2008 - The Year That Was

Happy New Year everyone, and a warm welcome to 2009! I thought I'd post a review of my photographic year, including some of my favourite shots of 2008. I've been really pleased with my progress this year, I've done a few portrait sessions and I've been regularly contributing to Powerplay Magazine and Birmingham Live, both of which have improved my photography no end. Anyway, I wanted to post some of my fave music shots of the year, as it's been quite a year for me - I've shot some big names such as Status Quo, Fall Out Boy, Simple Minds, Dave Mustaine, Airbourne, Serj Tankian, Meshuggah, Velvet Revolver, Disturbed, Alter Bridge and more, as well as some less well known acts. So, here's my top ten gigs of 2008 that I covered.

10. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster + A Day to Remember @ Birmingham Barfly, January - This was my first gig of the year, and a top one to kick things off with. MATSOD's last album was one of my favourites of 2007, and it was great to catch them live. It was also my first glipse of A Day to Remember to boot, who I've really gotten into this year. Here's some shots of each band.

9. Meshuggah @ Birmingham Academy 2, September - The chance to photograph such legends as Meshuggah in such a tiny venue was too good too miss, and boy did they not disappoint. A superb show, and some great images to remember it by.

8. Thunder @ Wolves Civic Hall, November - Thunder always put on a top show, and it's never dull shooting them. Couple that with an excellent venue like the Civic Hall and you're laughing. I'm already looking forward to their next tour.

7. Stone Gods + Them Is Me @ Birmingham Barfly, September - The top two bands of a show organised by Emma Scott of Kerrang Radio, and two of Britain's best new bands without doubt. Them Is Me feature ex-Reef members while the Gods have some former Darkness people on board, and both bands are excellent. Here's some shots of TIM...

...and then some Stone Gods.

6. Taste of Chaos Tour @ Birmingham Academy 2, October - Six bands, short sets and quick changeovers made for a top night's entertainment. The lineep was I Spy Strangers, HORSE the Band, MUCC, Story of the Year, As I Lay Dying and Atreyu, and here's some shots of the top three bands.

5. Black Stone Cherry @ Birmingham Academy, December - One of the best bands to emerge out of the last couple of years, BSC put on a superb show in Brum towards the end of the year which culminated in the entire band ending up perched on the drum rider in their best rock star poses. The sky is the limit for those four guys.

4. Airbourne @ Birmingham Academy, November - Another great new band with a huge future ahead of them, I actually covered both of Airbourne's tours in 2008, but the second was by far the better show, and also had the most rediculous wall of Marshall amps I've seen! Oh yeah, and they were bloody LOUD as well! A great night.

3. Fall Out Boy @ Birmingham LG Arena, October - This was probably the biggest surprise of 2008 for me. FOB have long been a guilty pleasure, but I was rather sceptical about whether they would be able to cut it as a live outfit. However, while I expected to see a crappy boy band, they actually put on a really good show and are, quite simply, a great live band.

2. Alter Bridge @ Wolves Civic Hall, November - Another band that I shot twice in 2008, and while the Birmingham show in January was cool, and I also got to hang out with the band backstage pre-gig, my shots of their later tour were much better, and I probably enjoyed the seond gig more. Alter Bridge are a class act and I can't wait to see what they do next.

1. Velvet Revolver @ Wolves Civic Hall, March - So here we are, my number one gig of 2008, and for so many reasons. I got to interview and photograph Duff McKagan pre-show, which was great, I had Slash say hello to me as well - amazing, and had I not been shooting this gig then I wouldn't have met Steve Gerrard and I would not have become part of the Birmingham Live team. And of course, the gig was incredible, just a shame that the band were in such turmoil at the time. I got some really pleasing shots, in particular this next one - easily my all-time favourite music photograph that I have ever taken!

While I'm in a list writing mode, here's a couple more, starting with my top ten albums of 2008:

10. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
9. Shinedown - The Sound of Madness
8. Thunder - Bang!
7. Airbourne - Runnin' Wild
6. Them Is Me - Them Is Me
5. All Shall Perish - Awaken the Dreamers
4. Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
3. Metallica - Death Magnetic
2. Slipknot - All Hope is Gone
1. Black Stone Cherry - Folklore and Superstition.

As far as 2009 goes I've got plenty to look forward to; I'm going to be featured in the March issue of Practical Photography Magazine, I've been booked to do my first wedding, and I'm also hoping to shoot plenty more great bands including Lamb of God, Reel Big Fish, Judas Priest, A Day to Remember, Shinedown, The Specials and more. I hope you've enjoyed my review of 2008, and here's hoping 2009 is just as good! Cheers, and hope to see you back here soon :-)