Kurt Vile played at Woodland the other day, supported by Kellie Lloyd and Blank Realm. Mr Vile's album 'Smoke Ring For My Halo' has been getting a LOT of plays around the house lately, so I was keen to see the show. Dunno why Woodland runs so late on weeknights, but it seemed the crowd thinned out after midnight, and most of the oxygen seemed to leave the room at the same time, weird. Still, his band was great, and the songs from the album held up live, I enjoyed it, you probably would too, check him out next time why dontcha : )

More photos in the gallery below, click the small pics for BIG versions.
All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.
For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.
For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

The Flaming Lips at Harvest, brilliant show, wayyyyy more photos  to come... click this for a larger version.

Bright Eyes

Death In Vegas

Mercury Rev

Mogwai

Portishead

All Photos Copyright  Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.
For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

I took some photos at Tym Guitars (5E Winn street Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) for Issue 3 of Veri.Live back in May, the issue just came out, so I thought I'd share some of the photos here.

Tym Guitars is a great store, do go check it out when you get the chance, if you have the slightest interest in guitars or music in general you'll absolutely  love it.

I've know Tim for ages, he's an amazing guy with seemingly boundless energy, he's a huge supporter of local music, and has an enthusiasm for what he does that's just inspirational. As well as making custom guitars, effects and amps Tym guitars sells top quality gear, and accessories, does repairs, sells records and books, hires out practice spaces and gear and runs instore shows too. Recording facilities are on the way soon.

Tim's made guitars and effects for an impressive list of people from all over the world, The Hellacopters, Rocket from the Crypt, Tumbleweed, Magic Dirt, Violent Soho, The Hoodoo Gurus and loads more, but check out the story of the Fuzz Munchkin, Tim's latest custom fuzz built in collaboration with J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. The saga starts here, it's a great story.  The Tym Fuzz Munchkin - part 1

Make sure you get hold of a copy of  Veri.Live too, http://www.verilive.com.au  it's a great mag, lots of music, a 7" single with each issue and heaps of great music photography, you can subscribe at their site , or see a list of stockists here

More Photos in the gallery below. Click these to see the much larger versions.

All Photos by Stephen Booth. For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

The Queensland Music Awards (QMAs) were held  at The Old Museum last night. Congratulations to all the winners, there's a full list of winners and plenty of info on the event right here: Queensland Music Awards

Here's a selection of photos from the night,  more in the gallery below. Click these to see the much larger versions.

All Photos by Stephen Booth. For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

Emma Louise

The Medics

Elixir with Katie Noonan

All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

A 3 day 25km uphill dusty hike with a 15kg pack through a herd of 30,000 people, 2500 photos, 25 bands, 4 stages, 3 beers, 6 panadol, 16 earplugs and Splendour is done for my 11th time. Personal highlight? Thanks Mogwai for cleaning my brain post Kanye, "Mogwai Fear Satan" made everything else seem just a bit silly really.

More photos on the way, here's Kanye West, Janes's Addiction, Kele, Regina Spektor, Coldplay, Mogwai, The Kills, The Mars Volta, Pulp, Kaiser Chiefs, The Hives, Warpaint and Modest Mouse for now. Click these for the larger versions.

Kanye West

Jane's Addiction

Kele

Regina Spektor

Coldplay

Mogwai

.The Kills

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Jarvis Cocker / Pulp

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The Kaiser Chiefs

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Warpaint

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The Hives

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The Mars Volta

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Modest Mouse

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All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

Katy Perry knows how to make an entrance, do a pop song, and leap around a stage set straight out of Dr Seuss via Willy Wonka too. Not my usual kind of show to shoot, but you know what? It was fun. Big bubbly American candy flavoured fun.

Even though 80% of the crowd was snapping away madly on their phones for some reason it was deemed unsuitable for press photographers to be any closer than the halfway line of the venue, about 200 metres away. Odd for such a visual show, but I've kind of stopped trying to work out the logic behind these things anymore, it hurts my brain.

After shooting the first three songs through what was essentially a telescope, I head upstairs to join my friend and watch the show. After a couple of dumb questions from me about what it all means, I'm advised by my more pop-savvy companion to stop thinking about it so much, "detach" was the word I think? Ok then...

And there was pop music and singalongs, costume changes and dance routines, audience participation, giant exploding cup-cakes and a dude in a purple cat suit. They really had gone to some considerable effort with it all, thanks Katy!

And it was over, and it was good, and it was super wholesome, fun and upbeat, much like our Katy herself. There were thousands of smiling faces and lots of croaky voices from all the screaming (did I mention the screaming? Louder than Kyuss. Not joking).

Strangely though on the post show walk to the car I realised my mind was full of, well, nothing really, hyper coloured, brightly lit, expertly choreographed nothing. And that is entirely ok, because a pop concert isn't supposed to be intellectually challenging, confronting or difficult, it's just supposed to be entertainment, fun, time out from the real world isn't it?

I don't really have an opinion on whether that's a good thing or not, pop stars like Ms. Perry  exist in the world, and can be fun to spend some time with now and then. This guy has put together a neuroscientific defence of pop music . His thesis is that pop music affects your brain chemistry differently, and actually makes you feel better than nasty dissonant music, one of his sources is a Dr Blood, so it's not to be trifled with. You could expend some energy getting all ranty and post-post-post modern about it all, and people have, but that just seems futile. If you fancy a bit of candy pop go for it, if not then, you know, don't.

I've always like the revised entry for planet Earth in Douglas Adams' Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and think it applies to the Katy Perry school of pop music quite nicely - "Mostly Harmless".

Next up, Kyuss, rock beasts from the olden days, pretty much the exact opposite of KP, it's a funny old world...

Kate and Ben - Texas Tea - 26th June 2010.

- Click the photo for a larger version -

I didn't make it in to the top 40 finalists, but the photo was shortlisted out of thousands of entries, which means it will be on display as part of the portrait prize exhibition at the ACP in Paddington, Sydney  from May the 5th to June 11th 2011.

The exhibition will be great, get along if you can, Head On always features some amazing work, I'm hoping to make it for the opening.

You should most definitely go see Texas Tea when you can too!, you can listen to some songs and see upcoming shows (Europe July 2011!)  here http://www.myspace.com/texasteaband .

Texas Tea's "The Junkship Recordings" from 2008 is still one of my favourite Australian albums of the last few years, beautiful work. Have a listen:  http://texastea.bandcamp.com/

City and Colour played to a packed house at The Tivoli in Brisbane tonight, here's a few  photos, more to come...

All Photos Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print / usage enquiries please contact me here.

The Hold Steady played at The Zoo in Brisbane to a packed, sweaty and happy crowd, there was a lot of rock, an awful lot of pointing and a fun time was had by all. Check them out when you can, they're a brilliant rock and roll band.

I last saw The Hold Steady at the Laneway Festival in 2009 , there was a bunch of pointing going on then too...

.Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Tons of Hold Steady goodness right over here : http://theholdsteady.net/ I shot some video of "Stay Positive" the sound is all blown out to hell, but you'll get the vibe, and see some absolutely top notch pointing : )

All Photos and Video Copyright 2011 Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.

Here's a few photos from Soundwave 2011. More soon! Click small, get big.

The Sword / Slash

Murderdolls

BFMV

Slayer

Ill Nino

QOTSA / Iron Maiden

One Day as a Lion / Iron Maiden

Melvins

The Bronx / Fucked Up

That's enough for now. Hope every one had a fab day and got home safe. \m/

All Photos Copyright Stephen Booth. All Rights Reserved.

For any print or usage enquiries please contact me here.