The Dø @ V Festival 2009 - Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth

Concerts, Festivals, Music, Perth, Western Australia, Photography, V Festival No Comments »

The Dø @ V Festival 2009, Melbourne

This post is a part of a series: V Festival 2009 Australian Tour. Plenty of photos of all the bands from all the shows!

Oh my gosh… if there was any band that I would kill to see at the V Festival, then The Dø would have to be them. My mate  Jason lent me their album A Mouthful a couple of months before the tour had started. The first track, “Playground Hustle”, is the perfect introduction to The Dø setting such a playful precident for the rest of the album. It’s still on my high-rotation list whenever I want to chillout or jump on my bed.

The Dø @ V Festival 2009, Melbourne

I got to catch The Dø at the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth V Festivals. I heard them as I was coming out from backstage after a shoot with Elbow but I had to rush off to shoot Vanilla Ice (but then that got pushed back… d’oh!). They always started with the aforementioned track and followed into “At Last!”… from cheery to swinging in the space of a few minutes. Aww man… I wish I was back there.

Me & The Dø & The Kills @ Devilles Pad, Perth

This photo might not look like much but I hope you can see that big, wide, cheesy grin on my face right in the middle there. This photo was taken at the V Festival Afterparty at Deville’s Pad that night. I had been awake for 24 hours - waking at 4AM AEST to catch a plane from Melbourne home to Perth, to shoot the Perth V Festival and after almost crashing in my hotel room, pushed on to the afterparty. This photo was taken around 2.30AM. Yikes!

Sitting around at Deville’s like a zombie, it was very surreal watching all these artists dancing and drinking around. The place was quite empty, but most were outside smoking and socialising. Two Red Bulls had no effect in getting me to party so I went outside to see “anyone” before I would leave with some friends. But then I was stopped outside…

“Hey! You were following us around and taking photos of us!” - it was Olivia from The Dø stopping me outside. OH MY GOSH! Someone noticed!!! She was so sweet and beautiful. I told her my story with the V Festival and she was really grateful a fan was there for them. Apparently it wasn’t hard to spot me… I was the only “happy, dancing photographer” compared to all of the “sad, boring photographers” in the pit. Aww… bless you Olivia!

So, when I got out my point-and-shoot camera to have happy-snaps… battery died. Panicking, I switch the batteries only to find my spares are dead. Courtney comes to my rescue and lends me her camera phone. Shitty photo, sure whatever… in the above photo are Dan (The Dø), Alison (The Kills), me, Olivia (The Dø) and Jamie (The Kills). OH MY GOSH!!! Can you see why I’m so happy?

The Dø @ V Festival 2009, Melbourne The Dø @ V Festival 2009, Perth

Definitely the biggest highlight of the whole V Festival tour. She asked to contact her on their MySpace… I’m right onto it!

There are heaps and heaps more photos on my Flickr V Festival photo set.

Much more V Festival to come!

West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

Concerts, Festivals, Fremantle, Western Australia, Music, Photography, West Coast Blues & Roots No Comments »

Jason Mraz Brass Players @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009
Jason Mraz’s brass players want some crowd action too!

Festival season is FINALLY OVER! And what a fitting way to bring us back to our roots by having a cruisy day at the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival. As usual, it was held at the Esplanade Reserve in Fremantle, right next to the harbour among the huge Norfolk Island pine trees. This time the festival was more low-key compared to the last couple of years which saw the lineup spread over a weekend. Ben Harper and Michael Franti were not brought over to Fremantle either. Though, that doesn’t mean we weren’t able to laze about for the day… it probably should have made it easier!

John Butler Trio @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

Some time after the Bluesfest tour announcement, The John Butler Trio said this would be the last time to catch the current trio. John Butler said something about gathering a new trio for a different sound, I think. I’m not sure how often “Betterman” is played at recent JBT concerts, but it was the fourth song of the set and it sounded marvellous.

John Butler Trio @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009 John Butler Trio @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

They all looked quite comfortable on-stage performing with each other. I didn’t stay for the full set though, having not eaten properly due to lack of cash and suffering from sleep-deprivation from the night before’s shenanigans.

Jason Mraz @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009 Jason Mraz @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

It’s obvious after “that song” became synonymous to Channel 7’s Packed To The Rafters that there were many many people wanting to catch Jason Mraz. Although being around for a fair while, I’m thinking it’s not just Australia who has tuned into I’m Yours over and over again. It’s a cute song, I must admit. A bit ashamed that my sister knew some of his older songs too… it took a while for me to jog my Mraz memory.

Missy Higgins @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

Oh, Missy Higgins… you’ve been gone for too long. You’re still gorgeous. I melted when you started the set with “Nightminds”. Stay in Australia just that bit longer please!

Easy Star All-Stars @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

What roots festival would this be without a bit of reggae? The Easy Star All-stars were just one of those Caribbean bands to perform that night. Come on… let’s get lost and sway for a while.

Paul Kelly @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

I don’t think I could ever picture Paul Kelly playing at a music festival, but I guess he fits right in when jumping right into all the “Dumb Things” he had done. Though, speaking of Paul Kelly, I’m really bummed I didn’t get to catch Kev Carmody perform. You gotta catch the legends… even if they have been billed early on in the day.

Bob Evans @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

I guess Bob Evans really COULD say “Goodnight, Bull Creek!” tonight! I’m still debating whether “Bullcreek” ever existed as a singular word though…

Seasick Steve @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

Seasick Steve has a reason to be happy. Having been a hobo, tramp or bum for most of his life, Seasick Steve has a story to tell to many thousands of ears out there. Now, wouldn’t it just poke your heart to hear “I Started Out With Nothin’ and I Still Got Most Of It Left”? He is such a jovial spirit.

Augie March @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

Ben Kweller @ West Coast Blues & Roots Festival 2009

And now, finally, my early highlights from the festival - Augie March and Ben Kweller. Either of those two I certainly can not get enough of. I’m a bit peeved off though… two years ago when Ben Kweller was on his own tour, I had tried twice (and failed) to get him to sign my special photobook. He announced he’d be at the signing tent and I didn’t bring my book. Snap!

There are plenty more photos in my Flickr photoset of the West Coast Blues & Roots Festival.

Coming soon… more V Festival posts!

V Festival - Battle Scars

Concerts, Festivals, Music, Photography, V Festival No Comments »

V Festival - Evolution of a Scar

This post is a part of a series: V Festival 2009 Australian Tour. Plenty of photos of all the bands from all the shows!

While I’d like to say I got into a tussle with security while trying to barge my way into the photo-pit to take photos of The Killers, the reality is that I slipped and immediately knocked my head on a nearby wheelie-bin.

Some of you may have followed my Tweets/Facebook updates. I posted this soon after the accident:

Whatever happens on tour, stays on tour… I slipped on the damp grass and knocked the back of my head and drew blood. Not drunk related!

It was absolutely pissing down the morning of V Festival at the Gold Coast. I’m guessing it was the cyclonic storms that resulted in crazy flooding on the east coast somewhere.

Then it stopped. Just in time for the gates to open.

Then it GUSHED down during Mr. Brightside by The Killers. By some sixth sense, I actually foresaw this happening.

After the show, we had our usual after-drinks. It was still pissing down. I was running … I don’t remember what I was running for. Must have been to get my P&S camera. And… yeah- the above happened.

Photos taken at these times:

  1. Soon after the fall. The lovely Amber rushed off to get something to clean it with as it apparently looked really bad.
  2. One week later in Sydney.
  3. Just recently… I have an awesome scar.

So yeah… stories from the frontline at V Festival and the scar to prove it! Hah!