Bartolomy’s Diary

Friday eve went to the Viners who had thrown on a wicked party in a marquee outside Harlow in the middle of nowhere, the sun was shining, we arrived an hour late…., but it was extremely good fun.
the next day I had organised a lil bar-b-q feast myself and the boys from Die! Die! Die! amongst others arrived in the late afternoon, and it was a very civilised affair.
They are going to record tomorrow; 5 new tracks for a demo in Shoreditch, I shall take a few shots while popping in, in the evening.
I also hope to shoot Doll and the Kicks in Mile End @ The Troxy ballroom.

Here is the bandshot I tried to do underneath Birghton Pier.

The Kiss in Brighton and Shoreditch

This shot I took from the inside of Horatio’s. In hindsight I should have had the band sit there and take the moneyshot…….oh well.

Die! Die! Die! @ Great Escape

Die! Die! Die! @ Catch22

Die! Die! Die! @ Last Day Of Decadence

Die! Die! Die! @ Cargo

So there was another show slotted in, for the tour that wont end, this time the band were playing with Breast @ Catch22. I did not take a lot of pix, felt tired from the trip the day before. Both bands played good and were well received, the 50 odd people that were there enjoyed themselves.
I had to use a flash as there’s fuck all going on light wise.

They are playing again tonight @ The Stag & Dagger fest., at the lovely time of 01:30 AM !!!!!!!

Took the train from Victoria to go to Brighton, upon arrival I saw this oriental couple talking and knew it was about to happen….I like this shot a lot with the roof and almost all the people with their backs moving away from the camera.

I meet the band at The Pier as they are due to soundcheck at 11 all the way at the end of Brighton’s Pier in a pub called Horatio’s. You have to wade yourself through a snake of a tourist trap 500 meters long; everything there is designed to get money out of your pocket.
The band set up and play a very loud soundcheck. They finish and we retreat for something to eat at Buddie’s, shortly after that I manage to get their attention for 5 whole minutes and do a quick bandshot underneath the pier. Amazing……………………

By the time we get back to Horatio’s the place is packed and we sit outside in the sun on the terrace, life is good. The band discuss what to play and luckily they decide on playing as much new stuff as old stuff, this has a profound effect on the show, it is simply the best one I have seen them do. The sound system packs a punch as well and I only wish this was recorded it was THAT good. the new material simply rocks, the songs are more mature, definately that extra layer has been added. Wondefull stuff and I can not wait to hear the music being released on CD.

From there we move the gear to Po-Nana a club below ground, but only just around the corner the band do their soundcheck there and play a few hours after. It sounds very clear at the front, very good show, only Andrew’s voice starts to break a bit towards the end. In the end Lachlan and Andrew throw their instruments into Michael’s drumkit. A fitting finale. Light wise a strange affair with two white spots blazing, yet I thought the b&w light suited them best. I am very happy with the shots I took of them that day, there’s some really happening stuff.

Today they are playing at Catch22 on Shoreditch High St.

Here are some shors of Kasms and Die! Die! Die! last Sunday at Cargo.

Kasms

Die! Die! Die!

More shots: Die! Die! Die! & Kasms @ Cargo Gallery

I am taking the train to Brighton early tomorrow and shoot Die! Die! Die! all day, who knows who else I will run into, I hope the weather will be a tad decent.

I meet the lads at 4pm at the venue, Cargo. They had left Leeds early in the morning and also looked fresh, not hungover as they knew this gig was going to be important. I watch Kasms who have been supporting them these pasty few dates up north and will be up to and including the Great Escape Festival this coming weekend in Brighton. Kasms make difficult music but are good fun to watch.
Die! Die! Die! play a blinder of a show, it makes you forget the Camden Crawl show completely, for some reason my batteries went dead mid way the show, something that has never happened to me before and my back up camera left at home, that’ll teach me next time. Then again the lightshow was a very simple and static affair. Shot a few off stage as well.
I hope to see them again later this week in brighton when they play 4 shows in 36 hours….that’ll be a c hallenge for this lot

Tonight it’s Doll and the Kicks @ Royal Albert Hall supporting Morrissey, that ought to be good fun.

Left last Sunday for Vienna, for what I hoped would be a good trip, but turned into something with very little spare time to do some shots for myself. I managed to get a few snoggers but I missed some real good ones at unexpected places, shows ya to be armed and ready at all times if you want to do okay street photography…
Tourism itself; I spent a few hours with Terri, who did most of it by herself btw, in the centre, we had coffee at a greenhouse and next door you could see butterflies flying about, so afterwards we walked past it to check if we could see some more and there is this huge, and I mean huge butterfly stuck to the glass, it brought memories of Alien with John Hurt lying on the table and having the alien stuck to his face……
The weather itself was good, a bit of rain but nothing like last year when I was there in Sept.

Terri and I went to the same restuarant (Strand Restaurant @ An der Unter Alten Donau) 3 x as it just delivered no nonsense grub but extremely tasty. Value for money, and you could notice it as the place was rammed, one of these word of mouth places which we just happened to run into while walking about Sunday eve.

The only thing you just can’t get used to is that first impression, of the Vienese being icy……..
The hotel, Lenas, we stayed at was dross, utter nightmare, noisy, mediocre breakfast, loads of Russians and everyone seems to smoke….funny how you get used to the no smoking rule in buildings and restaurants and clubs, here they smoke everywhere; vile……this coming from an ex-smoker
A few pix

Then I just received the pix of the tearsheets of the new Ponytail Magazine, issue 3.
here are a few:

Die! Die! Die! played the Camden Crawl last week and they played a good show, not bad for an opener of a tour but I have seen them do better.
Die! Die! Die! @ Camden Crawl gallery
The next day I meet the band in Camden and tell them they were on auto pilot while playing, this hits Andrew Wilson that much that he even asks the next day on Twitter whether the term is a dis or not…….a good wind up it is though.
The reason I came over was to do some band shots and boy what a lot of effort this takes, of course Andrew tries to cancel on me a few mins before arrival but I wont have any of it. When we do the shoot it is hard to get what I want, band is hunover and lethargic and the shoot is much harder to do than in Hoxton 7 months ago. I have to shoot way too much for my likeing BUT in the end I got it…..I should bring a shotgun to certain sessions……..
Some shots:

White Light Parade showed up to play at the Dublin Castle, a place I went quite a few times when Mexicolas were gigging there, in fact the last band I saw there was them. I meet the Paraders just when they are setting up, I watch and shoot them while playing and then shoot in the corridor and later on outside the Dublin Castle. Easy as always………….

The gig is good. I like it and I am happy with the pix as well.
I still have not been able to listen to their new album, just too much going on….
I will try and put it on my ipod instead and listen to it while I am in Vienna.
Next four days will be Wiener Schnitzels galore………..