On Friday, August 5th and Saturday, August 6th, the inaugural Kanrocksas Music Festival will kick off at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS. Very excited to cover this one. Great times will be had by all!
A tentative list of what coverage you can expect from us at Kanrocksas Music Festival (in order of appearance)…
Friday, August 5
Fitz & the Tantrums
D-12
Jack’s Mannequinn
Paper Diamond
Kid Cudi
Primus
Bassnectar [shooting video on behalf of performer + family photo]
Kaskade [shooting video on behalf of performer]
Flaming Lips
Eminem
Saturday, August 6
Gigapan photo of festival grounds
OK GO
Kerli
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
Bag Raiders
Cage the Elephant
Flogging Molly
A Perfect Circle
The Black Keys
John Digweed
Muse
STS9
THE PAST PEFORMERS I’VE SEEN AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THEM…
Bassnectar:
I’ll give you a hint. BASS. And a lot of it. I’ve heard some negative crowd response regarding Lorin’s time slot. I tend to agree as Michael Austin Smalley [Lighting Designer] plays an integral part of his show. Nonetheless, Bassnectar’s new EP, Divergent Spectrum was just released yesterday and he will surely play a good portion of it for his 1 hr. time slot. Not to be missed!
STS9:
Lead bassist David “Murph” Murphy just underwent a serious round of chemotherapy to battle the Big C. After seeing them at Wakarusa in 2011 and 7 times before that, I can assure you Murph’s recovery has no effect whatsoever on their performance. These guys are some insanely talented musicians and are a fan favorite with the folks who like to hear bands give the ol’ FUCK IT, WE’LL DO IT LIVE!
Muse:
I caught Muse in Oklahoma City, OK on their current tour and I can honestly say it’s one impressive spectacle of lasers, hydraulic risers, and LED glory. There is a reason why these English guys are a headliner. You will not want to miss out on this one, but if you’ve seen them on this tour before, then don’t expect much else.
Primus:
They may not hit home with everyone, but Primus, led by the bassist guru none other than Les Claypool. Seriously, the dude is incredible to watch. What he does with a bass guitar is not of this planet. This will be my 3rd Primus show and I can’t wait to see what crazy costumes Les will wear this time.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals:
There is something soulful in the sound of Grace’s voice and multi-instrumental presence, much like her influences, The Band and James Brown. If you love good old-fashioned American rock, then you will no doubt be a prime candidate for Grace’s audience. She’s been touring the festival circuit, as well as being a regular at Wakarusa for many years, and there is good reason for it. Glad to see her finally get the main stage at Bonnaroo this year as well.
Performing @ Cain’s Ballroom. Pretty Lights had, well, some pretty lights alright. Almost too pretty that it made it hard to capture Derek Smith’s likeness. And in case you didn’t get the memo, Colorado is turning into a cesspool of electronic music delight. All hail the new lineup of artists practically giving away their music and putting on one hell of a show for the road. Take notes up and coming artists…
Ghostland Observatory live at the Riverparks Ampitheater in Tulsa, OK. The first time the duo hit Tulsa was during DFest in the summer of 2008. I talked to Aaron Behrens and Thomas Ross Turner after the show and told them they had to come back. They said something along the lines of “with this crowd…FUCK YEAH WE’LL BE BACK“. This was actually a pretty cool venue for them considering you’ve got the lights of downtown Tulsa in the background. Not to mention, the weather was perfect. The set-time for the duo was only scheduled for an hour, which isn’t surprising considering many of GLO’s songs are less than 3 minutes. Other than a few minor technical audio problems to start the show [Aarons mic], it was another great GLO show had by all.
Photographer’s Note:
I’d just like to mention that GLO has one of the coolest light shows out there [friggin' laserbeams man!]. However, there is rarely anything but red light thrown onto the actual performers [or none at all] which makes shooting extremely difficult. Autofocus and lasers don’t mix. Therefore, this show was shot primarily using manual focus.
PS - I shot a little video of this show as well. Will get it posted in due time. For now, enjoy the snaps…
My 6th time to catch STS9. I’ve shot their shows a few times, but never with a photo pass. Unfortunately, the pass didn’t help out a great deal…like frontman/bassist Murph said, there was “a moat” between the crowd and the stage [Riverparks Ampitheater in Tulsa, OK]. An interesting venue, but the sound seemed just a little on the flat side.
Setlist:
Beyond Right Now
Tooth
F. Word
Once Told
Equinox
This Us
Moon Socket
Aimlessly
Mischief of a Sleepwalker
Peoples
Ramone & Emiglio
Hidden Hand Hidden Fist
Unquestionable Supremacy Of Nature
This would be the 3rd time I’ve seen Bassnectar and the 2nd time shooting his show. This time was at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK. You haven’t heard real bass unless you’ve been to a Bassnectar show. For this show, I primarily used it as an opportunity to shoot some video with my new beast of a camera: the Canon 5D Mark II. Since I was shooting for him, I was able to shoot throughout the show, which always opens new opportunities. As you can see, I’m on the stage in this shot, which isn’t often possible for shows. And if you can believe it, this was actually the first time I’ve been backstage at Cain’s Ballroom [*marks off bucket list*]. If anything, I’d like to take a minute, just sit right there, I’ll tell you how I made this HD video for the prince of…Dub-Step? Follow the link below for HD Nectarage…
Watch the full video here [adjust to 1080p please]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afo9XH5eHV0
I am no longer a slave to the Canon 20D. After 6 years, I have finally made the upgrade to a full-framed camera: the Canon 5D Mark II. With an impressive 21.1 effective megapixels and a massive 36mm x 24mm sensor, this new member of my family brings a tear to my eye. As a videographer, I am also very excited about the possibilities with the 1080p Full-HD video. Due to the size of the camera, I will be able to fit it in places not otherwise possible with my larger video camera: the Canon XL-1. I can’t wait to hoist this guy up on a monopod and get some overhead crowd shots. The raw footage is stunning. I hope to shoot a show sooner than later so hang in there and I promise good things to come!
Hello all. Sorry for the lack of updates. My digital camera has finally failed me for good. I can only get off about 20 photos before it is unusable, which ultimately hurts the photos I’m able to obtain at shows. However, I assure you as this concert season rolls in, I will have just as many updates. I’ve got my eyes on a new camera and have found the wonderful world of film again. I’ve obtained a 35mm Canon Elan 7E w/ BP-300 Grip that I’ll be able to use all my lenses on, as well as, a few medium format bodies to dabble with some publicity type shots of artists. The next installation will show itself soon. Thanks for your patience!
Lamb of God is heavy metal outfit from RIchmond, VA (their hometown metal friends GWAR helped them get their start if that says anything). Originally called, Burn the Priest, the band changed their name soon after the release of their debut album in 1998. I don’t think For starters, I’ve seen a lead singer headbang any harder than Randy Blythe. An interesting tidbit about the band is that three founding members met during college and Virginia Commonwealth University. See, all metal bands aren’t dropouts after all! Actually, lead guitarist Mark Morton (who wasn’t in attendance at this particular show) might be the only six-string metalhead that has a Masters degree that I know of. Nonetheless, these guys rocked the crowd as hard as they could for having GWAR blood caked over slippery concrete (the tour manager should really look into wiping down the floors before they take stage for their current tour.
Setlist:
In Your Words
Set to Fail
Walk with Me in Hell
Something to Die For
Ruin
Pathetic
Dead Seeds
Omerta
Grace
Broken Hands
Laid to Rest
Contractor
Encore:
Reclamation
Redneck
Black Label
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.lamb-of-god.com
GWAR! The first time I had seen the trash metal band was in the film Empire Records, when Mark munches on a weed brownie and imagines he is eaten by a worm monster on stage. I knew the monster-inspired group still had a cult status but never knew the depths of their stage show. Luckily, I always prepare for a show ahead of time so I knew what to expect. I put on a pair of clothes that I didn’t mind throwing out, grabbed a garbage bag to wrap around my camera, took off my glasses, and left my cell phone behind. I was ready: or so I thought. There was a Mockumentary video of around 10 minutes in length before the performance that was absolutely obscene and awesome that detailed the theme of the show (I won’t spoil the surprise, but let’s just say that there is quite an ugly fetal child and Michael Jackson involved). Celebrating their 25th year as a band, five scary souls walked the stage to a primal roar from the crowd. The first song was quite mellow, but as soon as singer Oderus Urungus brought out the first slave, it was all bloodshed from then on. I’m going to tell you this, they unleashed the wrath on me and I thought I could hide…I was wrong. Not only was I hit directly (pointed at, actually), but I was the first person to get hit in the show and was followed around for about 10 full seconds - ALL FOR HAVING A CAMERA! I’ve provided an image of myself in the blog to give you the full extent, but there were plenty of people that got it worse than I by the end of the show. Nonetheless, the fans gave me much love for toughing it out with a $2000 camera in-hand (unlike the security staff who were called “pussies” for putting on ponchos). By the end of my first three songs, there was a pool of blood I was tromping through, but the best part for me was taking a shower after the concert - it’s like the experience was still going on even after the show because you are forced to think about it - quite surreal. GWAR provides an entertaining experience for metalheads much like Insane Clown Posse gives for horrorcore fans. Not a huge fan of the music on a technical level, but the experience will have a lasting impact on me for life. Where else are you going to see a 12 foot robot spewing blood over 30 feet?
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.gwar.net
Job for a Cowboy is an Arizona death metal band from Glendale, AZ. Fairly new on the scene, they have made a lot of headway since their first EP “Doom” in 2005, opening for bands such as Shadows Fall, Children of Bodom, Chimaira, and Cannibal Corpse.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.jfacmetal.com
Despite Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne is the oldest artist I’ve shot (born in 1948). It seems as though the older the artist, the more restrictions they have for photographers capturing the event. There are a few theories for why this occurs, but the most obvious is that the publist/record label wants the artist to look marketable for the thousands to millions who might see the photographs. With higher quality cameras and monitors, it becomes more difficult to hide the reality of an image in grainy black and white images. The way the “suits” see it is the older the artist, the less flattering they look close-up, so what better way to fix this problem that to just put the photographers back farther away that might limit them to a medium or wide shot instead of a close-up. Restricting the number of songs also allows the artist less time to become sweaty and unattractive. For Eric Clapton, we photographer folk had to shoot by the soundboards for the first 2 songs only (typically the norm is 3). With Jackson Browne I was able to at least shoot from the pit, but was still limited to the first 2 songs and I also had to sign a release stating I would use the photos for press and review purposes only. Now, let me first say that most music photographers you see out there if not working for press are likely not getting paid for shooting the event. The way they make their money is primarily by selling the images to the band’s publicists, the concert promoters, or the fans. Therefore, signing these horrid documents are the last thing a photographer wants to do, but for the sake of illustration I signed it as you can see pictured below. I might note that the primary purpose that these documents exist is so that the photographer doesn’t use the photos to create bulk merchandise and profit from it. Thus, if you meet with the publicist and inform them that you work for little to nothing and selling prints with releases allows you to pay your mortgage payment, then they might be willing to let you slide without signing the release. The types of releases vary, but I’ve even seen some detailing that by signing the photographer forfeits all copyright to the publicist or record label, allowing them to profit off your images! So kids, the lesson of the day is that if you do end up signing a release, then make sure you read it very carefully and request a copy for your records. It’s one thing to give away your images, but it’s another to allow others to profit from them.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.jacksonbrowne.com
The first time I heard of Hatebreed was when Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit would hype them up back in the late 90’s. Their fame would only rise from then on. Headlining the Decimation of the Nation Tour, Hatebreed has an extreme fanbase. Wayne Lozinak on lead vocals definitely orated several circle pits and there were even some hardcore pits in use. What? There are different types of pits you say? Why yes there are. In this instance, a circle pit is when fans mosh, dance, or just run around in a large circle (I’ve seen a huge one for Slipknot during their Pledge of Allegiance Tour with System of a Down and Rammstein back in the day). Some people sometimes go the opposite way around or dance in the middle while the circle pit is going to create a vortex effect. On the other hand, a hardcore pit is what Hatebreed is known for. In a hardcore pit, fans throw a lot of punches, kicks and elbows. I saw a couple of guys laid out during these pits. A little blood, but fans are quick to react and help people up. Where is the photo evidence you say? Even I’m not that desperate to get a good shot. It was also common to see crowd surfers thrown towards the stage from members in the front row. Let’s just say the security staff at the Diamond Ballroom did a marvelous job that night.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.hatebreed.com
I’m going to start by mentioning that I applaud Chimaira for brining their own lighting system on tour. I had actually never seen such a wonderful lighting setup in such a small venue in all my years of seeing shows. The lights were timed perfectly with the music and made their entire set quite enjoyable. Specific songs had specific colors and it allowed for a full range in capturing unique images. Nonetheless, at this point my camera began to fail on me and I kept getting the dreaded “Canon Err-99 Message” which occurred at least 25 times for both Chimaira and Hatebreed sets. The error basically prevents me from capturing the image it occurs on and in order to get rid of it I had to turn off the camera, take out the battery, put the battery back in, and then turn back on the camera. I missed several crucial shots due to this, but I felt I made the best of what I could. Regardless of my technical problems, I felt Chimaira gave the strongest technical performance from lighting down to instrumentation. Definitely check them out on this tour if you get the chance.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.chimaira.com
Winds of Plague hail from Upland, Cali and are relatively new on the death metal scene: deathcore specifically. With Winds of Plague, you can expect a lot of Pantera pounding double bass and Dragonforce style guitar, but what sets them apart from a lot of their competition is that they add symphonic elements to their sound with medieval keys from Kristen Randall. And as you can tell from the photos, vocalist Johnny Plague is quite a physical specimen and was enjoyable to capture. I can truly say this is my first “foot stomp” photo.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.myspace.com/windsofplague
Dying Fetus has been around since 1991, although vocalist, lead-riff rocker John Gallagher is the only original member. Nonetheless, this trio is a staple of death metal from the low death-ridden growling verses up to the primal chorus screeches that I find reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse, just more political. Nonetheless, when you hear Dying Fetus vocals you might feel as though the monsters of GWAR are eating away at your soul. Speaking of, I’ll be shooting GWAR with Lamb of God in about a month, but that’s a whole other blog. Stay tuned.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.dyingfetus.com
Opening for Hatebreed at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, Toxic Holocaust are a punk-inflected thrash metal band from Portland, Oregon. Very much influenced by all that is black and demonic. Now you might ask yourself, now Cody, what is dat der Thrash Metal stuff anyways? Well, technically Thrash Metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression. Thrash metal songs typically use fast, percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work. You could put Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeath, and Slayer within this genre, although each has their unique sound in my opinion. Nonetheless, Toxic Holocaust is a little too heavy for my taste, but you gotta love that double bass pedal that makes your ears bleed.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.myspace.com/toxicholocaust
The Donnas. Chick rock at its best since the queens that started it all: Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, and Debbie Harry. Lead vocalist Brett Anderson is really the centerpiece to what makes everything come together. From the way she sways her hips to the teen angst that seems to still envelope her vocal chords, Anderson knows her audience and knows how to get them going. However, I believe when it really comes down to it, how The Donnas have been so successful in their market is that all members contribute to vocals. In other words, this invokes an ideology of female empowerment that is definitely an underlying message within their music.
Setlist:
Bitchin
Wasted
Get Off
What Do I Have To Do?
Hey I’m Gonna Be Your Girl
Smoke You Out
Who Invited You
Perfect Stranger
I Didn’t Like You Anyway
Better Off Dancing
Fall Behind Me
5 o’clock
Encore:
You Make Me Hot
Take It Off
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.thedonnas.com
The Romantic Disaster is yet another OKC rock act. There were definitely some Electronica keyboard riffs accompanying their performance, but there was no keyboard in sight? I’m always a fan of an act that can perform a studio song live. If you need to hire another musician for the live performance, so be it. This is part of what makes a live show a live show. I will give due credit to Hannah Wolff and company in that they have a strong on-stage chemistry, which has always been nice ever since watching Gwen Stefani toy around with Tony Kanal. Their track “Sad Sore Loser” is definitely on the right track for a single breakthrough, but they need more supporting tracks. I think these guys have a ways to go, but are at least on a path of pop music that can conform with the times.
All images copyright 2009 Cody Mulcahy / Middle Gray Studios / DCF Concerts.
Photographer Website:
www.middlegraystudios.com
Promoter Website:
www.dcfconcerts.com
Band Website:
www.myspace.com/theromanticdisastermusic
