When writing for drama, the writer typically drops the audience into the scene as late as possible, and then removes them as soon as possible. The padding either side can go hang, apparently. Or something like that. Nevertheless, I expect you’re in a rush so we’ll crack on.
The artist in the picture is Harry Le Cheminant, lead vocalist of New Zealand band Th’Goodside. He’ll see about a hundred faces when he opens his eyes. A hundred ain’t bad going. It means the front third of Galatos (it’s an institution in Auckland) is a bit of a squeeze. Given a choice between enviable streaming figures and a live gig in which people have to duck and weave to get through, I’d take the ducking and weaving.
They’ve made an effort these people; the ones Harry’s about to look at. It’s Friday night in mid-December in Auckland. You’ve haemorrhaged money on tat and you’re about to haemorrhage more at your summer festival of choice. It would have been so easy to have stayed in. People do, you know. But not these people. The demands of the season have no influence here. These folk are here because of the band.
I get the sense they’ve seen them before. I recognise a few from an earlier stop on the band’s tour to mark the release of their EP Close to Home. That earlier stop was in Mount Maunganui, 201kms from where I’m standing, stage left.
One might think the crowd are friends or family, but friends and family act differently at gigs. They tend to stand to the side or at the back where they don’t distract the one they’re connected to on stage. These ones I recognise are near the front. They know the words to the songs and they know the songs they want played.
The track Feel gets shouted more than others. I’m glad of this, and I’ll tell you why. New Zealand hasn’t had an artist or band produce an opening title to a Bond film. It’s high time we got the call and I’m going to make the call that Feel should be in the running (the 45-55 seconds stretch on the track is the clincher for me, I’m sure Barbara Broccoli will agree, get her on the blower).
Feel gets played. I think it was in the encore. The people get their way and the band, consisting of Harry, plus Oliver Wallace-Pram (Lead Guitar), Evan Fairgray (Bass), Grant Heyns (Rhythm Guitar), and Visko Bryers (Drums), say goodnight.
They’ll be back, I’m sure, as shall I to Galatos. It shall require planning though. And patience. To get the shot you’ve just looked at required both. In case you’re a reader who is into bullet points, we’ll get into some.
And in case you would like to get into music photography, these are just a few:
– I needed to finish my day job in Tauranga early so that I could get to Auckland in time because when you hit the drive in the journey turns to custard and you don’t move (which is a problem as I have very little patience and I dislike sitting down).
– That meant starting work early, two days in a row to accumulate time, which meant going to sleep the night before earlier, which meant everything happening earlier.
– Booking an airbnb place to stay and said place being not too far from the venue.
– Parking near the venue, which wasn’t possible, which meant parking 2.5kms away (the night in question was peak office Christmas party booze up and K Rd et al was chocka).
– Finding something to eat with two cameras attached to me.
– Doing the gig (which was great) and getting back to the car on a dark street at midnight without drawing attention to the two cameras I was holding.
– Sleeping little cos I was wired.
– Driving nearly 200km home, making the roundtrip around 400km.
– Sitting down again in front of a computer (which is the part of photography I’m least into).
– Creating two file sizes of the versions I like. Version one is for printing. Version two for website.
– Cleaning cameras, lenses, charging batteries, unpacking.
– Drinking multiple cups of coffee, tea.
– Playing more than normal with my dog as he hadn’t seen me in like, hours, and was like ‘where you been, play with me’.
None of the above is out of the ordinary. There are music photographers who do way more than this all the time. And there are bands for whom the above would represent a quiet day on tour.
Some don’t even make a dime. Some make a loss. They all make memories. Is that enough? Not always. Memories don’t pay bills. But when the music is good, and it was damn good that night at Galatos, you don’t linger on the admin and the banality of going from A to B. Instead, the musical firebrand in you shouts ‘do it again… do it!’
And so you do.
Suggested Further Reading:
