Photography

Being a photographer, I am lucky to be able to photograph the best musicians and artists doing what they do best. I have never kept track of how many photos I shoot in a year, but I am sure it is in the tens of thousands of images. From the raw footage I choose my personal favourite that looks like I am capturing the essence of some great performances. I now have to whittle that down to my personal favourites and why I love these images. So, sit back and enjoy some of the best captured moments from Blast Toronto.

Weeping Dave and the Diamond Boys

I don’t know a lot about Country Music, but Weeping Dave certainly makes it worth going out to hear it! Here he is in full action at a sold-out gig at the Bell and the Beacon. This crowd packed its way all the way to the edge of the stage. By the end of the show, the boys were having so much fun, they just ramped up the energy and I was lucky to be sitting at the side and grabbed this slightly blurry image as Dave was going for the gusto! I can still feel the electricity in the air, when I look at this photo.

The Boom Shaka-Lakas

This is one of Toronto’s Disco bands. They have been inviting me out for a while, and I finally ended up at the Linsmore to see them. The place was packed, and they were going into the song Disco inferno, when I lost sight of the lead singer. I noticed something happening outside, so I grab my camera and there was the singer firing up a cowbell with a flaming torch. Well, he did say he was going to light up the Linsmore that night and he and his band did set that room on fire! (Not Really on fire).

The Lemon Bucket Orkestra

If you haven’t seen this band live, then you are missing out on an important band in the city. They have plenty of different members from different parts of Europe and they squish their sound together to create something Traditional, something Fun and magical. This is usually how their shows look by the end of their set. People are dancing and the band is loud and filled with ruckus. It becomes a swirl of happy energy that fills the entire room up.

Cleave Anderson

If you know Cleave Anderson, you know great things come in small packages. Cleave was one of 20 Toronto Artists that were recognized by August Knight to be one of our favourite musicians in this city. He may just sit behind his drum kit and keep the band tight, but once this guy lets loose, he is a whirlwind force to watch. I had to fight my way through a crowded dance floor, but I managed to squeeze in this photo when he became a little Tasmanian devil while performing.

Paul James

Every January I end up going to Paul’s Birthday party. Every year Paul puts on a spectacular show. It would be difficult not to get a great shot of Paul in action. This was my chosen fav because of his energetic smile and during his slide show, I happen to catch another Toronto Favourite musician, Jeff Healey. I am sure next year’s photos will have yet another image of the incredible Paul James. He is a man who does not know how to put on a mediocre show.

KC Roberts

I really don’t know who KC Roberts is. All I know is he belonged to a cast of musicians who honoured Quincy Jones with a tribute concert. KC Roberts went up and played some really smooth guitar to honour George Benson. His style and technique were flawless. Between the stage lighting, the backdrop and that perfect expression, it turned into a shot that I will cherish for a long time. Believe me, because I was on fire grabbing one great shot after the next. This is the one that stood out for me.

Pink Leather Jackets

I have been a witness to this great Rock band for years and their live shows are filled with high energy moments. They can be very difficult to catch because they are really fast on stage. I just knew the guitarist like to jump a lot. So, once I get my fill of good live images, I wait for those moments when I think I can grab an ariel shot. It takes patience and timing and many times I am not successful. I think I can say I was successful this time!

Eivor

Eivor is a singer from the Faroe Islands and is known for her incredibly emotive voice. Well with her incredible voice you should have some presence. Well, she has presence and I think I captured that classic moment when a singer is going for those beautiful notes that penetrate us. With the classic lifting of the arm and hitting that note just right, you can feel it from this image I took at the Great Hall.

Ahmed Moneka and Paula Sophia

I love this photo because you would never guess what was happening at this moment. It just shows you the professionalism of these two performers. During an Elbows up Concert, this pair were given to sing Tom Cochrane’s Life is a Highway. Coming from different backgrounds, they did not know this song that well and this song has plenty of words.  Well, if you guessed that they flubbed some of the words, you are correct. This was the moment they grabbed each other and plowed their way through this moment having a good time. This is a bit of a Spinal Tap moment, that people will remember, but only because these two handled the situation so well.

Ghostlight

Ghostlight is a highly experimental band that plays pure improvisational music. You never know what direction they are headed, so strap in and take a ride. They are also very generous with me, because they allow me to improvise my photography. If these two photos seem a little strange, it was meant to happen that way. I feel these odd images represent the nature of their music and that is how I hear them when I am photographing them. If you love experimentation and improv, this band should be on your list of must-see musicians!

Country Flash

I have heard about this underground Supergroup called Country Flash. I went to see them at the Bell and Beacon. The lighting there is terrible for a photographer, so I improvised and tried new things to get my image. This is an image of Vivienne Wilder in a mirror. I find that see represents an aberration that you see for just a moment before she disappears again. The back lighting and the shakiness of the photos adds mystery as you wonder what you just saw. I like the uneasiness about it.

Goodnight Sunrise

When I go to a Goodnight Sunrise concert, I take hundreds of photos at their show. That is because they are so busy on stage that you have to take a lot of photos looking for the right one. You will have plenty to choose from when you are done. This is just one of many that I could have chosen. The reason I chose this one is very clear that every member of the band is doing everything possible for their audience to have a great experience. This is proof of that!

The Filthy Radicals

Blast Toronto covered the first night of Bitchfest which is a festival that celebrates the hard rocking females in the GTA. Each band that night did an excellent job. It was this photo that I felt truly captured the essence of Bitchfest. I think you may agree…

Doorstep Fire

Doorstep Fire is a force of nature with naughty intentions. The lead singer is extremely hard to photograph well. He is usually taking up the entire stage with his antics. Well, I just happen to be at the right place at the right time. I put on my fisheye lens hoping to get a pretty close shot when the singer came over and literally screamed in my face! I love it when a performer hams it up for a photographer. Well, here is my hammy moment, and I think you will agree that this is a killer moment!

Next year

Blast Toronto is so looking forward to seeing new shows and meeting new artist and getting even better photo for this segment, next year. If you are an artist/ band and you have a very lively show, please invite us out so we can have another opportunity to fill this list again!