Finally got all the edits done for the gig last Friday in Hammersmith. It was held at the Distiller’s Pub up in the Regal Room.
I had a client meeting prior to arrive so when I arrived the artists were just in the middle of their sound check. I met up with the event organizer Vicky Norris who, while tying balloons and fielding a dozen questions from all corners, took some time to introduce the artists to me.
I spent the first hour just scoping the place looking for good angles. I even went out to take an external shot of the Distillers which I’m proud of; if nothing else because there were cars and patrons everyone so finding a clear shot was tricky.
The Distiller's Pub
Very soon the stairway leading up to the Regal Room was become congested, so the doors were open to let them in.
It was very apparent the room was going to fill up very quickly; I had to find a suitable position fast to get the best shots. The only place that seemed half decent was right at the front which was very tight for space.
The very busy Regal Room
Once the introductions had been done the artists come on one after the other with a short break in between.
Adam Burridge
Even though I was at the front in some really uncomfortable sitting/crouching positions I the discomfort was worth it. I was getting some really expressive shots from the musicians. The lighting wasn’t brilliant which meant I had to ramp up the ISO on my Nikon; the light was a challenge but nothing I hadn’t encountered before at previous music gigs.
During the breaks, the acts were getting ready down a corridor which was amusingly named the Green Room. This is the first ever Green Room I’ve been to where it’s situated right outside the ladies room! The corridor itself was narrow and long; the walls were a little bit beaten with a random ornate chair in a corner. It was the perfect setting for one of those hard contrast ‘real photos’. There was nothing pretentious about the corridor, I liked the roughness of it so naturally it was an excellent backdrop to shoot the musicians getting ready.
The atmosphere back in the main room was hot, crowded and jubilant. Every time the artist mentioned Victoria’s name there were be spontaneous applause.
Soon it was time for me to head back to quiet Buckinghamshire, I managed to say a quick goodbye to some folks I had met and walked off into the darkness with a quirky smile on my face. Such a great night.
At the time of writing (April 2012), Victoria is still accepting donations for the Breast cancer charity. Please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=VictoriaNorris1 for more details
