My 10 Favourite Images of 2016

It's that time of year again when I share with you my favourite 10 images of 2016. These are my personal favourites. Images that I love because they have emotion or capture a special moment. 

Looking back at my images for 2016 I soon realised I had a lot of great images to pick from. This is always a good position to be in!

So Let's get straight into it and let me show you my 10 favourites.

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As you can see It was a bumper year for me.   I got the chance to photograph some of the biggest artists on the planet as well as some of the most interesting new bands out there. If 2016 is anything to go by I can't wait for 2017. 

Want more?  Why not check out My 5 Favourite Bands of 2016 or look at My Top 10 Images from 2015 and My Top 5 Bands of 2015

My 5 Favourite Bands of 2016

Every year I get to photograph lots of bands and artists covering all sorts of music genres.  My primary focus at those gigs is to get great photographs but when the 3 song limit has been reached I normally get to watch the rest of set.

So in this blog post I'm going to tell you about the 5 bands that had the biggest impact on me in 2016.  These are the bands that I personally enjoyed.  In most cases I knew of the band but it wasn't until I saw them live that they really captured my attention.  That's the power of live music for you!

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It was a real year of musical discovery for me.  I'd never really considered Mumford & Sons and Years & Years before but their shows at The Radio 1 Big Weekend in Exeter blew me away.  I guess sometimes you have to see a band live to appreciate them.  Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer was one of those acts that just make you smile and enjoy yourself.  Tiny Folds are one of the best local (Teignmouth) bands about.  They are epic live!  Last but not least is Chvrches.  With wonderful vocals and a great electronic sound they are never too far down my playlist.

So there you have it.  2016 was a great year for music.  Do you want more though?  Why not check out My 10 Favourite Images of 2016 or look at My Top 10 Images from 2015 and My Top 5 Bands of 2015

Glenn Tilbrook with Steve Smith at Exeter Phoenix - 26/12/2016

For what is probably my last gig of 2016 I ventured out in amongst the Christmas party goers of Exeter to see Glenn Tilbrook.  The man from Squeeze was playing to a festive filled Exeter Phoenix. As always I'll let my friends over at MusicMuso do a full review of the gig and I'll concentrate on sharing some of images with you.

Steve Smith

Up first on the stage was Steve Smith.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Glen Tillbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

Glenn Tilbrook

So just a short post from me this time. I'll be spending some time writing a couple of year end blog posts over the next couple of weeks. I'll be doing my top 10 images of 2016 and my top 5 bands of 2016. I've already had a quick look at my catalogue of images for 2016 and I think I'm going to be spoilt for choice this year.

So stunned to Instagram, Twitter and of course The Unplugged Blog for those year end posts. Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

Gangstagrass with Rodney Branigan at Exeter Phoenix - 24/11/16

With winter nearly upon us and the dark nights getting longer we all need something to put us in good spirits.  And that's exactly what I found when I turned up to the Exeter Phoenix last Thursday night.  Meeting up with my old buddy from MusicMuso we were expecting a warming and uplifting night of music from Gangstagrass and Rodney Branigan.  They did not disappoint and MusicMuso had plenty to write about and I had plenty to shoot.  

As usual check out MusicMuso for a full review, but in the meantime here are some of the images I took.

Rodney Branigan

Rodney Branigan .

Rodney Branigan .

Rodney Branigan .

Rodney Branigan .

Rodney Branigan .

Rodney Branigan .

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

Gangstagrass

It was yet another great night of music at Exeter Phoenix and it was great to photograph artists who are doing something a little different.  I don't think I've ever photographed someone playing two guitars at the same time!

I'll be back again soon on The Unplugged Blog with another set of hot images straight from my editing desk.  See you then!

Deacon Blue at the Plymouth Pavilions - 19/11/2016

With Storm Angus dumping huge amounts of the wet stuff on the land, any sensible person would have avoided driving to Plymouth last Saturday night.  However after having so much fun shooting Wet Wet Wet earlier in the year there was no way that I was going to miss the opportunity to shoot another legendary Scottish band.  So with windscreen wipers set to blurry I headed off to Plymouth Pavilions to shoot Deacon Blue.

Deacon Blue

The stormy conditions outside did nothing to deter the crowds though and they flooded in (excuse the pun) through the doors to what would be a great gig.  My friends over at MusicMuso will be posting a full review up soon but in the meantime here are some of the images I took.

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

Deacon Blue

It was a challenging shoot due to the low light for the first few songs but if you know your camera there were still plenty of shots to be had.  It was certainly worth the journey but I really needed a boat and not a car to get home the roads were so flooded!

I've got a few more gigs to shoot before the end of 2016 so be sure to keep an eye on The Unplugged Blog for even more photos.  See you next time!

Black Foxxes with Big Spring and Magpies at Exeter Phoenix - 29/10/2016

I've been lucky enough to shoot local rock heroes Black Foxxes a couple of times now including their epic set at the Radio One Big Weekend earlier this year.  Aside from the fact that they are a kick ass band they are fantastic to photograph.  The sheer energy they put into their performances makes my job so much easier.  My only complaint is having too many pictures to pick from!

So when my friends over at MusicMuso asked me if I could cover their sell out gig at the Exeter Phoenix there was no way I was going to miss it.  It was sure to be a awesome night of music with some quality support bands.  

Here are some of the photos I took...

Magpies

First up on the stage were 4 piece rock band Magpies.

Magpies

Magpies

Big Spring

Turning it up a notch were Big Spring...

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Big Spring

Big Spring

Big Spring

Big Spring

Big Spring

Black Foxxes

As I expected the mighty Black Foxxes did not disappoint as not only did they play a great set but they also gave me plenty of great shots.

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

Black Foxxes

There you have it.  I hope from the images you get an idea of what a great night of music it was.  If you are looking for a full review of the gig my friends over at MusicMuso will be posting one up soon.

On a technical note....

You may have noticed that all of my images on this blog post were black and white.  Ask any gig photographer how they will process their images when there is very poor light (in photographic terms) and they will tell you they will go black and white.  The gig was actually upstairs in the Voodoo Lounge at the Exeter Phoenix.  It's a fantastic room and it really allows the crowd to get up close and personal with the bands.  However, it's a really challenging environment for photography as there is very little in the way of lighting.

With flash photography generally being frowned up I really had to push the limits of my Nikon D750.  At a minimum I had the camera set at ISO 6400 but often pushed it to ISO 12800.  This was in addition to the camera being set at f/2.8 and 1/125 sec.  With the ISO so high the images had a lot of noise, and to combat that and the prominent pale blue lighting, I opted to process the images as punchy black and whites.  Despite those technical challenges, I like the results.

See you next time!!!

Feeder with Reigning Days at The Lemon Grove - 21/10/2016

I had a busy summer this year with a few big festivals to cover, but after a short break I was back at The Lemon Grove in Exeter to cover the Feeder gig.  I have fond memories of Feeder as they were one of my favoured artists when I was road tripping around europe.  I clearly remember driving the French alps in my BMW convertible listening to Feeder on CD.  Just the wind in my hair, lovely weather, and Feeder blasting out as tore around the hairpins.

I no longer have the car (I have a family now instead), but when my friends over at MusicMuso asked me to shoot the gig I didn't hesitate for a minute.

Reigning Days

First up were local band Reigning Days who have been supporting Feeder across the country on this tour.  It was a bit of a homecoming gig for them and they certainly delivered.  I went back stage with MusicMuso to take some images for an interview so remember to check out MusicMuso's website for that one.  Should be good.  

Here they are on stage:

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Reigning Days

Feeder

Reigning Days did an awesome job of warming up the crowd so when Feeder took to the stage the crowd were well up it.  I'll leave the band review to my friends over at MusicMuso and instead I'll give you some cracking pictures to look at instead.

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Feeder

Next time...

Feeder was an epic gig and both bands were a joy to shoot.  I'll be back next week in my old stomping ground of the Exeter Phoenix to shoot Black Foxxes which should be an awesome one.  Stay tuned to my Twitter and Instagram feeds to images live from the gig.  I'll back here in the blog with all the photos from that gig sometime next week.  Till then...

Glas-Denbury Festival - 15th and 16th July 2016

When I shot Glas-Denbury last year it was one of my photographic highlights of 2015.  A great line up, awesome crowd and fantastic weather.  Well, I'm pleased to say that Glas-Denbury 2016 had all those elements and then some!

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As usual my blog post is going to focus on the images I took but if you are looking for a full review my good friends over at MusicMuso will be posting one up really soon so keep an eye out for that.

So, let's get straight into those images...

Friday

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Saturday

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The People

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So there you have it.  What a festival!  Shooting festivals is always challenging as you are constantly going to from stage to stage, but with that comes variety and excitement.  So yes it's hard work but I've ended up with a great set of images that I hope you have also enjoyed.

I'll be back in a few weeks time with another special festival blog post so tuned to The Unplugged Blog.  Remember though if you want see some images as they are shot live from the gigs follow me on Twitter and Instagram!  See you next time!

Radio 1 Big Weekend at Powderham Castle, Exeter - 28th and 29th May 2016

When I heard that Exeter was going to host this years Radio 1 Big Weekend music festival I soon cleared my calendar.  There was no way I was going to miss shooting some the worlds most biggest artists while they were only a few miles from my doorstep.  Normally I'd have to travel a little further for this kind of shoot.

I'm really excited to share these images so I'm going to save the rest of my thoughts for later on in the blog post and get straight into the photographs.

BBC Introducing Stage

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In New Music We Trust Stage

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Main Stage

Saturday

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Sunday

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The Crowd

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Gear

I hoped you liked the images, but in case you are interested I'm going to talk a little bit about gear.  Aside from plenty of spare batteries and memory cards this was definitely a two body, two lens job.  The ability to switch between telephoto and wide quickly is really important as the action can be happening in front of you on the stage or behind you in the crowd.  For this gig my chosen gear was a Nikon D610 with 24-70mm f/2.8 VR and a Nikon D750 with 70-200 f/2.8 VR. Both are wonderful combinations to shoot with.

Aside from the camera gear though some essential items are sunblock, water and food.  Shooting a gig like this can be very busy.  Jumping between the press tent and three stages makes for a busy weekend and you don't want to be battling hunger, thirst and sunburn if you're going to take the best of images.  

The Experience

So what is like to shoot a big event like Radio 1 Big Weekend?  If I could describe it in three words they would be exciting, hectic, and fun!   There is no doubt that shooting festivals can be hectic.  With three stages and barely any gaps between an artist finishing on one stage and another starting somewhere else, you have to have a daily plan.  Without some sort of plan you will either burn out or miss someone you need to shoot.

It's also very exciting.  I still get a thrill as I enter the pit at the main stage and start shooting.  You can prepare by watching YouTube videos of the artists to see how they behave on stage, but every performance is different so you need to stay on your toes.

It's also fun.  After all, I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it.  I was located in the BBC Pictures tent and despite myself, the other photographers and the BBC staff being exceptionally busy everybody was enjoying themselves and there was always good chat while we walked between stages.

And finally...

My friends over at MusicMuso have written a full review of the Radio 1 Big Weekend and you read it over here.

My next festival will be Glas-Denbury in July.  As I did with this event I will be posting images live as they happen so remember to check out my Twitter and Instagram feeds.

See you next time on The Unplugged Blog!

Molotov Jukebox with Eugene the Cat at Exeter Cavern - 21/04/2016

The Exeter Cavern is one of my favourite venues for seeing bands and DJs.  I have had many a hedonistic night there!  So when I was asked by my good friend Steve over at MusicMuso to help him cover Molotov Jukebox, there was no way I was to going to say no.  

The Exeter Cavern is a great venue, but for the photographer it is a real challenge.  Virtually all the lighting is some shade of red so it was black and white images to the rescue.  You got to work with what you've got!  

Eugene the Cat

Supporting Molotov Jukebox were the rather excellent Eugene the Cat.  MusicMuso managed to catch up with them after their set so expect to hear more about them over there really soon.

In the mean time here they are in action:

Eugene the Cat

Eugene the Cat

Eugene the Cat

Eugene the Cat

Eugene the Cat

Eugene the Cat

Molotov Jukebox

I've shot Molotov Jukebox twice before so I knew they would put on a great show.  They of course did not disappoint and I got myself into the crowd and took these images:

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

Molotov Jukebox

For live music fans, especially for those of a gypstep persuasion, it was a fantastic night!  Sure the venue lighting is a challenge for the photographer, but you just get in there and try to capture the spirit of the night.  Hopefully these images just do that!

And finally...

It's coming up to that time of year where festivals start to dominate my schedule.  It can be tiring, but very rewarding..... I can't wait!

See you next time on The Unplugged Blog!

Record Store Day 2016 at The Drift Record Shop in Totnes - 16/04/2016

Record Store Day

I last covered Record Store Day back in 2014 and I remember it being a great morning.  So when Steve from MusicMuso asked me to join him this year there was no way I was going to say no!

Fortunately neither Steve or I were actually shopping for vinyl this year so we didn't need to be there particularly early.  When we arrived it was a very socially acceptable 8am.  There was a good crowd there already so we go to work straight away.

The Drift Record Shop

Looking after us were the excellent staff at The Drift Record Shop who let us speak to their customers and wonder about their awesome shop.  Here are some the images that I took:

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If you want to read more about our visit to The Drift Record Shop pop on over to MusicMuso who will be popping up review in the very near future!

I'll be shooting Molotov Jukebox this Thursday at The Cavern in Exeter so stay tuned to my Instagram and Twitter feeds for images posted live from the gig.  See you next time on The Unplugged Blog!

Ferocious Dog with The Leylines and Gaz Brookfield at Exeter Phoenix - 08/04/16

Anyone looking at the line up for this gig would have been fairly certain it was going to be a great night at the Exeter Phoenix.  With three top bands, Ferocious Dog, The Leylines and Gaz Brookfield playing, you could understand why.

As usual I met up with Steve from MusicMuso (expect a full review up there soon), and prepared for a raucous gig.  I knew there would be lots of energy and action coming from these artists and while there wasn't a barrier / pit, I shuffled my way to the front of the crowd and got to work.

Gaz Brookfield

Up first was Gaz Brookfield and after photographing him last year at Chagstock I knew he would put on a crowd pleasing show.

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

The Leylines

Folk-rock band The Leylines really turned things up a notch with their fantastic set.

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

The Leylines

Ferocious Dog

When Ferocious Dog took to the stage things really kicked off with a high energy performance that the crowd just went mad for.

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

Ferocious Dog

It was a cracking night and these types of band always make my life a little easier as there is plenty to shoot.

I'll be shooting Record Store Day next Saturday so my next blog post's images will be a little bit different but hopefully still as interesting.  So bye for now and see you next time on The Unplugged Blog!

The Wonder Stuff with The Wedding Present and The Lottery Winners at O2 Academy Bristol - 17/03/16

My 2nd visit to Bristol last week was a bit of a special one.  It was a three band extravaganza at the O2 Academy Bristol featuring newcomers The Lottery Winners, indie rock band The Wedding Present, and The Wonder Stuff who were on their 30th anniversary tour.

The venue was packed out and the crowd were treated to a night of quality music.  Here are some of my images from the night:

The Lottery Winners

The Lottery Winners ,

The Lottery Winners ,

The Lottery Winners ,

The Lottery Winners ,

The Lottery Winners ,

The Lottery Winners ,

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wedding Present

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

The Wonder Stuff

It was an epic night of music and with some quality bands.  They all had lots of energy and bags of stage presence making my job a whole lot easier!

I'm having a break for a few weeks but I'll be back in April with some more quality images from my recent gigs.  In the meantime remember to check out my social pages:

See you next time on The Unplugged Blog.

Kelvin Jones at the Colston Hall, Bristol - 15/03/16

Working with other content creators such as those great guys over at MusicMuso can expand your shooting opportunities greatly.  So when Steve from MusicMuso said he had a face to face interview with the very talented British singer-songwriter Kelvin Jones I didn't hesitate to offer my services as photographer.

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin was due to play at the Colston Hall in Bristol that night so not only were we lucky enough the grab the interview but I also got to shoot his performance as support for James Morrison.

MusicMuso will be posting up the interview and a review of the gig in the very near future, but in the mean time in true Unplugged Blog fashion here are some of the images I took to whet your appetite.

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

Kelvin Jones

So just a short blog post from me this time, but I've got a three band extravaganza for you next time so keep you eye out on The Unplugged Blog!

Wet Wet Wet with Ben McKelvey and Markus Feehily at the Plymouth Pavilions - 08/03/2016

As a Scot living in the south west of England there was no way I was going to turn down the chance to shoot Scottish pop legends Wet Wet Wet.  So with the melody of "Sweet Little Mystery" firmly planted in my mind I headed down the A38 for a taste of the homeland.

Arriving at the Plymouth Pavilions I met up with Steve from MusicMuso.  As usual Steve will be writing a full review of the gig but in the meantime I'm very pleased to share some of my images with you now.

Ben McKelvey

First up was the very talented Ben McKelvey who has been supporting Wet Wet Wet on this tour.

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ee0c0-20160308-benmckelvey-6923-16.jpg

Markus Feehily

The very popular Markus Feehily was up next:

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Wet Wet Wet

I do like shooting well established acts like Wet Wet Wet.  My primary focus at a gig is to capture high quality images and bands like Wet Wet Wet know how to put on a show, generally making my life that little bit easier.  As you can see from the images, not only did they put on a great show for the crowd they are also having an awesome time doing it.  There was a real energy coming from the stage and I was a happy photographer.

629b9-20160308-wetwetwet-7017-11.jpg
eb21b-20160308-wetwetwet-7031-10.jpg
9e97c-20160308-wetwetwet-7063-09.jpg
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Overall it was a great gig and I hope the images here either remind you of the night (if you were there) or give you an idea of what it might have been like.  On a personal note, if you have a chance to pick up a ticket for this tour you'll be in for a treat!

Social Media Update

I've recently started posting to Instagram and my feed includes both images from the archive and images posted live from the gigs I'm covering.  If you aren't following me already, why not check out my Instagram feed by clicking here.  I will of course continue with my normal service on Twitter, so don't forget to follow me there to.

On a Technical Note

As some of my regular readers know I use the wireless features of the Nikon D750 to transfer my images to my Nexus tablet while I'm at a gig.  I then process the image on the tablet and post out to my social media feeds while the gig is still going on.  

I've recently changed my workflow to include an app called raw2dng.  It allows me to take the RAW (.NEF) file from the camera and convert it into a standard DNG RAW format.  From here I can edit the DNG file in SnapSeed.   The upshot of this change?  Well, rather than processing a JPG I can now take full advantage of a RAW file improving the image output from my tablet.  Even though the images from my mobile workflow end up on Twitter and Instagram I still want the quality to be as good as I can get it.

OK, that's it for this blog post but do keep an eye out for my next blog post as I'm hoping to bring you some images from a very special gig I'm going to cover in the next week or so.   See you next time on The Unplugged Blog!

Fun Lovin' Criminals at The Great Hall, Exeter - 19/02/2016

When Steve from MusicMuso called me last month and asked if I wanted to shoot legendary band the Fun Lovin' Criminals there really was only one answer I could give... yes!  

So Friday night came around and I got in the car and drove all of 5 minutes to get to the Great Hall at Exeter University.  (It's rather handy living beside one of Exeter's biggest music venues.)  When I got there the crowd had already started to build up and I had a feeling it was going to be a good night!

Fortunately FLC did not disappoint!  My primary job of course is to take quality images of the night but when you get an experienced band like FLC on stage that becomes a little easier.  They had plenty of stage presence and Huey was kind enough to stick is tongue out for a shot (see my Twitter or Instagram feed)!

So here are some of favourite FLC shots from the night:

Fun Lovin Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Brian Leiser from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

Huey Morgan from Fun Lovin' Criminals

One thing you might notice from the images is that these are a bunch of guys that just love playing as a band.  When I was finished shooting I stood at the back of hall and watched these guys put on an awesome show.  Plenty of smiles and interaction with the crowd.  Quality stuff!

If you want to read a full review of the gig then MusicMuso will be posting up one soon, and it will of course be featuring some of these images and more, so do keep an eye out for it.

That's it for my FLC blog post but just to let you know that I've got a BIG March coming up so make sure you keep an eye out on my Twitter and Instagram feeds for more live posting and here on The Unplugged Blog for more great images.

See you next time!

Rapha Ghetti at Exeter Phoenix with Annie Rew Shaw, HER, and Stella Martyr - 22/01/2016

I last saw Rapha Ghetti at the Exeter Phoenix back in December 2014 while they were supporting the legendary Grandmaster Flash.  It was a cracking gig and I remember Rapha Ghetti well so I was looking forward to shooting them again.  If you want to see some images from that last gig, check out my blog post from the night.

This time around though Rapha Ghetti were the headline act so together my friends from MusicMuso I braved a chilly January evening and headed off to the Exeter Phoenix.

It was a quality evening of music so lets take a look at some of my images.

Annie Rew Shaw

First up was the very talented Annie Rew Shaw who played on a beautiful set.

Annie Rew Shaw

Annie Rew Shaw

HER

Next up were new indie band HER.

HER

HER

HER

HER

Stella Martyr

There are huge number of talented bands coming out of Exeter and Stella Martyr are just another great example of the local talent.

Stella Martyr

Stella Martyr

Stella Martyr

Stella Martyr

Rapha Ghetti

When Rapha Ghetti took to the stage the crowd were well up for it and fortunately the lads delivered big time.

Rapha Ghetti

Rapha Ghetti

Rapha Ghetti

Rapha Ghetti

It was yet another great night of music at the Exeter Phoenix and it offered plenty of shooting opportunities.  If January is anything to go by, then 2016 is going to be a good year!

If you are interested in what I've got coming up in 2016 check out My Set List page.

Instagram

Starting this year, I will also be posting on Instagram, so why not check out my Instagram pages by clicking here.

Of course I will still be active on all my other social channels including Facebook and Twitter.

I'll see you all again soon on The Unplugged Blog!

Cancer Bats at Exeter Phoenix with INCITE, Palm Reader and Lord Dying - 15/01/2016

After a bit of a break over the festive period I returned to the Exeter Phoenix with MusicMuso to cover a gig that was surely going to be a loud and energetic start to 2016.  We were not disappointed!

INCITE

Taking to the stage first were INCITE and any cobwebs on my camera were soon blown away!

INCITE

INCITE

INCITE

INCITE

Palm Reader

I was having to work hard to keep up with the action as Palm Reader rocked the stage.

Palm Reader

Palm Reader

Palm Reader

Palm Reader

Lord Dying

The night was turning out to be a bit of a treat both musically and photographically as the awesome Lord Dying kicked things up yet another notch.

Lord Dying

Lord Dying

Lord Dying

Lord Dying

Cancer Bats

When the Cancer Bats took to the stage to crowd were well up for it and I couldn't wait to see them perform on stage so I could capture some great images.

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

Cancer Bats

As you can see it was a bit of an epic night of music.  I love nights like this as the performances give me lots of opportunities to capture exciting images.

I'll be back again on The Unplugged Blog really soon with images I took of Rapha Ghetti recently, so stay tuned!

My Top 5 Bands of 2015

Every year I get the chance to photograph a stack load of bands.  It's hard work but it can also be great way to discover new music.  Most of the time I'll be familiar with the band, especially the headliners, but every now and again a band I haven't heard of blows me away.

This special blog post celebrates those bands.  These are the artists that I remember the most from 2015 either through their music, stage presence or combination of both!  

First up in my list is The Worried Men who were supporting Jefferson Starship at the Exeter Phoenix back in February.  Lead singer Jamie really owned the stage and put on a great show!  See my blog post of the gig here.

The Worried Men

The Worried Men

Jumping forward to June and I was back at the Exeter Phoenix to shoot The Sherpas.  Cornish band Auction for the Promise Club were first on and their music really hit a note with me (excuse the pun!).  You can also see my blog post of the gig here.

Auction for the Promise Club

Auction for the Promise Club

Covering festivals is a lot of work but when I shot Moriaty at Glas-Denbury in July I was blown away by the shear energy of the band.  Talk about putting on a show!  You can see lots more images from this festival by clicking here.

Moriaty

Moriaty

About a week later I was at another festival, Chagstock.  You can see all my images from Chagstock here, but the standout act for me was Gaz Brookfield.  I loved the lyrics of his songs and as soon as I got home picked up his live album. 

Gaz Brookfield

Gaz Brookfield

Finally, and more recently, I saw Beardyman perform at the Exeter Phoenix in November.  To say that Beardyman is a talent would be an understatement.  His ability to mix up comedy with all sorts of music genres was just a pleasure to experience.  You can see my blog post of the gig here.

Beardyman

Beardyman

If 2015 was anything to go by, 2016 should be a bumper year of discovering new music!

Finally, be sure to check out My Top 10 Images of 2015 blog post.