Dryad Media

Hank III – The Barrymore

Clay — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:20:05 +0000

As I said in the teaser post, this was my first time seeing Hank III, and it definitely won’t be my last. The man is quite the performer.

The show was different than most shows I’ve shot in a couple of ways. First, and best, was the fact that I was allowed to shoot the whole show. Most shows limit photographers to the first three songs (sometimes not even that), so you have to work your butt off to get your shots. It was nice to not be rushed to get everything done.

The second difference was the lighting. This show just had some really nice lighting with very few red washes, and I was able to shoot at 1600ISO. Most of the time I’m shooting at about 3200 and dealing with all the noise in Lightroom later.

After doing a full set, the guys took a break and then came back for another set. Unfortunately I was unable to stay for the second half of the show. Oh well, maybe next time.

This really was an amazing show, both from a photographer’s, and a music lovers’s point of view.

Hank III…a teaser

Clay — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:23:25 +0000

This was my first time seeing Hank III. Quite a fun show. Great lighting, great crowd, and just a lot of fun to shoot. Full set and small review will be coming soon.

Anthrax – Yankee Jerseys

Clay — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:57:38 +0000

Anthrax – The Rave

Clay — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:38:56 +0000

This was the final night of the Death Angel/Testament/Anthrax US tour. It was pretty cool to be at both the first and last shows. The photo pit at this show was a lot more cramped than the first. Between that and the lighting this wasn’t the easiest show to shoot.

After the first three songs in the pit, I got to go up behind Charlie’s drum riser and shoot a few songs from that perspective. I have been a fan of Charlie’s drumming for years, and that was definitely a highlight for me.

I’m not much of a writer, so I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story.

Cheers,
Clay

Death Angel – The Congress Theater

Clay — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:26:49 +0000

Testament – The Congress Theater

Clay — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:16:56 +0000

Anthrax – The Congress Theater

Clay — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:56:02 +0000

After the Grand Rapids show, I ended up driving to Chicago to crash at my brother’s place. I was awake much too soon Saturday morning. After backing up my photos from the previous night’s show, I packed the gear and headed to the venue for the M&G.

We had a bigger crowd for the M&G in Chicago than we did in Grand Rapids so we couldn’t hold it on the bus. Instead, the folks got to sit in on the soundcheck. They got their own, private three song set. Afterwards they got to meet the band, get photos with the guys, and get all their shwag signed.

After the M&G it was off for a quick bit to eat before show time. Lighting for this show was quite a bit better than Grand Rapids, but still not great.

The two days I spent with the guys was a lot of fun, but I was happy to be going back home the next morning. I’m looking forward to doing it all again in November though.

Death Angel – The Orbit Room

Clay — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:13:01 +0000

I’ve been wanting to see Death Angel in concert ever since I first heard their album Frolic Through the Park back in the day. It was a 23 year wait, but it was well worth it. I met Will (drums), Mark (vocals), and Ted (guitar) after the show. They were all really cool, and good guys to chat with.

Testament – The Orbit Room

Clay — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:09:11 +0000

Anthrax – The Orbit Room

Clay — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:51:01 +0000

After an early morning, and a long drive I was ready for some Anthrax. The Orbit Room in Grand Rapids MI was the first stop on Anthrax’s US tour.

I had to get to the venue early that day to help set up for the Anthrax Army (Fan Club) Meet & Greet. I photographed the two fans who had purchased the VIP M&G packages while they met the band and got all their stuff signed. Since there were only the two of them the band hosted the M&G on their tour bus.

After the M&G, it was time for some dinner. Six and a half hours on the road, and I was starving. I had dinner with a few friends, and then it was back to the venue to shoot the show.

Lighting in the venue was pretty craptacular, so I had to work to get any decent shots. My camera stayed at 3200 ISO for a good 90% of the night. Still, it was Death Angel, Testament, and Anthrax. Three bands that I absolutely love, so it was worth it.