Dropkick Murphys!!!!

Update time again! This time courtesy of the Dropkick Murphys from Boston. This show was crazy!!! It started very slow with a 4 piece from Mass. playing fiddles, guitar and drums. Not was I was expecting to open the show but none the less very entertaining. Then a local Winnipeg celtic band was next up again entertaining but still just wetting my appetite for the DKM.

Finally the DKM hit the stage and once again they did not disappoint.. HOLY SHIT people were going off for these guys! As the crowd ferocity grew so did their stage show. I have always loved this band and have yet to see them put on a bad show. Ken said he just about missed the show because he was busy partying it up in Boston as the day before was the Bruins stanley cup parade and party and I mean really can ya blame the guy! It has been afew years since the Bruins won so you have to celebrate!!

All in all a great show minus the douche bags that seem to come to the DKM shows. You know the ones im talking about wearing UFC gear and thinking they are tougher then they really are. Next time do all us real fans a favour and stay the fuck home!!!

Enjoy!

Dwayne

Greg, Mike, Dave and Tony Acoustic Goodness

So these photos are acouple weeks old but hey what can you do! I got the chance to shoot portraits of Tony Sly and Dave Hause before the show which you can find @ www.thepunksite.com when they do the new relauch. Until then you can all suffer and toil with the live shots!

I have seen both Tony and Dave acoustic before. The first time I had the chance to see Tony was opening for NOFX a year or so ago. The music was great but did not really fit the bill. I have always been a fan of hearing some of my favorite bands play their stuff acoustic and hearing NUFAN stuff acoustic is pretty fantastical!! As for Dave Hause I had seen him play with my friend Matt of Northcote above ragpickers I believe it was late last winter I cant even really remember. Dave really has a great song writing style that suits acoustic very well. In his band The Loved Ones things are much more sped up and energetic but his acoustic set has a whole different kind of energy! Always enjoyable to watch and listen to.

Now the new comer for me was Mike Erg his set was very good as well. I dont know much of Mike's music but from his acoustic set I am definatly going to check things out!!!

Lastly was Greg Rekus. I have seen Greg play alot in his band High Five Drive and he has always been a ball of energy. His acoustic set was just as high energy. He brought up a riser made of wood and used it to keep time as he played.

All in all this was a great night with some really talented musicians! Its to bad more people never came out to enjoy the music!

~dwayne~

U2!!!!!

So afew weeks ago I had the chance to shoot what is to date the biggest show I have ever had the chance to shoot. U2!!!! What a show. I was only around for the first 3 songs but the set up at this show was amazing! The stage was some kind of alien ship (or at least it looked like it) With a 360 degree view of the stage made every seat in the house a good one!

I havent followed much of U2's career or will ever be a HUGE fan of the band but the show they put on was quite incredible and the musicianship was perfect. It really sounded like someone had just put in a U2 cd and pressed play! I wish I could have stayed for the rest of the show to see just how incredible the lighting was but hey what can ya do!!! Hope everyone enjoys the shots!

Dwayne

CancerBats and 3 Inches of Blood

Cancer Bats are one of my favourite all time bands!!!! I love seeing them live everytime they come to town because honestly I have never seen a band that plays with such emotion and raw energy. You can just tell these guys love what they are doing and that creates a kind of energy around them that you cannot help but get swept up in! I have had the chance to interview Liam on acouple of occasions for afew different publications and he has always been sincere and just a really nice guy!

Now the second band 3 Inches of Blood. This band has been another staple in my Metal selection. I love the hardcore growling vocals mixed with the high singing that sounds alot like Judas Priest. These guys are very enjoyable to watch and listen to. Now I am not to much into some of the fantasy style lyrics they have but the musicianship in there songwriting is amazing! Totally a band you should check out if they are ever close!

HUGE thanks goes out to Jen @ Listen Harder for hooking me up yet again! I love the people in this industry that go above and beyond what they need to just to help out! Thanks!

Hope everyone enjoys the photos!

-Dwayne

The Pixies....Winnipeg, MB

Good evening blog readers.....We hopefully someone is reading this if not meh its all good!! So acouple weeks ago I had the chance to photograph The Pixies. Now not only did I get to photograph them on one night. I also had the chance to actually go to the show and just sit, relax and watch these 4 do what they do best!!! The first show in Winnipeg sold out very quickly so in response to that they added a second show to the tour. I shot the first show of the two and although the Concert Hall was not completely sold out it was very close.

As expected it was a wide variety of ages at this show from the young (I think I saw a pregnant lady or two) all the way to the OG pixies fans.... No I am not calling them old just OG thats all. Now I cannot lie I have never really listened to the Pixies that much in my life but the show both nights showed me the error of my ways! So many great songs and that was just scratching the surface!

Well hope everyone enjoys the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them and believe you me if you ever get the chance to see these guys life do so!!!

Dwayne

Kids on Fire, Danger Cat and Living With Lions @ Park Theatre Wininpeg. MB

Yet another show posting!!! This time involving Kids on Fire (Winnipeg, MB) Dangercat (Winnipeg MB) and Living with Lions (Vancouver, BC) at the Park Theatre.

Now I have seen Kids on Fire alot and they have yet to disappoint and I have talked about them enough on here sooooo I will not drone on about how great they are again!

However it was the first time I had seen Dangercat despite them being from Winnipeg. I have to say I was very impressed. They have a great sound that is well rehearsed but not in that over polished kind of way. One thing I really did like about them was 1) they are a 3 piece and you really don't see that many 3 piece bands any more. 2) The bass player and guitar player were very close together in the middle of the stage which you again never see. Usually they are separated by the length of the entire stage. If you see a poster with their name on it go check out the show!!!!

Living with Lions... I first saw this band at War on Music I think... What was a local venue/ record store here in Winnipeg but has now moved locations and is strictly a record store. These guys were great!!! I love their music, I love their energy and just all in all a solid band. Kids were going off and the pit was ruckus which only fuelled the band more! Everyone should give this band a listen and then decide what you think from there but I love em!!! You can check out dates and music here:: http://www.myspace.com/livingwithlions

Regretably I had to miss the headliners ... The Flatliners (Toronto, Ont) I have seen these guys play before and they have a great mix of straight ahead punk rock with a touch of ska and if you have even a smidge of ska guaranteed I will more then likely love it! I am sorry I had to miss The Flatliners but next time!!!!

Dwayne