Griever Live Gallery @ Cavern Club, Exeter

I was sent to photograph a metalcore band called Griever on behalf of RAMzine magazine at their gig in Exeter. As my live review is being posted over on their website, I though I’d take the time to share a few of my favourite images from the gig and a few photos from the promo shoot I organised before the show.

Above are the live images of Griever, which I edited in a slightly different way to what I usually do. For the black and white images I used much darker tones within them, the shadows and blacks are a low lower to create that dark moody look.

The band were inspired by Loathe and Lotus Eaters style of photography for the coloured images. They asked me to focus the colours around a blue palette, so thats what I did. I used Lightrooms white balance to create a cold blue tone to the photos and experimented with the split toning mode a little when a bit extra blue was needed.

I am immensely proud of the promo images above. I used a speedlight attached to a boom arm to create the lighting, which has just made the photos what they are. If the lighting was straight on the photos wouldn’t have been as good as they are.

The band have the perfect gothic, grunge look to suit the location. The harsh textures in the wall and the grittiness of the background suit the style of the guys perfectly.

Griever are going on tour this October, so I’d suggest you go and check them out if they play near you as they’ve some truly fantastic guys and a brilliant band.

Top 5 bands at Burn It Down Festival 2019

I was asked back to photograph the second instalment of Burn It Down Festival in Torquay. Last years event Was brilliant. I got the chance to photograph bands like Mallory Knox, Dream State and Arcane Roots.

The line-up this year had some fantastic bands like Basement, Loathe, Haggard Cat, Black Peaks, Dream State loads of which I’ve had the pleasure of photographing before and a few new bands for me to photograph.

The event had three stages across three venues. The Signature Stage which was at The Apple & Parrot. The The main stage was the Jägermeister Stage which was at The Foundry.

I photographed over 15 bands over the day, varying from rock to hardcore to emo.

My top 5 favourite bands at Burn It Down are -

  • Black Peaks

  • Dream State

  • Mother Vulture

  • Haggard Cat

  • RXPTRS

After what can only be described as a highly successful second year for the South West festival, I am really looking forward to seeing what this festival had in store for the coming years.

Photographing Coheed & Cambria at ArcTanGent 2019

For the second year running I had the privilege of attending ArcTanGent festival. Looking at the stacked line-up, I knew this year would be a good one at that. Headlining the Arc stage (main stage for those who don’t know) on the first night were the mighty Coheed and Cambria.

Claudio Sanchez opening the show

As a long time fan of the band I was extremely excited to be able to photograph them as the band are on my bucket list of bands to photograph. The set had some insane lighting which I was able to utilise to the best of my abilities to get some pretty unique imagery. The stage lighting created some gorgeous silhouettes and shadows in the 3 images below.

For the images above I decided to edit them in such a way to highlight the intense silhouettes the stage lighting created. I used a mixture of self made presets on Lightroom to create a moodier look to the images but still keeping the colours bright in the coloured images, keeping the highlights bright in the black and white image.

As you can see in the photo above Claudio Sanchez was giving it his all during the performance. It’s one of the best things about being a live music photographer when you’re able to photograph a musician who’s passion comes through your lens, emotion like this just makes for better images and helps to tell more of a story.

For all the images on this post I used my Canon 5D Mark iii with either my 24-70mm 2.8 lens or my 70-200mm 2.8 lens. The low aperture enabled me to capture the colours well as it let in all the available light during the show. During post I kept the vibrancy bumped up to really saturate the colours in the images above as I didn’t want to lose any of them during editing. I always aim for my photos to look as true to the actual show as possible.

My favourite photo of the bands set

I wanted to get an image to highlight Claudios hair and show movement during their set. The photo above does both of these things. The highlights draw attention to his hair and the high shutter speed has captured the movement and kept the image sharp. The photo above is easily my favourite of their entire set as I love the attention to detail within it. The photo is minimal in its appearance but still keeps a high level of sharpness and detail when you really look into it. This images makes me super proud.

Bloodywood Review and Gallery @ The Lanes, Bristol 24.07.19

On Wednesday the 24th of July, 2019 the furiously heavy Bloodywood took to the stage at The Lanes in Bristol. This was the bands first ever UK performance and rightly so, the gig was a sell out!

The Lanes is a truly unique venue which is situated in a retro styled bowling alley, which upon arrival didn't seem the place where a metal show would go down but I was proved otherwise the second the show started.

Sarthak Of Bloodywood

The band announced that this was their first ever time in the UK and their first ever tour! This was fantastic to see how an internet phenomenon take the world on with their important message behind them. I felt very honoured to be apart of this brilliant show and I was seriously looking forward to shooting them live.

The venue was packed, every single person who bought a ticket was in the room and the floor above, jumping around, moshing and singing their hearts out. The vocalist went into the crowd and was welcomed by a surge of singing, sweaty fans around him. The band quoted "we thought we'd be playing to about 10 people each night" so I couldn't imagine the emotions going through them during this gig.

The band mix traditional Indian folk instruments with what can only be described as thunderous choruses to create a fantastically unique and honest sound. Bloodywood took the time to talk about important issues surrounding mental health which they've incorporated into some of their most popular songs, something the crowd were definitely loving to be a part of, myself included. The fact that this is the bands first ever tour and first ever time playing our country and they absolutely nailed it seriously excites me to see where this band will project themselves in the near future.

Bloodywood @ The Lanes, Bristol

Teddy Rocks Festival - Saturday 4.05.19

After a busy first day at Teddy Rocks Festival, I was thoroughly looking forward to day two. The weather was stunning, there was shooting to be done and fun to be had.

Starting off on the Vocalzone stage photographing the chaotic Raiders UK, the vocalist entered himself into the crowd for a part of the show, which is something I loved capturing and being part of.

Over to the main stage for Black Orchid Empire, not photographed before and I wanted to shoot them as they’re playing Burn It Down Festival in Torquay. After this performance, I’m looking forward to photographing them again later this season as they did a killer job.

Next up were Norwich based indie punk band Youth Killed It. I love the photo of this band before they went on stage, moments like this are fantastic, some of my favourite photographs to take are from behind the scenes, in a place the fans don’t see and what happens behind closed doors. They put on a great show and did the festival proud.

Wolf Jaw were one of the bands my publication had asked me to photograph, not one I’d have picked out myself but I thoroughly enjoyed capturing the emotions and expressions during the set as their bassist was infectiously happy.

Back on the main stage Press To Meco bring a delightfully lighter note to the mid afternoon slot at the festival. After previously photographing them at Burn It Down Festival 2018, it was awesome to see them take to a bigger stage and may I say, make it their own.

I’ve recently had the chance to photograph the Virginmarys during their recent UK tour. This band never fail to explode onto the stage with such power. Their drummer can’t be contained by his kit, or even feel the need to sit down during the set, I also had a quick chance to get some before shots just before they went on stage, which we all loved the result of.

The Dirty Youth are a true and honest modern rock n roll band, serving up huge tunes that filled up the area. This band know how to own a stage and know how to perform to an impressively high standard.

As expected the crowd went absolutely nuts at The Bottom Line, with it being the organiser of the festivals pop punk band. The earliest supporters of the festival would be seen throughout this crowd showing their support for the not only the cause, but the band too.

Sinful Maggie are a extremely unique blend of punk rock and folk, with great mixture of guitar riffs and jaunty sounding accordion. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing Sinful Maggie before in my local venue and it was awesome to see them rock out on a larger stage.

Stone Broken were the perfect band to have on whilst the sun was setting over Teddy Rocks Festival. They had soft rock vibes which charmed the crowd and the whole band put on an outstanding show headlining the VocalZone stage.

Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons are a classic rock band that I’ve managed to shoot at my local venue, so as a tog it was very exciting getting to photograph them on a stage about 10x the size. They rose to the challenge of filling the stage with their immense presence and made a brilliant main support band.

When I saw that the Saturday headliner was The Darkness I knew I’d be in for a treat, first ever pyro show, alongside The Darkness stage presence being sheer Rock Stars. There is something to this way of being on stage, over the top and living the lifestyle, say what you like for Justin Hawkins but he knows how to give a performance.

Across the weekend, Teddy Rocks smashed through all previous years by raising over a 100k for the fantastic cause behind the truly brilliant festival.


Newton Faulkner + Charlotte @ The Great Hall, Exeter 23.04.19

Back in the Great hall after recently shooting https://www.marthafphoto.com/blog/2019/4/17/papa-roach-nothing-more-the-exeter-great-hall-140419 . This show was a different kind of challenge to shoot and review, big stage but intimate performance. Unlike a full band lineup, all the focus was on the solo musician, which gave me more time to capture them exactly how I imagined as I wasn’t rushed during the allocated 3 songs to capture 5 different musicians. The acoustics of the hall complimented the big and immersive sound throughout the night.

Charlotte was the support act for Newton Faulkner during this tour. She has played a few shows with him in the past and she is the perfect artist to open the gig for him. She is a solo artist with session guitarist. During the set there were lively numbers on guitar, ballad's on the keys and a stunning vocal range. Charlotte performed with an immense vocal power showcasing lots of sustained vocal parts. Her voice sounds huge. Even during technical difficulties (a stage prop smashing), Charlotte didn’t lose her professionalism. There was great banter in between songs and an overall lovely demeanour from both Charlotte and her guitarist.

Newton created a beautiful atmosphere from the first note. His stage set up was extremely impressive and I found it fascinating to see how he performed the songs I’ve listened to for the past 10 years live. As I imagined his voice was even better than recorded, like a true professional of doing what he does best for 10+ years. During the set he would move between the larger set up and just using his acoustic guitar.This expert use of minimal equipment achieved that high quality sound fans have come to expect of him. From beginning to end, he gave a brilliant performance, responding well to hecklers and interacting with the crowd, especially during the infamous kazoo parts of the show, where he got the crowd to kazoo along to parts of the set. My favourite part though, was that he chose to drink tea on stage, there’s nothing more Newton that that.

Shot for https://vulturehound.co.uk/


Wreckage 12 @ Exeter Cavern 18.04.19

It was a pleasure to be asked back to photograph Wreckage 12. Wreckage events are ongoing DIY punk gigs. They are hosted by the Cavern in Exeter and organised by Hena Larkin, a well known face within the local scene. The Wreckage shows are immensely important to the local and the South West punk scene, without people like Hena putting their blood, sweat and tears into organising such events, the scene wouldn’t exist, let alone thrive.
Fluff, a solo artist, with a raw punk vibe, mixing dynamic guitar tones which complement the brash tone of the electronic drums. The set took my by surprise upon opening, as I’ve never seen electronically tracked drums at a punk show before. It was brilliantly unique and a solid opener for the rest of the night. Check out his music here - https://www.facebook.com/FLUFFTHEBAND/ Also Fluff has recently joined On the House and you can see his profile here - https://onthehousemusic.co.uk/fluff/
It’s always a delight to watch Henas lyrically powerful songs and spoken word pieces. He isn’t afraid of talking about crucial topics which need to be talked about, such as mental health and the political climate. My personal favourite song of his is his rendition of Woody Guthrie’s legendary song “ All You Fascists Bound To Lose”. Henas cover has such power to it, he’s able to make the song his own without losing the message behind it. Give his music a listen here - https://www.facebook.com/henasolomusic/
Dead Frames (Plymouth based) are local punk rock at its finest! They contrasted nicely against Henas set, with fast paced, drum heavy tracks. The band have a natural talent for writing lyrics that a complete newcomer to the band could pick up quickly. Utilizing what they have, their drummer Lee has vocal parts during their set, he differs from front man Jim, as they have a heavier shouty quality, but when unified together, my god it’s good! Check out their music here - https://www.facebook.com/DeadFrames/
Kearney’s Jig are a 4 piece punk band from Bristol. The band describe themselves as “50% Vegetarian 25% Cheese Intolerant 100% Intolerable” for fans of NOFX and ABBA. Kearney’s Jig were remarkably individual from beginning to end, with their varied age range from member to member. This band definitely bought the party to the stage, and were a brilliant main support to the chaos later to follow. Check out their music here - https://www.facebook.com/Woodewooo/
Where do I even begin with trying to put Red Terrors set into words. This band are quintessentially punk performers through and through. From the first track I could see how well the band interacted with not only the crowd but with one another. Bouncing off each other (and the floor) for whole set, they showed such drive. The smaller sized stage proved incapable of housing the band as they couldn’t be contained, there was crowd surfing, walls of death and absolute chaos. Utter carnage are the words I’d use to describe this band, seriously go and check them out at - https://www.facebook.com/RedTerrorUK/

Papa Roach + Nothing More @ The Exeter Great Hall 14.04.19

Papa Roach and Nothing More, Exeter Great Hall. First time photographing at this venue on behalf of Vulture Hound and I was immediately struck by the theatre like quality to the venue. 
Upon arriving to the show, I instantly noticed how accommodating the security and venue staff were being towards me, this helped me ground myself nicely to the venue and figure out where I had to be and when. 
I want to quickly give a shout out to my fellow togs who I had the pleasure of sharing the photo pit with. Firstly, Grace Chapman-Duke who is a fellow female photographer who I worked with at last years Burn It Down Festival in Torquay, Grace has a real talent for capturing those moments other togs wouldn't notice, she's a good egg. Secondly, Rob Wilkins (Celtography) who is a brilliant photographer who approaches all those he meets with a charming nature and a happy face that I've seen next to me at quite a few South West venues. Thirdly, Steve (MusoMuso) who I've not actually worked with before, so it was brilliant to put a face to a name especially when its someone who's got serious talent behind them. Finally, Hannah O'Brian who is the owner of Exeter Uncovered which is a unique magazine showing of the best of music Exeter has to offer. What Hannah is doing for the local music scene is crucially important and I support her in everything she does and might or not might not be discussing a collaboration soon! 
Nothing More opened up the stage with hauntingly beautiful stage production, singer Jonny started the gig atop what can only be described as a 10+ ft ladder with an air raid siren on the top of it. This entrance made the wait (of no support) worth while and let the crowd know what they were in for. A rig like this was brilliant to see in a slightly smaller venue and kept the show interesting and unique. Jonny simply didn't stop moving throughout the show using every inch of the stage to engage as much of the crowd as possible. He was challenging to photograph due so, but I liked the challenge, but Jonny didn't over shadow the rest of the band in the slightest way. The whole band worked incredibly well together interacting with each other and the crowd. Nothing was lost from taking songs from album to live show especially when it came to things like the backing vocals and other elements (Jonnys amazing drumming rig). Nothing More are like no other band I've photographed and I was very impressed to say the least. 
Papa Roach know their crowd, opening up with "Last Resort" which set the crowd on fire. which as a tog I was hoping for, so I was able to photograph the legendary single. Singer Jacoby Shaddix can only be described as a crowd master, he didn't stop during the whole set which was amazing to witness...does he actually age?! Papa Roach kept the crowd hungry for more from beginning to end, mixing their newer tracks like "Elevate" with the powerhouse classics like "Between Angels and Insects". I appreciated Papa Roach decided to do this as it kept each fan happy no matter what era you're into. The lighting team did a brilliant job throughout the show, the stage was bring and happy, rotating colours and mental strobing which opposed some of the heavier songs but it was good to see the band didn't want to do the usual kind of lighting when it comes to rock and metal shows. 
In an era where we need champions to talk about mental health, Papa Roach as always can be relied on to set an example. Covering "Firestarter" by the Prodigy following a heart felt tribute to Keith Flint. 

Noble Jacks @ The Hub, Plymouth 12.04.19

Having photographed a small handful of gigs at the Hub before, taking into consideration it’s recent closure announcement I immediately jumped at the chance to shoot at the venue again for Noble Jacks, supported by The Retreat and Louis Thorne Music hosted by Creative Edge Events.
As always, I was treated with fantastic hospitality from all the staff at the venue, especially Joseph Weinling (sound engineer) who offered to keep my camera bag happy and safe whilst I got stuck into the crowd as I was shooting this show solo.
I don’t usually review sound at shows, as personally I don’t feel like I know enough about it, however the sound at the show felt right and was done very well to suit the bands performing.
Throughout the concert, the lighting technician made my job as a photographer easy, as there wasn’t any strobing (photographers pet hate). Across the night the slower and subtle changes to the colours used helped create an atmosphere to compliment the tone of the bands.
So, the night started of with solo acoustic musician Louis Thorne. He came to the stage with catchy songs which got the mood of the crowd started, charming them with his innocently shy nature, which contradicted the confident nature of his lyrics. He skilfully created a beautiful summer evening atmosphere with a mellow and easy on the ears set.
Next up The Retreat as main support, throughout the set. Richard showed impressive guitar technique focusing around fast paced strumming patterns. There was a feeling of timelessness during the set, creating a heart warming feel listening to him perform. Richard bought a certain level of charm and sospisicatipon which resonated with the crowd.
With the crowd warmed up and ready, headliners Noble Jacks took to the stage with a passionate performance. From immense energetic drums combined with angelic violin tone made their set totally jig worthy. The band bought high energy, keeping their fans moving and dancing throughout the night. I could really see why the band were in a strong position to headlining this venue.
I really appreciated the opportunity to capture true folk at such an legendary independent venue, which will be greatly missed by all.

999 / The Vibrators / The Lurkers @ The Junction, Plymouth 05.04.19

I had the pleasure of photographing 3 legendary UK punk bands; The Lurkers, The Vibrators and 999.
Each band took to the stage with a high level of energy, bringing raw emotions and presence to their performances.
This intimate show took place at the fantastic Junction venue, situated in Mutley, Plymouth. There’s something so right about enthusiastic mental punk shows like this being held in smaller independent venues, as it creates an amazing feeling of closeness to the artists performing.

This truly was a gig to remember.