This is not a drill, people. Shows are back, and they’re better than ever! March had a healthy dose of gigs coming through Edmonton, and I was happy to have covered a small handful of them. It’s been a minute since I’ve written one of these, so bare with me on this.
I started March off by photographing the elite English power metal group, Dragonforce at the newly renovated Union Hall. After not being in that room for almost 3 years, it sure felt awesome to float around the venue with a camera again. I have this weird satisfaction when it comes to renovated venues — there’s something extra fun for me when I have to re-map my vantage points in these spaces that makes shooting in them for the first time since their renos just exhilarating. I digress. Dragonforce was a real treat to shoot in this newly revamped room; Their production was off the chain, and they even put together a neat shred-sesh between Herman Li and the other guitarists on the tour, all while inviting Edmonton’s own Tim Brown of Striker on stage to join in on the shred.
Bruce Dickinson, metal god, pilot, entrepreneur, fencer, and a true Jack of all Trades graced the Winspear Centre in Edmonton with his presence in March, sharing an intimate evening of story-telling, laughter and fan-interactions with devoted Iron Maiden fans. Dickinson's spoken word consisted of stories ranging from childhood to the early days of Maiden; Speaking candidly about his up-bringing, his family in the early years, and his interests as a young Brit. Taking those gathered at the Winspear for a trip down memory lane, Bruce had his audience cheering, laughing and gasping as he told tales of what shaped him to be the man he is today. Ending the evening by opening up the floor to the audience for a question-and-answer session, Dickinson answered any and all questions that his fans had to ask, and happily said his farewell with hints and promises to return to Edmonton again on a much bigger stage.
My first press shoot of the year was blessed by none other than my pals in Striker. The guys recently welcomed a new member into the band, and are about to kick off a big North American tour that they’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. It’s always a blast having Striker in front of my lens; They’re not shy about letting their personalities shine though, yet can look like total bad asses at the drop of a hat. They recently released a new song called “Strange Love”, and you can check that tune out HERE. Don’t forget to tune into their podcast as well, The Band Chat.
Being in the Starlite Room is always like coming home after a long day of work. So, shooting my pals in Arctos was the cherry on top of that welcoming feeling. This was Arctos’ first performance in almost 3 years, and I was thrilled when they asked me to come out and catch them in action. Their black metal vibe jives so well with their subject matter despite it not being within the typical theme of your ordinary black metal band, and their music just hits differently, more so when it’s masterfully crafted. But maybe I’m just biased because I think this band fucking murders. In a good way.
Ending the month on a high note, southern rockers of Clutch put on a crushing performance at Midway (Formerly known as The Ranch) with EYEHATEGOD and Tiger Cub in tow. This evening felt similar to how it feels when you get together with a long time friend after not seeing each other for a while. There was this welcoming warmth to the room, and the overall vibe of the evening was pleasant and just what I needed. As to be expected, Clutch crushed this performance. It only took 2 years for this show to actually happen, but hey, better late than never right? If you’d like to read a more detailed version of my thoughts on the show, you can get the review in front of your eyeballs HERE courtesy of V13.
Thank YOU for taking a hot minute (or two) to read my March recap blog! Got questions regarding what I shot throughout the month of March? Send me an email HERE with your concert photo questions, let’s nerd-out! But until then, stick around to get the scoop on April’s recap!
