nick pickles music photographer

Ahhh - back so soon. And this time we got 4 songs you know. Although the lighting was pretty rubbish this time, the spotlight guy seemed half cut as he was missed John by a good foot.

Yes he still swigs brandy from a bottle before spitting it into a bucket, and yes I only took about 2 frames of the other members of the band, but there’s not really many others quite like John Lydon. A true legend.

Then again, it’s equally true to say that given the choice, the thought of paying 30 quid to see PiL scares me. (Especially considering there was no support!)

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Yes, contrary to many’s belief that they had indeed banished themselves from the airwaves, the Kooks are still going.

From memory, the last time I saw them they were pretty dull to photograph, so I was a little pleased that the singer decided to move around quite alot - unfortunately with barely any light on him it made the photographs pretty pointless. Fair play for trying to liven things up though, the songs aren’t going to do it. Although his shouting ‘come on’ at the crowd did seem a bit, well, crap.

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I would say these guys rock, but apparently that’s a massive insult to them as (in the words of Danny North) they’re more metal than metal. So - I’ll leave it at that.

Needeless to say, by the time this gig finally came around - having been rescheduled twice - I was slightly complacent about what to expect. As someone who will happily admit that metal isnt my scene, I’ve never really heard much of Slayer and had no real grasp of the band’s history. That was soon remedied after seeing a good mate Rowan in the pit (at his request I won’t disclose who he was shooting for!) and hearing his tales of seeing the band over the years, complete with musical scene timeline.

Aside from some slightly bizarre lighting - LED mixed with parkans, with random intermittent strobe and white light killed by red wash before you’d got the exposure right - it was a cool gig to shoot, with each member of the band offering very different (but no less *metal*) shots.

Also, special nod to this shot which I’m really pleased with. It’s a bad habit but when I’m shooting a band I’m not personally a fan of, I often tend to drift into trying to take shots that make me smile, rather than perhaps capturing the essence of the performance. So, with Slayer I started trying to get shots of the band smiling rather than screaming, or capture some warmth rather than the sheer agression of the performance. This shot came about trying to create some intimacy around a guy who was very, very in your face on stage, and I hope it works.

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Bit of a tough gig to shoot this - one of those occasions where there was so much light, but it never quite fell right.

Not a bad band, they did sound a bit samey and the vocals didnt really cut through. Having said that, I was half asleep so I can’t claim to be the most objective critic. Then again, not sure I have ever claimed that. The joys of the internet!

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A flying visit - in at 8.58pm, out by 9.20pm (campaign kicking off!), but clear the Courteeners haven’t given up on eclipsing the other rabble of guitar-weilding, heir-to-Oasis bands around. and in fairness, with some of the tunes they have, and from what I’ve heard of the new record, they’ve got a better chance than most of going onto greatness.

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So, another artist I’m not that familiar with but I’d been tipped off would put on a good show. Well, if you count wearing a fruitbowl as a hat, a bloody good show it was too. Not a huge fan of the music - fairly bland and seemingly a more mainstream version of amy winehouse (without the drugs, doesnt go down on Radio 2 dontchya know) but she gets an A+ for effort for the stage. Comically pulling a punter onto the crowd for the third song was a novelty, particularly given the first half was singing about a bloke, but the second half of the song involved trying to make said punter dance with her - and being massively let down!

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Homecoming gigs are always a bit special, and this certainly did not dissapoint. Despite the band worrying they might have to cancel the gig when Craig woke up without a voice, in the end it was one of those shows where you look back and wonder just how good it was. Surely not as good as you think? Well, for anyone who had overindulged at the bar I can safely say it was exactly that good.

From the rousing, anthemic ‘Borders’ and ‘Commercial Breakdown’ to newer tracks like ‘The Messiah’ or ‘Nobody’s coming to save you’ it was amazing to watch a venue go from Oasis-like passion, to the kind of dancing normally seen in nightclubs and finally end on the kindov euphoric comedown seen at Glasvegas gigs, it illustrated just how broad a reach the Sunshine Underground have. It may have taken them a few years to get round to the second record, but with a live show like this boy was it worth the wait.

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First gig of the year and possibly the biggest hair all year. Wolfmother have been away from these shores for quite a while, and given their latest record doesnt seemed to have taken off, playing big gigs might have been a gamble. Still, they pretty much filled the academy and opening with ‘Dimenson’ I remembered why I used to like them. Immense tunes, played very loud and a good use of bass synth. Good way to start the year!

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It was only a few months ago that Florence appeared on the NME tour as the first act yet this gig saw her pack the same venue to the rafters as a headliner.

I’m still in two minds about whether I like her songs or not - on the one hand, they are clearly catchy and have more substance to them than alot of pop music. But equally I like bjork and still can’t help but think FATM is just a toned-down brit school version that can go on Radio 2 in a morning.

The XX as support were great though, a good blend of lo-fi electronica and harmonies that could end up being (almost accidentally) huge.

Then again, what do I know.

Lighting was a nightmare and I wasnt that up for the gig, so not too many shots I’m happy with.