Obviously, photography is one of my loves. Music is another. So, I have been privileged to be involved in the judging of Campus Music Competition heats and finals for the past 15 years.
This week, the finals of the University of Newcastle Band Comp were held at the iconic Bar on the Hill at the Callaghan campus. Six finalists were vying to take out the title, and its associated recording package prize. They were judged on five criteria: Originality of Material; Musicianship; Stage Presentation; Recording Viability; and Audience Response.
I always take my camera along, but not simply to take photos. It’s one thing to sit and judge, watch, and analyse each act on those criteria. It’s another thing to immerse oneself in the experience using the lens to move through the crowd, around the stage, and amongst the performers.
While doing that, anticipating the next photo opportunity – a gyration, a stance, a look of elation, of concentration, a grimace, a sweep of an arm, a toss of a head, a whisper, a scream – I sink into the subject matter. The added proximity allows me to enter their world and “see” the performers. To become more familiar with them and their art. Whoever said “familiarity breeds contempt” wasn’t a gig photographer.
Add to that the constant awareness of a change of light, a wisp of smoke, the energy and movement of musicians across the stage, as well as the punters in the mosh pit. All combine to create a heightened experience, one in which I can much more clearly judge not only Stage Presentation and Audience Response, but also Musicianship. That last one not only through my eyes, but also my ears.
I photograph a couple of songs from each set that the finalists are afforded. Without putting too grand a spin on it, and not to detract at all from the other judges, I honestly believe that my lens plugs me deeper into each performance. I don’t think that I would be half as effective as a judge without it. For the remaining songs of each set, I sit with the other judges, stepping out of that visceral connection and back into the intellectual and analytical. But it ain’t half as much fun.
This night boasted one of the strongest line-ups I have judged to date: the blistering, confident power of Annakye; the moving, intellectual Photo of the Moon; the brooding Carnivara; the catchy indie of 12:51; the punky rock of Woofer. And bravely, like an oasis amongst all this energy and sound, the beautifully mellow soloist Bree Rusev.
I’m always amazed at how, with true rock and roll (and uni student) abandon, things come together on the fly. You know things are suitably raw and loose when a song is introduced with “We wrote this four days ago…”. From a band that formed four weeks ago. The spontaneity, passion, and inventiveness of these young stars is invigorating.
They were all worthy of being finalists. And should be championed for believing in themselves and chasing their dreams. If you see any of their names on a gig poster somewhere, do yourself a favour, go along and support them. They all deserve success. But as they say, there can only be one winner on the night, so huge congrats to Photo of the Moon.
Back to the photography…although I may have waxed lyrical about this event, gig photography is difficult. The lighting is horrendous, bright spotlights in a dark venue. Finding a balanced exposure for such contrast is a challenge. You either must shoot at high ISO with all its associated grain, or at wide-open apertures, with its associated shallow focus. Or both. To exacerbate matters, the performers are often leaping about, creating blur. Even the drummer, sitting down, is a frenzy of flailing arms, sticks, and often hair. But shooting at high shutter speeds limits the light you often need. Everything is happening at speed. Changing lenses is best avoided. I shoot these gigs with a 24-105mm zoom. Fortunately, I can get very close to the action at the Bar on the Hill. At a much larger venue, 105mm may not get me close enough. But longer lenses accentuate shake, even more so in low light situations.
You’d be mad to want to do it.
But all that falls away when I am amongst it all, and plugged in. Because the truth is I am more a music tragic than a photography tragic. And truthfully, capturing a photo becomes secondary to enjoying the music. Between me and the person creating it, the lens becomes a synapse: a structure that permits a neuron or nerve cell to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron or to the target effector cell (Thanks Wiki!). As it should.
Musician and photographer. Two mediums become one. Sound merges with light, energies connect, a photo emerges. A creative instant is frozen in time.
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You can follow these great acts at:
Carnivara (@carnivaraband on Instagram)
Woofer (@wooferband on Instagram)
12:51 (@1251band on Instagram)
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