'Liam, Liam' and it was hard to look at the band without thinking it was the Liam Gallagher show, which isn't a terrible thing, but it makes it a whole lot harder to get decent shots of the band, who were set back on a stage which was taller than me. Add the speakers that were set up at the front of the stage and you could only really see Liam Gallagher from the waist up, so it made it difficult to get a shot of the other band members namely fellow ex-Oasis band members Gem Archer and Andy Bell. Nonetheless, I was pleasantly suprised at how decent the lighting was. Liam Gallagher is notoriously anti-press, so I figured that would include photographers at his gigs, but thankfully that wasn't the case and the stage was set up with some hefty free standing lights.

They played tracks from their debut album 'Different Gear, Still Speeding' including 'Four Letter Word', 'Bring The Light' and 'Standing On The Edge Of The Noise'. Standing in his famous static stance, chest out and hands behind his back, I've never photographed someone as still as Liam Gallagher, the band stood behind him are just as static, seemingly letting the music do the talking. And as much as Liam Gallagher claims Beady Eye are nothing like Oasis, the crowd seemed to be made up of mostly Oasis fans, some of which even wearing Oasis t-shirts. Even the touts outside the venue shouting "Oasis tickets, anyone want tickets for Oasis", something I'm sure Liam wouldn't have been too happy to hear.

Duran Duran

2011-03-08T21:19:00.006Z

Last night Duran Duran played an 'intimate' warm up show at Shepherds Bush Empire ahead of an Arena Tour in May. With 20 photographers, we were split into two groups of 10 and given two songs per group. And even with the two groups of 10, there wasn't a hope of being able to move about the pit, so I was stuck at the corner of the stage. They played all their old classics such as 'Sunrise' and 'Girls on Film' as well as new tracks from their 13th studio album 'All You Need Is Now' which has been produced by Mark Ronson including 'Mediterranea' and 'Girl Panic'.

The Streets

2011-03-06T15:04:00.006Z

The Streets played the last show of their current tour last night at a sold out O2 Brixton Academy in London. They were supported by Brother, a band hailing from Slough, who had been on Sky Sports' Soccer AM show yesterday morning. Describing their music as 'Gritpop' they played tracks from their debut album which is due for release in July, as well as playing their debut single 'Darling Buds Of May'.

This was the last Streets tour date they would play before Mike Skinner retires the band after the festival season, where they are due to perform at Wireless and Benicassim. They played all the big songs from their 5 studio albums including 'Don't Mug Yourself', 'Never Went To Church', 'Dry Your Eyes' and the much anticipated 'Fit But You Know It'.

There are some good reviews from this tour about on the Internet which I'd recommend. There seemed to be everything from crowd surfing to the crowd splitting down the middle to create a walkway for Mike Skinner to run along, known as "Go Moses" as well as "Go Low" which has everyone standing towards the front of the academy to crouch down so the people standing at the back get a full view of the stage.

Ne-Yo

2011-02-27T12:43:00.005Z

Saturday night Ne-Yo played his first of two shows at The O2 Arena as part of his UK Tour with support from Chipmunk and Trey Songz. Up first was Chipmunk, with just a DJ for company, playing a shorter than normal set of half a dozen songs including his latest collaboration with Chris Brown 'Champion'.

The main support act was Trey Songz, although I didn't get any shots of him because as we were waiting to go through to the pit, Ne-Yo's management came and asked all the photographers if we would like to go backstage to take some photos of Ne-Yo in his hospitality suite. It was a pleasant suprise, especially at an Arena show, and with an artist like Ne-Yo. It wasn't something that he, nor his management needed to do.

By the time we had taken some shots, and walked back to where we needed to be, it wasn't too long before we were in the pit waiting for Ne-Yo to take to the stage. When he did come onstage, dressed in a black suit and with female dancers dressed in very little, he played some of his most popular tracks such as 'So Sick' and 'Beautiful Monster'.

You can see a few more photos from the show, plus backstage shots on Flickr.

Maroon 5

2011-02-18T13:25:00.010Z

Maroon 5 played the first of two sold out shows at the O2 Academy in Brixton last night. With support from Grammy nominated Sara Bareilles the venue was pretty much full by 8pm when she took to the stage. She played her number one hit 'Love Song' as well as a cover of Cee Lo Green's 'F**k You' which brought her out from behind her baby grand piano.

Maroon 5 are currently on the European leg of a world tour promoting their latest album 'Hands All Over' which was released in the UK September last year and reached number 6 in the UK album chart. They played songs from their latest record including singles 'Misery' and 'Give A Little More', as well as old classics such as 'Harder To Breathe', 'This Love' and 'She Will Be Loved' which had the sold out academy singing along.

Alexandra Burke

2011-02-13T21:02:00.000Z

Photos from Alexandra Burke's London stop of her UK Tour at Hammersmith Apollo this past Thursday.

Usher

2011-02-04T11:10:00.006Z

So the second night of Usher's 'OMG' UK Tour took me to Birmingham's NIA Arena last Thursday, 27th January. With an earlier start than normal, doors opened at 6:30 with support act Tinchy Stryder on stage at 7:45. So I left myself plenty of time to get my pass, and wander round finding the entrance for photographers. However, at 8:30 I was still standing at the box office waiting for "one of Usher's people" to bring me my pass. When it finally arrived the very helpful people in the box office were forced to explain for the person responsible who was stood behind a partition wall. That said, I spent the two hour wait with a fellow photographer who had plenty of experience of the venue and seemed to have a good relationship with staff. A very nice chap who's name I unfortunately didn't catch, insisted on waiting for me to get my pass and showing me the way to the stage door. Something I noticed about the NIA was how friendly everyone was, from the other photographers to the security, something that makes a nice change. Also, there was only four photographers for the show, which in an Arena, from my limited experience is very unusual.

After travelling from London to Birmingham, I then found out that I'd also been accredited for the first London date this past Wednesday, 2nd February. The London show was a very different matter to Birmingham, it was more a case of find a decent place to stand in the pit because there was hardly got a hope of being able to move. There was near on 15 photographers at the London show, as well as security and camera men, which is very common at Arena shows, so there was very little room for movement. However, although not my choice of music these show would probably be up there with my favourite so far. Usher seems to be someone who likes to be photographed performing, and getting press coverage for his music, which in my opinion is a good thing. Impressing people with a performance seems to be more of a priority than impressing people with his voice, something everyone knows he can do, but I don't think he disappointed anyone with his choice. He used the stage very well and his movement also set up for some good photos, so all round I think it worked well for his fans and photographers.

The full set of photos from both the shows are on Flickr.

Thin Lizzy

2011-01-24T18:20:00.009Z

This past weekend I covered the final two shows of Dublin's legendary rock band Thin Lizzy's 2011 tour. The two London dates were at Hammersmith Apollo and IndigO2. The new line-up included The Almighty's Ricky Warwick on lead vocals, Def Leppards Vivian Campbell and bassist Marco Mendoza as well as origional members drummer Brian Downey, keyboardist Darren Wharton and guitarist Scott Gorham, who for a long while has been the one ever present in a changing line-up. The band played a variety of tracks from the Thin Lizzy back catalogue including lesser known tracks such as 'Wild One' and 'Still In Love With You' as well as the huge hits including 'Whiskey In A Jar', 'Jailbreak' and 'The Boys Are Back In Town'. There was an older crowd than your usual gig, but it was a crowd that also included some younger faces, showing that the Thin Lizzy legacy stretches far beyond the older generations.

Drake

2011-01-09T14:00:00.001Z

Saturday night Drake played his second of three sold out shows at Hammersmith Apollo in London and was part of his first tour in the UK. It was my first show shooting for agency WENN so I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately it was the probably the most unorganised event I think I've ever attended, I queued for over 2 hours to collect a photo pass missing support act J. Cole in the process, along with nearly a thousand other people queueing behind me, and was only given the first two songs instead of the standard three. When I finally got into the venue just before Drake came on stage it was completely rammed, I managed to get to the pit through the crowd in time as Drake took to a pretty empty stage with his band members stood behind thin black draped netting at the back of the stage. He played tracks from his debut album 'Thank Me Later' which he released in the summer of last year, which features artist's such as Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys to name a few, including 'The Resistance', 'Find Your Love' and 'Light Up'. He was also joined on stage by Florence Welch, which may not be a one off thing as they are set to record material together.

Joy Joseph at Cargo

2010-12-21T20:49:00.000Z

This past Friday Joy Joseph played a set as part of the opening night of UP, the new Unstable Promotions residency night at East London venue Cargo. Missing two regular members of the band, Sho Sho stepped in as backing vocalist, and fitted in well with regular band members Raphael Mann, Wilkie Wilkinson and Mami Sayo.

On a bill with Angel Anderson, Dansette Junior and Ed Sheeran, Joy was onstage second and played songs including 'Waiting In The Park', 'P.Y.B', 'The Time Is Now' and single 'Our Love Is Taking Us Through' as well as opening the set with 'Sweet Time' and ending it with 'In My Veins'. These are all tracks that are likely to be on Joy's album, of which she is currently working on, so they are tracks that you won't hear unless your at one of her gigs, so please keep your eyes peeled for upcoming gigs on http://www.frizzrecords.com/. Joy's live shows are always a party, so you won't be disappointed!

You can buy Joy Joseph's debut single 'Our Love Is Taking Us Through' on iTunes here.

The Pretty Reckless

2010-12-20T11:00:00.000Z

The Pretty Reckless played London's Shepherds Bush Empire this past Thursday, 16th December, promoting their debut album 'Light Me Up'. After playing their first UK shows at Notting Hill Arts Club and then Islington's O2 Academy, they opened this years V Festival before playing shows in Glasgow, Manchester, Wolverhampton and this show in London as part of their first long awaited UK Tour.

Fronted by American Taylor Momson, the actress from US series Gossip Girl, they opened their set with 'Since You're Gone', 'Miss Nothing' and 'Zombie' as well as title track 'Light Me Up'. Playing to a mainly young female crowd there were big queue's outside the venue beforehand with most people wanting to get down the front for the show. They ended their set with a four song encore starting with an acoustic of their Live Lounge cover of The XX's 'Islands' mixed with Eminem and Rihanna's 'Love The Way You Lie' followed by an acoustic version of 'Nothing Left To Lose' from their album before sending the crowd mad and finishing with their debut single 'Make Me Wanna Die' and 'Goin' Down'.

Lissie

2010-12-16T10:00:00.001Z

This past Monday Lissie played a sold out show at Shepherds Bush Empire. She was supported by New York based band The Pierces, a 5 piece band fronted by sister's Catherine and Allison Pierce. They played songs from their most recent E.P 'Love You More' including 'We Can Make It' as well as songs from their 3 albums, which they have released over the last ten years.

American Lissie is fairly new to the UK, she toured at the beginning of the year in a joint headline slot with Alan Pownall before embarking on a summer of festivals including Glastonbury, V Festival and Summer Sundae. She released her debut album 'Catching A Tiger' in June after releasing successful E.P's in '07 and '09 of which received media success with her having songs featured in hit T.V shows such as 'Greys Anatomy' and '90210'.

She kicked off her set with 'Wedding Bells' from her 2009 E.P 'Why You Runnin' as well as 'Here Before' from the same E.P. Her set also included tracks 'Cuckoo', 'Everywhere I Go' and 'Loosen The Knot' from her debut album. She also invited The Pierces back onstage to sing 'When I'm Alone' with her. She ended her set with a four song encore including 'Oh Mississippi' and a cover of The Pretenders Christmas song '2000 Miles', a song that sent an appreciative crowd away happy with a warm festive feeling.

Vampire Weekend

2010-12-02T17:24:00.007Z

Here are the photos from Vampire Weekend snow hit gig at The Brighton Centre on Wednesday. After nearly selling out the venue, there was still many seats and standing space left bare as the band took to the stage just after 9pm. That said, the strange echo of an empty room when the crowd made some noise was soon drowned out by Vampire Weekend's quirky and individual sound, which instantly had the crowd head bopping and dancing around the auditorium.

With band mates Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij and Chris Tomson, Ezra Koenig took his place centre stage to belt out tracks from the bands debut album 'Vampire Weekend' and current album 'Contra', both released on UK independent record label XL Recordings, with his unique voice which has helped give Vampire Weekend gain their individual sound. They played songs including 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' and 'Holiday' as well as their most popular tracks 'Oxford Comma' and 'A-Punk' both of which sent the Brighton Centre into delirium!

As much as it was a shame to not see the Brighton Centre packed out for Vampire Weekend, it didn't stop them from putting on a great show, one that I've seen before and would happily watch many more times.

Ellie Goulding

2010-11-23T10:40:00.000Z

Ellie Goulding played her biggest headline show to date at a sold out Hammersmith Apollo on Friday night. She was supported by Sunday Girl who played to an already full Apollo after people had waited in the huge queue that snaked its way around the front of the building.

This time last year Ellie Goulding was supporting Little Boots on their UK Tour, before she shot to fame when she won the Critics' Choice BRIT Award. She released her debut album Lights on the 1st March this year but is currently touring the UK promoting the same album which is being re-released this month under the new title of Bright Lights which includes her latest single, a cover of Elton John's 'Your Song'.

She took to the stage, being watched from the audience by her seemingly new best friend Tinie Tempah, and kicked off her set playing the drums on a kit set up at the back of the stage next to her drummer, overlooked by a huge screen backdrop. She then took up her place in the middle of the stage with her trademark sole drum and symbol.

With the 'first 3 songs and out' rule in full force, I didn't get to hang about for any longer than it took to be shown the door, however, Ellie Goulding's hour long set included an unexpected cover of Midlake's 'Roscoe' and songs such as 'Starry Eyed' and 'Guns And Horses' as well as having a string quartet join her onstage for 'Wish I Stayed' and a grand piano being rolled onstage for her rendition of 'Your Song', currently the soundtrack to John Lewis' Christmas advert, which received a deafening reaction from the crowd.

You can also see my photos from Ellie Goulding's show on Flickr

Sarah Blasko

2010-11-19T14:10:00.001Z

These are the photos from Australian Sarah Blasko's gig at Camden's Electric Ballroom on Wednesday. With support from New Jersey's Allie Moss, Sarah Blasko is touring the UK after releasing her third album 'As Day Follows Night', which was produced by Sweden's Peter, Bjorn and John, in April this year. Up first was Allie Moss, for those of you who don't know her, you'll probably recognise her track 'Corner' which was picked up by BT for there recent T.V advert. She performed tracks including 'Passerby' and obviously 'Corner' which was the track that made everyone in the crowd nudge their friend and say 'oh that's her song'.

With a near full Electric Ballroom Sarah Blasko took to the stage draped in beads and with her band, her pianist playing a baby grand piano. She played songs such as 'Xanadu' and 'We Won't Run' from As Day Follows Night as well as her cover of Crowded House's 'Don't Dream It's Over' which featured on a compilation of 'The Songs of Tim & Neil Finn'. With a very varied crowd in the Ballroom, the gig started in typical London style, with everyone very still, however by the time I left, the atmosphere has long loosened up and there were lots of people seemingly lost in the music.

Klaxons

2010-11-19T11:40:00.000Z

Here are photos from Klaxons gig at The Forum in Kentish Town. Touring the UK, with support from 5 piece band Friction, Klaxons were promoting their long awaited second album Surfing The Void which was released in August. Coming on stage to a sold out Forum, the band were wearing strange masks that stayed on for the entirety of opening track 'Flashover'.

They removed their masks as they went straight into their second track to a huge cheer from the predominately youthful, rowdy crowd. The biggest cheers however seemed to come when the band played tracks from their massive debut album Myths Of The Near Future including 'Gravity's Rainbow', It's Not Over Yet' and closing track 'Atlantis To Interzone' which turned the Forum into a rave, with even some of the security staff dancing and letting themselves get lost in the mayhem.

Foals

2010-11-13T22:11:00.006Z

Here are photos from Foals sold out Brixton Academy gig on Friday night. With support from Crystal Fighters, Foals played tracks from their most recent album 'Total Life Forever' including recent single 'Blue Blood' and 'Spanish Sahara' as well as old favourites such as 'Hummer' and singles from debut album Antidotes 'Balloons' and 'Cassius' which sent the already rowdy crowd crazy.

Imogen Heap

2010-11-10T17:40:00.007Z

Here are photos from Imogen Heap's gig at the O2 Academy in Oxford. On a stage littered with all kinds of instruments including keytar, synth pads and transparent perspex grand piano, Imogen Heap moved from instrument to instrument playing each one while singing and occasionally gracing the front of the stage to dance to her self controlled loops and samples. Aswell as the stage being filled with instruments and a huge centre piece wooden tree, Imogen was discreetly covered in microphones so you could pick up the slightest of musical sounds from egg shaker to a cut down plastic pipe which she took to the stage waving above her head. She played a set which was decided by a online vote on her official website and included tracks such as 'First Train Home' and 'Lets Go' from her Frou Frou days. There is a full show review up with my photos on The Oxford Music Blog here.

Mary J Blige and Lemar

2010-11-04T09:40:00.000Z

Here are photos from my first Arena gig at the O2 shooting US superstar Mary J Blige and her support act, Lemar. With camera's set up to catch the show on video and a high stage, shooting the gig wasn't as straight forward as I expected it to be, a little naive maybe. However I enjoyed it alot, and hope to be able to shoot more gigs there soon. Playing to a pretty much full O2 Arena Lemar warmed up the crowd with songs from his upcoming Greatest Hits album such as '50/50' and 'Dance(With You)'. With only the front third of the stage available I found it much easier to photograph Lemar.

Mary J Blige is known as one of the biggest musicians of her era and has been dubbed 'The Queen of RnB' and she took to the stage to huge cheers from the crowd and with smoke blasting from the floor she paced the stage, which had a huge New York skyline backdrop, acknowledging the crowd before kicking off her set with classic track 'MVP', a remix of The Game's 'Hate It or Love It'. That was all I got to see as we were ushered straight out, which is the norm in the biggest venues.

Tinie Tempah

2010-11-02T09:45:00.000Z

Here are the photos from the final night of Tinie Tempah's UK Tour to promote his debut album Disc-overy. With possibly the strongest support acts I've seen in a long time in Bluey Robinson and American Chiddy Bang, the O2 Academy in Oxford was sold out with alot of people there to see the two support acts almost as much as Tinie Tempah. There was a great atmosphere in the Academy, between crowd and artists with Chiddy Bang claiming it was mainly due to Tinie's recent MOBO success. First up however was Bluey Robinson, one of my favourite artists who I've seen a couple of times at the weekly 'I Luv Live' event in London. He's got a great stage presence and played songs such as Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody' and Wheatus' 'Teenage Dirtbag' both of which he was joined by the deafening crowd singing along. He also played his own single 'I Know', which was released in August last year.

Next up was Philadelphia's Chiddy Bang, who played songs from his recently released debut album 'The Preview' including hit single 'Opposite of Adults' but it was his mid-set freestyle that really got everyone involved. His drummer band mate Noah Beresin, told the crowd Chiddy was one of the best freestyler's and to prove it asked certain crowd members to give him words to rap about. There was all sorts of suggestions, the less rude ones including 'Oranges', 'Rats' and 'London'.

With the two support acts having warmed the crowd up, it was Tinie Tempah's turn to get the crowd singing along to his tracks. With a huge screen backdrop playing footage of the band getting ready to take to the stage, the crowd were getting louder and louder in anticipation of Tinie appearing. He kicked off his set with the album 'Intro' and then followed with songs such as 'Frisky' and recent single 'Written in the Stars' as well as hit number one single 'Pass Out' and a cover of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'.

If there's one thing you must give Tinie Tempah credit for it's his obvious ability to entertain a crowd. He knows exactly what he's doing and has a presence on stage that keeps you interest. It is also refreshing to see an artist make the effort to acknowledge his fans and the people who have come out to see him. He thanked everyone a number of times for supporting him, and even thanked the many parents, who were accompanying their kids, for being there, many of which seemed to be enjoying the show just as much as the kids.

KT Tunstall

2010-10-22T10:30:00.004+01:00

Here are photos from KT Tunstall's sold out Shepherds Bush Empire show. Promoting her recently released album 'Tiger Suit' some crowd members took it upon themselves to include tiger hats and tiger pattern face paint into their Wednesday night attire. There was also a huge tiger backdrop on stage with KT's face in the mouth. KT was supported by two-piece Sheffield band Slow Club who played songs from their debut album 'Yeah So' as well as some new material from their second album which they are currently working on.

With a set full to the brim of a mixture of songs from KT's 3 studio albums 'Eye To The Telescope', 'Drastic Fantastic' and 'Tiger Suit' she kicked off her set with 'Glamour Puss', 'Uummannaq Song' and 'Come On, Get In'. She also played favourites such as 'Fade Like a Shadow' and 'Other Side Of The World' aswell as new tracks 'Madame Trudeaux', 'The Entertainer' and 'Lost'.

KT Tunstall came to fame when she appeared on Later...With Jools Holland in 2007 when she performed hit single 'Black Horse & The Cherry Tree' in a modernised 'one man band' style performance. That performance was reprised to the delight of a now deafening crowd who seemed to love every second of the performance. The set was finished off with an encore of 'Suddenly I See' which couldn't even be ruined by the fact KT's guitar broke midway through and ended with KT leaving the Empire stage to a standing ovation from everyone on the mezzanine's.

Kate Nash

2010-10-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

Here are some photos from Kate Nash's gig at Shepherds Bush Empire on Monday night. She was supported by her good friend Bridgette Aphrodite, who's witty lyrics and eccentric personality had the crowd laughing along with her songs.

Kate Nash then took to the stage, which had pillows hanging from the ceiling and a wall of light bulbs in front of her keyboard, and kicked of her set with 'I Just Love You More' before working her way through a set filled with songs from her most recent second album 'My Best Friend Is You' such as hit single 'Do-Wha-Doo' and finished her set with 'Pumpkin Song'. She also played songs from her debut number 1 album 'Made Of Bricks' such as 'Mariella' and 'Foundations'.

Plan B

2010-10-11T19:10:00.000+01:00

Here are the photos from the first of a two night stint at Brixton Academy for Plan B. Arguably the biggest artist in the UK at the moment, both nights were sold out, with the crowd queueing around the perimeter of the academy building. By the time support act Clare Maguire came on stage there was still a queue of people outside waiting to get in.

With Plan B due on stage at 9pm, there was an unexpected appearance from beat boxer Faith SFX who came on stage to show the crowd what he can do. After impressively beat boxing his way through a mix of songs such as Tinie Tempah's Pass Out which had the crowd going mad. He also rapped and sang while beat boxing, before introducing Plan B to the stage.

Playing songs from his UK Number 1 album The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, Plan B and his band, which included 2 backing singer's, 3 guitarists and Saxophonist, as well as 2 break dancer's, were dressed in the now trademark suits. They played songs such as 'Prayin' and 'Welcome To Hell' as well as hits 'Stay Too Long' and 'She Said'.

He mixed up his soulful tunes with reggae tunes and went back to his roots, and debut album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words, by rapping on a number of tracks. If there's one thing you've got to give Plan B credit for, its his obvious intent on not being forced into making music that a record label wants him to make and making music he likes, he states he'll be making a Hip-Hop version of his Strickland Banks album and then a Reggae album, which in my opinion makes a refreshing change.

You can see more photos of Clare Maguire and Plan B on FLICKR

Imelda May

2010-10-10T21:50:00.000+01:00

Imelda May played Oxford's beautiful Town Hall this past Thursday as part of a European Tour to promote her latest album Mayhem which was released last Monday. Both her 2008 Love Tattoo and most recent Mayhem albums have topped the charts in her homeland of Ireland before being released in England. She has supported Jeff Beck on his recent US Tour, as well as sharing the stage with the likes of Dionne Warwick, Jools Holland and Elton John to name a few. This was the first show I have shot at the Town Hall and its already one of my favourites. The huge stage, under the dome roof creates a great atmosphere and, if lit better, could be a great backdrop for photos.

Imelda May and her 4 piece band played a 20 song set, predominantly from her new album with songs such as 'Kentish Town Waltz', 'Pulling The Rug' and title track 'Mayhem' but was also sprinkled with tracks from her 2008 album Love Tattoo including title track 'Love Tattoo and 'Big Bad Handsome Boy'. She finished her set with a covers of 'Tainted Love', which features on 'Mayhem' and Elvis' 'My Baby Left Me'.

There are more photos on FLICKR

Mark Ronson & The Business Int'l

2010-10-04T09:00:00.001+01:00

Here are some photos from Mark Ronson & The Business Int'l at the Manchester Academy on Saturday night. After the release of Mark Ronson's second album 'Record Collection' at the end of September, he embarked on a UK Tour playing in London, Manchester and Leeds to name a few. He was accompanied by his new band including Rose Elinor Dougall, who was also the support act with her own band, and took over the duties on tracks such as 'Oh My God' from debut album 'Version' which was originally sang by Lily Allen. American Amanda Warner(one half of New York duo MNDR) who sings on 'Bang Bang Bang' amongst others, Alex Greenwald who takes on the duties of singing tracks such as Radiohead's 'Just', The View's Kyle Falconer who features on 'The Bike Song', and Spank Rock who features with Falconer on 'The Bike Song' and takes on Q-Tip's role on 'Bang Bang Bang'. Ronson himself stands elevated at the back of the stage, in an almost orchestrating position and more often than not lets others take the lead roles at the front of the stage.

With just 3 songs as normal, it was difficult to get photos of each band member performing, or singing, as it was chop and change so often. It was one of those shows you'd like a few more songs to be able to catch all the band members performing, instead of trying to get photos of them behind their huge, shiny keyboards and colourful drum pads. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

There are more photos on FLICKR

Two Door Cinema Club

2010-09-24T10:03:00.006+01:00

Here are some photos from the first of a two night stint at Shepherds Bush Empire in London for Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club. Playing to a sold out crowd, lead singer Alex Trimble said he and his band mates, guitarist Sam Halliday and bassist Kevin Baird, has been looking forward to their biggest headline shows for a long time. The band, formed in 2007, have supported the likes of Foals, Delphic and Phoenix. After releasing their debut album 'Tourist History' in March this year the band toured the UK and played festivals such as Oxygen and Reading/Leeds aswell as performing at iTunes Festival.

They opened their set at Shepherds Bush with 'Cigarettes in the Theatre' before playing songs such as 'Something Good Can Work', 'What You Know' and 'Come Back Home' which had the boisterous crowd singing along word for word.

You can also see more photos on FLICKR

Enter Shikari

2010-09-11T11:46:00.006+01:00

I took this photo of Enter Shikari at the O2 Academy in Oxford a few weeks back, and while I wasn't completely happy with the photo overall, i remembered a quote from Scott Shuman in his book The Sartorialist where he says "rather than giving an image a thumbs up or thumbs down, focus on an element of the image that could inspire you". So I thought I'd post this photo as I like the spraying sweat flying off bassist Chris Batten's head.
Click on the photo to see it larger and see the sweat flying towards the camera more clearly..

Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three

2010-08-26T23:00:00.001+01:00

My discovery of American band Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three was a well timed one. I first saw the Missouri based ragtime blues band at The Summer Sundae Weekender in Leicester where they played to a packed out Musicians Tent. Fortunately for me, when I got back from the festival I bought the bands debut album 'Riverboat Soul', and also saw they were playing Luminaire in Kilburn, a gig I found out was their first ever in London. I'd had a small taster of how good they were live at the festival, but last nights gig was probably one of the best gigs I've been to. There was probably no more than 80 people there, Luminaire isn't the biggest venue, but it honestly felt like there was 800 people there.

Pokey has a unique voice which very much compliments the bands traditional bluegrass style of music. As well as having witty lyrics, Pokey and his band are also a very funny guy's and their interaction with the audience was an added enjoyment and a refreshing change from a lot of bands. With Pokey on guitar, vocals and on occasion the kazoo, Ryan Koenig on washboard, harmonica and vocals, Adam Hoskins on guitar and vocals and Joey Glynn on upright bass, they create a unique sound, which filled the venue with folk blues vibes.

After just two songs Pokey insisted on people dancing, offering an album to the first 3 couples to get to the front and dance, something that some didn't need telling twice. It seems very obvious that Pokey and The South City Three just love playing music to people, they apparently play more than 200 live shows a year, which is pretty impressive. Throughout the entire set people were dancing, foot stomping, hand clapping and finger clicking and Pokey and the band fed off the audience just as much as the audience did Pokey and the band. They played songs from their recently released debut album including 'Two-Faced Tom', 'Sweet Potato Blues', 'Won't Make Love At All' and 'La La Blues'.

Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three are without a doubt one of the most entertaining live acts I've been lucky enough to see, and I hope they visit London again sooner rather than later. You can download their album 'Riverboat Soul' from iTunes, as well as Pokey LaFarge's solo albums 'Beat, Move and Shake' and 'Marmalade'.

Summer Sundae Festival

2010-08-17T18:45:00.003+01:00

This past weekend I attended my first festival as a photographer, The Summer Sundae Weekender in the grounds of Victoria Park and De Montfort Hall in Leicester. Summer Sundae is one of the smaller festivals with just a 5000 capacity so it was a good one to start with. With 4 music stages, the Main, Indoor, Last.FM Rising and Musician, and the Comedy stage if you fancied a break from the many music acts all within a couple minutes walk of each other, you could dash between stages and catch lots of different acts. The festival also prides itself on its family friendly atmosphere with a large children's area and creche so there's something for everyone of all ages to enjoy. This year was the 10th anniversary of the weekender and organizers gathered a strong line-up with headliners Seasick Steve on Friday, Tinchy Stryder on Saturday and Mumford & Sons on Sunday. With just under 100 acts over the weekend, there was a lot of variation for people to see including Diana Vickers, The Go! Team, The Low Anthem and Eliza Doolittle to name a few.

Day 1

The first day started as a typical British festival day, wet and muddy. But despite the odd down pour the festival goers were out in their numbers on the main stage slope to see the likes of Charlie & The Martyrs and Sunshine Underground as well as headliner Seasick Steve, who joined fans on the slope to sign autographs and pose for photos before his set.

The Last.FM Rising Tent played host to the likes of Lissie and Eliza Doolittle, who both managed to fill the tent with anticipating fans and not just people who wanted a little break from the rain and mud!

Day 2

The weather got worse for the second day, but everyone was past caring about how muddy or wet they got. The crowds took shelter in De Montfort Hall or the 2 tents in between acts on the main stage, which included sets from Diana Vickers, The GO! Team and headliner Tinchy Stryder, who received a mixed reaction from the crowd but also pulled in a lot of day pass holders who came specifically to see him.

Day 3

The sun came out for a sold out last day of the Summer Sundae Weekender. With arguably the strongest line-up of the weekend Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit, Low Anthem, Local Natives and headliners Mumford & Sons graced the sunny main stage. Again there was a lot of day pass holders there to see Mumford & Sons first headline slot at a festival. But with amazing sets from both Local Natives and in particular The Low Anthem, the headliners had a lot to live up to. There also seemed to be a lot more photographers turn up for Mumford & Sons, and with near 40 photographers in the pit, other photographers were being turned away because it was too full. Mumford & Sons didn't disappoint though, and they amazed a lively main stage crowd with an energetic and passionate performance which was a fitting way to end the 10th anniversary under a clear night sky.

My highlight act for the weekend though came in the shape of Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three in the Musician Stage Tent. They are a band from Missouri in America playing, as lead singer Pokey described, "real American music". A lot of people in the tent didn't know what to expect as the band took to the balloon filled stage, all dressed in smart 50's style suits. Pokey LaFarge belted out witty, thoughtful lyrics and within a minute or so of the first song had a packed tent's full attention. There a unique and charismatic band, their name shows that, and are well worth checking out if your open minded about different types of music. A real joy to photograph and watch.

Harrow Borough v Queens Park Rangers at Earlsmead Stadium

2010-08-03T16:29:00.008+01:00

Here are the photos from last nights game between Harrow Borough and Queens Park Rangers, the last 4 games that I covered, with the 3 away games against Crawley Town, Hampton and Richmond and Harrow Borough being covered for the Harrow Observer, and the Plymouth game being arranged by Matthew Webb at QPR. Last night was the last sport/football photography I will be doing for the foreseeable future what with licensing rules, for football in particular, but I hope to get back into it sooner rather than later. From the photography side of things, and the fact I'm a season ticket holder at QPR, I have loved every second of shooting the games and everyone I met from receptionists and club officials to players and management were really good to me and made me feel extremely welcome, something that isn't always the case for a photographer. As it was my first time shooting football, I had to hire a lens for the week so I was suprised I even managed a couple of decent shots from the first game. as it was a big difference from what I'm use to. Also the quickness of the games and the busy backgrounds meant I needed to really concentrate on focusing on the main subject of each shot, which can sometimes be tricky as there can be players crossing the frame, which affects the automatic focus. I even used the manual focus on a few occasions, which for new photographers these days is very rare. Last nights game saw a very young QPR side take on the first team of Harrow Borough, which ended 1-1 after goals in the second half by Romone Rose for QPR and Troy Hewitt for Harrow late in the second half.

Over the 4 games I've covered, the QPR sides haven't significantly changed much, with the Plymouth game being the exception as it was a strong first team. The 3 away games were billed as a 'QPR XI' which basically means reserve and youth team players, which also means the side are young and inexperienced, but the sides for the Crawley and Hampton & Richmond games were also scattered with a few first team players such as Peter Ramage, Gary Borrowdale, Rowan Vine, Antonio German and Alessandro Pelicori. There has been a few ever presents though, again with the exception of the Plymouth game, including Joe Oastler, who captained the side on two occasions, Max Ehmer, Jordan Hibbert and Romone Rose.

I know that not everyone who reads this will be interested in it, especially as the majority of content on this blog is music, but the last week or so has made me realise, not everything about football these days is bad, and there are alot of good people still in the game and i hope that this write up will show that... Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the photos from the 4 games, if you like football or not, and I hope to be able to show you more in the future.

Hampton & Richmond v Queens Park Rangers

2010-08-01T22:08:00.008+01:00

Here are photos of a QPR 11 game away to Hampton and Richmond yesterday. There were first team players such as Gary Borrowdale, Rowan Vine, Antonio German and Alessandro Pelicori as well as youngsters Nicky Bulmer, Max Ehmer, Lee Brown and captain on the day Joe Oastler. The game finished 2-1 to QPR with both QPR goals coming from striker Antonio German. There was just under 1000 in attendance.

Queens Park Rangers v Plymouth Argyle at Loftus Road

2010-07-31T18:35:00.005+01:00

Here are some photos from the pre-season friendly between QPR and Plymouth at Loftus Road last night. It was the last game at Loftus Road before the new season kicks off next Saturday. There is a full match report on the official QPR site here.

Crawley Town v Queens Park Rangers at The Broadfield Stadium

2010-07-29T19:01:00.009+01:00

Last night I photographed my first football match, a pre-season friendly between Crawley Town and QPR at The Broadfield Stadium. As a QPR season ticket holder, it was really good fun to be doing what i love, at a sport that I love and play. And although it was only a QPR 11 and not the full first team I still had a great time. I'm also covering Friday's game at Loftus Road against Plymouth Argyle, as well as Hampton and Richmond on Saturday and Harrow Borough on Monday night. There was just over 1000 people there and Crawley Town beat a young and relatively inexperienced QPR side 2-0 with two goals from Matt Tubbs. I'll do a full write up of the 4 games after Monday's match against Harrow. There is a full match report of the Crawley game on the official QPR site here.

Natty at Passing Clouds, London

2010-07-26T12:04:00.000+01:00

Here are the photos from Natty's gig at Passing Clouds in Dalston, London on Friday night. Passing Clouds is the brainchild of Oxford graduate William Beaufroy, and is occupied by a mixture of well-educated artists, musicians and performing artists. It is also known as one of London's best kept secrets, and with a large amount of people asking me for directions when i was stood outside it, it was living up to its reputation. Its an interesting venue, with the upstairs made up of various mismatched sofa's and armchair's and a bar made from a wooden boat, a small DJ booth and large screen for viewing films. The stage is downstairs and is lit up by not much more than desk lamps and lampshades, the walls are graffiti clad and it holds no more than 150 people if that. It is also known for its 'No Dance Music' policy. What you will hear is classic afro beats, reggae, dub, funk, Balkan and Latin music. The place was rammed for Natty who, in between albums, was playing a fairly rare London gig apart from his memorable acoustic show at Bush Hall a month or so ago.

With support from Connie and her band Man Dem, Natty arrived on stage not much before midnight, and got started with 'Streetlights' from his latest E.P 'Things I've Done'. His set also included tracks from his debut album 'Man Like I' such as Cold Town, Coloured Souls, July and acoustic track Revolution before finishing the set with Badman. He also played new songs such as No Justice, in which he tries to put a positive spin on many things wrong with the world, as well as songs such as Crazy Time and I'm Alive which to me seemed more intense than some of the sing along tracks on the first album, but just as catchy and most importantly still very much Natty's sound.Natty and his band were once again brilliant, and didn't disappoint, which could have happened after such an incredible acoustic show at Bush Hall. The atmosphere was alot different to Bush Hall as well, which was understandable as you couldn't get two more different music venues if you tried. The crowd at Passing Clouds were lively and there didn't seem to be a body stood still, with everyone dancing along to not only the popular tracks of the first album but also the new tracks, which can only bode well for Natty and his new album.

In Rehearsals with Joy Joseph

2010-07-14T19:49:00.007+01:00

Here are a few photos from inside the rehearsal room of Frizz Records artist Joy Joseph, a couple of days before her gig at The Old Nun's Head in Nunhead, London. From a personal point of view its a privilege for me to be invited to a Joy Joseph rehearsal, mainly because during a gig I'm concentrating more on getting decent photos of Joy and the band, as well as making sure I'm not in the way of everyone watching, to be able to really listen and enjoy the gig. So for me to be able to take photos for a while, and then just sit and listen to each song, and its lyrics, a couple of times each, is something I really enjoy. The Frizz Records rehearsal room isn't the biggest and can get very hot, but it was home to Joy, Frizz boss/bassist Raphael Mann, Keyboard/MPC/Moog players Mami Sayo and Maree Choie and drummer Wilkie Wilkinson. So I had to try really hard to go unnoticed and not get in the way of everyone, or knock over and break anything!Joy and the band rehearsed songs such as In My Veins, Brixton Clubs and Waiting in the Park for the upcoming gig. It was a late finish for the band, the last band to leave the building, but I really enjoyed it, and could have stayed later listening to each song. I think the songs flow brilliantly together without sounding the same but are also very strong individually. I didn't break anything of value, and wasn't dismissed from the room for being a pain, or singing, so I hope its not the last time I get to sit in on a Joy Joseph rehearsal...

Natty at Bush Hall

2010-06-05T19:51:00.013+01:00

Here are some photos from Natty's final night of his 'Things I've Done' acoustic UK tour at Bush Hall in London. I'm a big fan of Natty, so this wasn't a night i was going to miss, with or without my camera, but i was lucky enough to get a pass through the lovely people at Vibes and Pressure. Natty was supported by Aruba Red, and her reggae style music was a great way to start the night. She played tracks from her debut self entitled album, including new single 'Light Up Light Up' which features reggae artist Jah Cure.I'm going to find it difficult to describe the rest of the night, and do it justice, but I'm going to try my best to describe how incredible not only Natty and his band were, but the crowd as well. Bush Hall wasn't just sold out, it was 50 over capacity with this being the first London gig Natty has performed in quite a while, having been recording his second album. Therefore this wasn't one to miss and Natty, with his band, didn't disappoint, playing new songs from his upcoming second album, the names of the songs i cant remember apart from a song called 'No Justice'.Natty was of course touring to promote his E.P release, something he done as a tribute to Johnny Dollar, who produced debut album 'Man Like I', after he passed away last year after a battle with cancer. All the proceeds from the E.P will be going to the Sarcoma Trust. He played songs from the E.P including title track 'Things I've Done' and 'Streetlight'. You can buy a copy of the E.P at Pledge Music.As much as the new songs and E.P tracks were well received, it was the songs from Natty's debut album that truly made the night special. As soon as Natty played the first note of songs 'July', 'Hey Man' 'Coloured Souls', 'Badman' and 'Bedroom Eyes' the noise from the crowd was deafening and they sang along word for word, and at points had Natty stepping back to admire his songs being echoed through the chandelier filled Hall. The applause from the crowd after each song was just as incredible and deafening, and this all for an 'acoustic' gig. Natty literally had to be dragged off stage as he was ever nearing the curfew time of 11pm, but just as the crowd were starting to make their way to the exit, Natty reappeared from backstage, guitar in hand, to play the first real acoustic song of the night, playing 'Cold Town', getting the crowd to sing the words as he played guitar. The entire gig was captured on video, something i hope everyone who wasn't there gets too see very soon. As I've said, it was a very special night under the chandeliers, that I'm sure the 350 plus crowd would agree with. And all for an 'acoustic' show! You can see more photos on Flickr

Elviin at Proud Galleries

2010-05-27T22:46:00.006+01:00

Here are photos from Elviin's set at the Milly's World night in the South Gallery of a revamped Proud in Camden. Elviin is a musician I've been a big fan of ever since seeing him supporting Natty at Luminaire in 2008. At that time he was new to the live music scene having taught himself the piano and toured with old friend Jack Penate in 2007, just a year after buying his first piano. I've since seen him perform on numerous occasions, including at The Boogaloo for Trekstock, a teenage cancer charity, with Natty and I Blame Coco. He has also supported artists such as VV Brown, Adele, Alesha Dixon and most recently Paloma Faith. With band members Randall on drums, Tom on bass and Danny on guitar, Elviin, on keyboard, played a shorter than usual set but one still filled with his very English style soulful songs such as 'Worth Getting Arrested For' and 'In Colour' as well as debut single 'Good Books' which is available on iTunes and also a couple of new tracks, which could well join the three songs mentioned on his debut album 'Made Of' due for release this summer.

BMW Championship Pro-Am at Wentworth

2010-05-21T14:40:00.003+01:00

This is something different from what i usually do, but i enjoy no less than music photography. Its not as exciting as seeing a musician or band with bright lights, guitars, drums etc, but i hope everyone can enjoy the photos for what they are. So here are some photos from the Pro-Am event on Wednesday, the day before the championship starts, which included pro's such as Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter as well as amateurs such as ex-footballers Gianfranco Zola and Alan Hansen, current footballer Andriy Shevchenko, Radio DJ Chris Evans and ex-tennis player Tim Henman as well as many others. And with the championship being shown on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp was also wandering the West Course at Wentworth. You can see the full set of photos on Flickr

Mr Hudson May Tour

2010-05-19T18:18:00.012+01:00

During this month Mr. Hudson toured the UK with Tenny Ten and chart topper Tinie Tempah. I was lucky enough to get passes for 4 shows, in Oxford, London, Bristol and Norwich. So here are some photos from those shows, and a small write up of the 4 shows. Tenny Ten was first on stage, and was playing to crowds that at most venues, were queueing for hours before the doors opened...Having someone like Tinie Tempah as a support act can only be a good thing and he got the crowds well and truly ready for Mr. Hudson, with a little help from his band mates, DJ Charlesy, Josh McKenzie on drums and energetic guitarist 'The Fez'. He had them singing along to his songs, including his number 1 hit 'Pass Out' and upcoming single 'Frisky', which is out 7th June, as well as an unexpected cover of Lady Gaga track 'Bad Romance'.Playing songs from his album 'Straight No Chaser' Mr. Hudson kicked off his set with an intro of title track 'Straight No Chaser' before filling his set with songs such as 'Knew We Were Trouble' and 'Central Park' and was also accompanied on stage by Tinie Tempah for 'Anyone But Him'Mr. Hudson and the band, made up of Joy Joseph on percussion and vocals, Wilkie Wilkinson on drums, Raphael Mann on bass, Bobby Barron on keys and Ali Forbes on guitar, also added a cover of I Blame Coco's 'Caesar', which by the end of the song had you feeling as though you'd just been at a rave, and a new track named 'Watch You Move' which if you see various videos on YouTube, created the same feel as 'Caesar'.

The sets were ended with an acoustic version of 'Bread and Roses' and stripped back version of 'A Tale of Two Cities' from Mr. Hudson's debut album with The Library 'A Tale of Two Cities' before ending the set with 'Time' and a version of 'Young Forever' by Jay-Z, a track Mr. Hudson featured on and during the tour flew over to America to perform with Jay-Z on Saturday Night Live. I had a great time covering the 4 shows, and i hope the photos I've shown you do them justice...

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves at Scala

2010-05-11T17:31:00.008+01:00

Here are some photos from Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves' incredible gig at Scala in London last night. With Scala basically sold out, it was find your space to stand and stay there, otherwise you'd be lucky to get back through the door. Kirsty Almeida kicked off proceedings as Eli's sole support act, with only half of her 8 piece band, she still delivered a great set which included her debut single 'Spider'.The True Loves opened up Eli Reed's set with a jazz infused intro before the main man entered the stage to a huge reaction from an already lively crowd. One of the most mixed crowds i've ever seen at a gig in London were, within minutes, dancing, clapping and foot stomping along to the infectious songs that were being passionately and energetically performed by Eli and the band.Eli, who's voice has been compared to the likes of Wilson Pickett and even Marvin Gaye, played a set filled mainly with songs from his second album 'Come And Get It', released yesterday on Capitol Records, including 'Time Will Tell', title track 'Come And Get It' and 'Young Girl', which is a tribute to late Boston soul singer Frank Lynch who tradgically died when it looked as though his career was going to take off with this track. The set also included favourites from debut album 'Roll With You' including 'It's Easier', '(Am I Just)Fooling Myself and unreal rendition of 'Boom Boom' which almost had the roof of an already rocking Scala. There are more photos on Flickr.

Mr Hudson at O2 Academy, Oxford

2010-05-04T22:38:00.005+01:00

Here are some photos from Mr Hudson at the O2 Academy in Oxford. I'm not going to say too much, i'll keep that for the review of the 5 shows i go to over the month. Mr Hudson has support from Tinie Tempah, who's debut single 'Pass Out' went straight to number 1. I cant wait to see the other 4 shows, starting tomorrow at Koko in Camden. So for now i'll leave you with some photos from last night, and there's a few more on Flickr

Nneka at Scala, London

2010-04-29T17:21:00.010+01:00

Here are some photos from a rare London appearance from soulful Nneka. The 2009 'Best African' Mobo winner, who is also supporting Nas and Damian Marley on their 'Distant Relatives' US Tour starting next month, was supported by Ghost Poet, an act well worth checking out.Nneka managed to near enough sell out Scala, even though the gig was organised at relatively short notice. It was evident that a Nneka gig in London was well overdue, and the crowd enjoyed every minute of it, with most dancing throughout. As Nneka arrived on stage, the entire front row, and plenty scattered through the crowd, had camera's and phone's out getting the rare appearance caught on camera. She started her set with an intro before going straight into 'Walking' her 2nd single which was released in March from her second album 'No Longer At Ease' released in February 2008. Her reggae, hip-hop and soul influences were very evident in her live set which included songs such as 'Come With Me' and debut single 'Heartbeat' before ending the set with an encore of 'Focus'. It was one of those gigs that i had to stayed after the first 3 songs, but one that also had people leaving wondering when they'll next get to see Nneka perform in London. There are more photos on Flickr

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Electric Ballroom, Camden

2010-04-16T10:10:00.007+01:00

So, this volcanic ash cloud wasn't just affecting the airports, the Electric Ballroom was also brought to a halt as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's equipment got stuck at Heathrow Airport. With the doors due to open at 7pm, the queue, which stretched back past the market, were left to wait until 8:30 before the doors were opened after a sound check with borrowed equipment. They were kept entertained though by an unexpected appearance from Robert Levon Been with a guitar, apologising and giving the waiting fans a taster of what was to come.Once the doors were opened, there wasn't much more time to wait, with the support act not playing due to the circumstances, BRMC took to the stage, with Robert Levon Been on bass, guitar and vocals on one side of the stage and Peter Hayes on guitar and vocals on the other side, to finally kick off their first London show for what i believe is 3 years, and with a sold out Electric Ballroom, they started their set with 'War Machine' and 'Mama Taught Me Better' from their new album 'Beat The Devil's Tattoo' followed by 'Red Eyes and Tears' from album 'B.R.M.C' released in 2000. They also played crowd favourites such as 'Ain't No Easy Way' and 'Spread The Love'. There are more photos on FLICKR

Chima Anya 'New Day' Album Launch with Joy Joseph at Barfly, Camden

2010-04-11T11:42:00.009+01:00

Here are some photos from Chima Anya's 'New Day' album launch at a sold out Barfly in Camden, London. As well as a DJ set from Kid Fury and warm up from MC Solo Cypher, Chima was supported by Joy Joseph, who's 'acoustic' set, which included a Moog and MPC, redefined the term acoustic. Joy kicked off her 5 song set with 'Sweet Time' before upping the tempo with 'Waiting In The Park' and 'In My Veins' before finishing the set with 'You Lose Yourself' and debut single 'Our Love Is Taking Us Through'. ChimaAnya was then accompanied by DJ MatMan on stage as he entertained the crowd with a set full of songs from the album, including 'New Day', which features Soweto Kinch, and single 'Death' as well as being joined onstage by Ineffable to freestyle using words suggested by the crowd. Chima ended his set by collaborating with Joy Joseph and Raphael Mann on his own version of Jay-Z track 'A Star Is Born'. There are more photos on FLICKR

Paloma Faith at Shepherds Bush Empire, London

2010-03-31T16:25:00.006+01:00

Here are some photos from the first of 3 sold out nights at Shepherds Bush Empire for Paloma Faith on Monday. Supported by eccentric London 5 piece LA Shark, who's equally eccentric music warmed the crowd up nicely, Paloma Faith took to the stage. The 24 year old from London arrived onstage in a yellow all in one trouser suit and a sparkling bowl of fruit head piece waving two huge orange feathered fans as she prowled the stage, full of mirror surfaces, black and white stripes, harlequin designs and huge industrial lights. With a 4 piece band and a trio of backing singers she kicked of her set, a set full of tracks from debut album 'Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful' as well as a few covers such as Beatles hit 'You Never Give Me Your Money', with 'Smoke and Mirrors' followed by 'Stone Cold Sober' before picking a young lad from the front row named Troy to come on stage and singing 'Romance is Dead' to him as he sat on a stool in the middle of the stage with a beaming smile and singing along. Paloma interacted well with the crowd, chatting away comfortably between songs and giving Shepherds Bush a great atmosphere, which only increased as she wowed the crowd with a final performance of 'New York'. There are more photos, including photos on Flickr.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip at O2 Academy, Oxford

2010-03-29T17:20:00.007+01:00

Here are some photos from Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and their sold out show at the Academy in Oxford. Supported by Sounds of Rum and, probably the best support act I've seen in a long time, B. Dolan, who's Hip-Hop beats and witty, real life lyrics made you listen and occasionally laugh. Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip came onto a stage full of props, including a leather armchair. They played songs from their new album 'The Logic Of Chance' including tracks 'Sick Tonight' and 'Get Better' as well as crowd favourites from debut album 'Angles' such as 'Look For The Women' and 'Thou Shalt Always Kill'. Both had a great presence onstage, both during and in between songs, getting the crowd singing along and joking with the crowd. Its refreshing to see artists acknowledging the crowd these days and its becoming a rarity. It was also the first gig for a while I've stayed and watched most the set, mainly because photographers are not allowed, but i didn't want to miss this show, and i wasn't disappointed. There are more photos from the show on Flickr.

Finley Quaye at Scala, London

2010-03-26T11:33:00.007Z

Here are some photos from MOBO and Brit Award winning Finley Quaye's gig at Scala in London on Wednesday night. Supported by 4 bands, Straylings, Mandrakes, Oil Canvas and Melic, and playing to a fairly packed out crowd, Finley came onstage and opened his set with 'Ride On And Turn The People On' from his '97 album 'Maverick a Strike'. His style is genre-less which is my favourite style, Finley combines alternative, jazz and reggae infused tunes with his falsetto voice and they all compliment each other perfectly, in my opinion. He worked his way through the set performing songs from his earlier albums such as 'Vanguard' and 'Much More Than Much Love' and had the crowd singing along to hits 'Sunday Shining', 'Even After All' and 'Your Love Gets Sweeter'. There are more photos from the night, including the support acts, on Flickr.

The Courteeners at O2 Academy, Oxford

2010-03-17T17:49:00.006Z

Here are some photos from The Courteeners show at Oxfords O2 Academy last night. Supported by The Whip, the sold out crowd warmed their lungs singing along, word for word, to Kasabian hit 'Fire'. The end of that track was the cue for the band to take to the stage, with energetic and excitable front man Liam Fray taking to the stage to chants of his name. The band kicked off their fast paced set with their 2007 debut single 'Cavorting' and 'Acrylic' their second single, followed by 'Will It Be This Way Forever?' from their latest album 'Falcon' released in February this year. The set was full of tracks from both albums including new single 'You Overdid It Doll' and was finished with a crowd pleasing rendition of 'What Took You So Long'. There are more photos on FLICKR

Mumford and Sons at Shepherds Bush Empire, London

2010-03-15T19:35:00.007Z

Here are some photos from the second of two sold out nights at Shepherds Bush Empire for West London band Mumford & Sons. In one of my favourite venues, the band were supported by Thom Stone and Alberta Cross. The stage had all sorts of instruments from the standard guitars, keyboard and drums, to the slightly less standard double bass, ukulele and accordion. The band opened with debut album track 'Sigh No More' before the photographers were allowed into the pit. The 3 song rule began with 'Winter Winds' before a foot stamping rendition of 'Roll Away' got the crowd stamping their feet along with the band. The last of the 3 songs was 'Winter Blanket Page' before photographers were ushered out of the pit. This is the second gig in a row I've now left after only a handful of songs, wanting to hear more. Mumford & Sons are definitely a band id recommend anyone to see live. There are more photos on FLICKR

Noah and the Whale at The Roundhouse, London

2010-03-13T12:53:00.009Z

Here are some photos from Noah and the Whale from last night at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. Supported by folk four piece Kassidy, they played to a sold out Roundhouse crowd. A band that has been likened to Arcade Fire, Noah and the Whale's line-up didn't do anything to change minds on that comparison. There were violinist's, a grand piano, numerous guitars and even the use of an electric toothbrush on a guitar intro, and with the stage set up with props such as rugs and an array of free standing lamps, it wasn't your average set up. Fronted by Charlie Fink, the band kicked off their set with classically infused 'Love of an Orchestra' from their 2009 album 'The First Days of Spring'. That was followed by 'Give a Little Love' from their 2008 debut album ' Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down' and 'Slow Glass' again from 'The First Days of Spring'. From what i saw on the set list, the set was split into 3 sections, with the middle of the set being acoustic versions of 'I Have Nothing', My Door is Always Open' and 'Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down' but the end of the 3rd song was my cue to leave, with the 3 song rule in place. But i left with the intention of getting a copy of both albums, which is a good sign, surely? You can see more photos from the set on FLICKR

Field Music at Scala, London

2010-03-04T20:37:00.008Z

Here are some photos from Field Music and their support act Lucas Renney. Playing to a packed out Scala crowd, the band from Sunderland, fronted by brothers Peter and David Brewis, kicked off their set with crowd favourites from album 'Tones of Town' before scattering new tracks such as 'Effortlessly' and 'Clear Water' into the set from their new album 'Field Music (Measure)' before finishing with 'Tell Me Keep Me' a firm crowd favourite from their self title debut album. With the multi-talented brothers chopping and changing, both playing drums and guitar, as well as Peter Brewis playing keys on a number of tracks, they interacted well with the crowd, with bass player Ian Black seemingly taking control of the humour and joking with certain crowd members giving the intimate venue the same vibe. There are more photos from the show on FLICKR

Noisettes at The Roundhouse, Camden

2010-02-28T19:50:00.011Z

Here are some photos from Noisettes first of two nights at The Roundhouse in Camden, London on Saturday. There were also support slots for Tinashe and Tiffany Page. There were unexpected covers such as The Killers 'When You Were Young' before an encore of 'Atticus' and 'Every Now And Then' had lead singer Shingai Shoniwa performing from the balcony of The Roundhouse. There are more photos on FLICKR.

Joy Joseph at Proud Galleries, Camden

2010-02-28T11:37:00.008Z

Here are some photos from Joy Joseph's gig at Proud Galleries in Camden on Wednesday night. Joy headlined a night which also saw sets in the Big Gig room from Angel Anderson and Rodney Fisher. Joy's set included her single 'Our Love Is Taking Us Through', 'You Lose Yourself' and was joined on stage by MC Angel for new track 'Keep The Summer Alive'. Other new tracks performed were 'Waiting In The Park', 'Come Back', 'Brixton Clubs' and 'The Time Is Now' aswell as well known songs for people who have seen her live before such as 'P.Y.B', ' Sweet Time' and B-Side to the single 'Out Of All The Boys & The Girls'. It was also the first outing for Joy's fully formed band, which includes Raphael Mann, Wilkie Wilkinson, Robin French, Maree Choie and Mami Sayo. There are more photos from the night on FLICKR.

Thom Yorke at Cambridge Corn Exchange

2010-02-26T14:03:00.009Z

Here are photos from last night's Thom Yorke Green Party benefit gig at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Its not very often that someone can sell out a venue the size of the Corn Exchange doing an acoustic set, but Thom Yorke proved an exception. In a 19 song set, he played 3 new songs, 'The Daily Mail', 'Give Up The Ghost' and 'Mouse Dog Bird' as well as popular Radiohead tracks and songs from his 2006 debut solo album 'Eraser'. Before being introduced by Tony Juniper, who's campaigning to become a member of parliament, Thom Yorke's support act was local musician/tape-poet Pete Um who warm the crowd up with his witty lyrics, unusual style. Photographer's were allowed 1 song to get photos, so as Thom Yorke opened with 'The Clock'. He was surrounded by guitars, keyboards and a grand piano, leaving a gap of a couple of feet for the group of photographer's to get their songs worth of photos...

NME Tour - New Young Pony Club at O2 Islington Academy

2010-02-23T17:59:00.001Z

Here are some photos from last night's NME Shockwaves Awards Tour at O2 Islington Academy, which saw sets from Lyrebirds, Chew Lips and headliners New Young Pony Club. There seemed to be as many people there to see Chew Lips as there were for NYPC, but with both bands originating from London the venue was predictably full. There are more photos from last night on FLICKR

Adam Green at Electric Ballroom, Camden

2010-02-05T00:36:00.009Z

Here are some photos from Adam Green's gig at Electric Ballroom in Camden last night, and his support act Sound of Guns. I'd like to think I've been to a good few gigs over the last few years, but Adam Green last night was something else all together. From the moment he stepped on stage he didn't stop moving, he did everything from riding the microphone stand across stage to spending the good part of the first 3 songs crowd surfing. I would have loved to carry on taking photos past the first 3 songs as I'm sure the photos would have got more interesting as the gig went on...I hope you enjoy these photos, please let me know what you think. You can see more photos on FLICKR.

Delphic at O2 Academy Oxford

2010-01-16T12:59:00.006Z

Here are some photos of Delphic at a very dark O2 Academy in Oxford.You can see more photos on Flickr.

OKGO at Shepherds Bush Empire

2010-01-14T00:26:00.007Z

Here are some photos of OKGO from their gig at Shepherds Bush Empire. This was the first time I'd seen OKGO and within the space of the first 3 songs i had a good idea of what they are all about. They have a very energetic, flamboyant style to their live sets, everything from camera's on the end of the microphone replaying everything onto a video wall backdrop to a huge confetti cannon placed behind the drummer that filled the stage for the final song. There are more photos on Flickr.

Frizz Records Christmas Party at Matsu

2009-12-27T12:10:00.011Z

Here are some photos from last Wednesday's Frizz Records Fancy Dress Christmas Party,which coincided with Joy Joseph's Birthday at Matsu, Mile End London. There were sets from David Garside, Otto Fischer, Art Terry and Joy Joseph, with a special appearance by Alexander D Great. There were a couple of verydifferent covers aswell, with all the Frizz artist's covering Mr. Hudson's 'Anyone But Him' and Joy Joseph covering festive song 'Last Christmas'. You can see more photos on FLICKR

The Raveonettes at Islington Academy

2009-12-20T00:01:00.006Z

Photos from The Raveonettes at Islington Academy and their support act The Northwestern. See more photos on FLICKR.

Mr Hudson at Shepherds Bush Empire

2009-11-12T09:30:00.006Z

Photos from Mr Hudson's London show at Shepherds Bush Empire. See more on FLICKR

Leila Adu 'Dark Joan' Album Launch at The Gladstone

2009-11-10T20:35:00.006Z

Here are the photos from Leila Adu's 'Dark Joan' album launch at The Gladstone in Borough. There were also sets from fellow Frizz Records artists Art Terry and David Garside aswell as Otto Fischer. See more photos on FLICKR

Art Terry 'Anutha Kinda Brotha' Album Launch

2009-10-23T12:15:00.005+01:00

Here are some photos from Art Terry's 'Anotha Kinda Brotha' Album Launch at The Gladstone in London. You can buy the Album on Vinyl or CD from Frizz Records or download it from iTunes. For more photos from the night visit my FLICKR page.

David Garside's 'Modern Mediaeval' Album Launch

2009-10-08T17:25:00.004+01:00

Here are some pics from David Garside's album launch at Japanese restaurant Matsu. You can download his album on iTunes or buy it on Vinyl or CD from Frizz Records. There were also sets by Tom Rodwell and fellow Frizz Records artist Art Terry. More photos on Flickr

Frizz Records Video Day at Gizzard Recording Studio

2009-09-14T21:10:00.003+01:00

Spent a great day with Frizz Records at Gizzard Recording Studio to shoot music video's for Art Terry, David Garside and Joy Joseph...see more HERE

Rescue Cat Rescue's Cats at Abbey Tavern, Kentish Town, London

2009-09-13T21:00:00.004+01:00

Rescue Cat's charity gig for Cattersea at the Abbey Tavern in Kentish Town featured Frizz Records artists Art Terry, David Garside and Joy Joseph aswell as Rescue Cat himself and Otto Fischer...see more HERE

David Garside-'Mr Wise' Video Shoot

2009-09-12T18:46:00.006+01:00

I recently spent some time in Birmingham on the shoot of David Garside's 'Mr Wise' video...check out his music by clicking on his name.

Around London

2009-09-01T22:57:00.006+01:00

David Garside at 15 Minute Club, The Living Room, Birmingham

2009-08-31T10:41:00.006+01:00

Here are a few photos from David Garside's set at the 15 Minute Club in Birmingham's Living Room Restaurant & Bar.

Frizz Records Party @ Matsu, Mile End, London

2009-08-18T18:00:00.008+01:00

Here are some photos from Frizz Records Party at Matsu in London. Performances from Otto Fischer and Joy Joseph made it an amazing night...

London - Portobello Market

2009-08-14T19:43:00.006+01:00

Resonance FM Presents-Out of the Box @ 12 Bar Club, London Featuring Art Terry, Tom Rodwell and Joy Joseph

2009-07-26T12:18:00.011+01:00

Here are some pictures from Resonance FM's night at the 12 Bar Club on Denmark St. in London on 23rd July. The night was hosted by Art Terry, whose rendition of The Wizard of Oz was a highlight of the night. The night also featured sets from Yinka Oyewole(Sabatta), Tom Rodwell and Joy Joseph... See more photos HERE

RescueCat's £10 Bag Single Launch @ 93 Feet East Featuring Joy Joseph, Leila Adu, Aloosh, Laurel Collective

2009-07-11T23:59:00.004+01:00

Here are some pictures from Rescue Cat's '£10 Bag' single launch that took place at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane Monday night. It also include set's by Frizz Records Joy Joseph and Leila Adu(below) plus Aloosh and Laurel Collective. Hopefully there will be more pictures from the night coming soon. Thanks to Frizz Record's Raphael Mann letting me photograph...

Mr Hudson, iTunes Festival @ Roundhouse Camden, Featuring Kid Cudi & Kanye West(Pics Taken From Crowd)

2009-07-07T23:59:00.002+01:00

Here are a couple pics from tonight more to follow tomorrow...

London Town-Horse Guards Parade, Westminster

2009-06-23T17:50:00.002+01:00

London Town-The Mall, Westminster

2009-06-22T17:42:00.003+01:00

London Town-St James Park

2009-06-21T22:57:00.001+01:00

Black & White- Mr Hudson in Birmingham Pt. 2

2009-06-07T23:24:00.002+01:00

A few more photo's from Mr. Hudson's gig at The Rainbow in Birmingham...