I PREVAIL
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR CONCERTWORKS
Union Hall's sold out show on Saturday night was graced with the likes of the in-your-face attitudes of I Prevail as they rolled through Edmonton on their Lifelines 2017 tour, bringing with them the ever-so stellar Wage War, Assuming We Survive, Villain of the Story, as well as adding on local support from Edmonton's own Corvus the Crow.
Elize Ryd - AMARANTHE
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR CONCERTWORKS
Amaranthe laid waste to Edmonton's Starlite Room on Monday night, with the likes of Failure Anthem and Citizen Zero in tow. This was my first gig of the year with Concertworks, and I'm incredibly excited for whats in store for Concerworks over the next few months! To check out more details and show listings with Concertworks, hit up their website HERE!
Vic Fuentes - PIERCE THE VEIL
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE
Pierce the Veil graced Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre with their action-packed Rest in Space tour last night to an all ages audience. A sea of roaring teens crowded the front row and sang to their hearts content to their favourite PTV jams that radiated from the monitors on stage. Complete with confetti and C02 cannons, the band kicked, leaped and hopped their way through their set, making this gig one of the more entertaining shows that I've had in front of my lens so far this year.
Benjamin Kowalewicz - BILLY TALENT
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR EXCLAIM.CA
A buzz was in the air on Tuesday night in Edmonton, as Billy Talent, one of the city's favourite Canadian rock groups, brought their genius to the Shaw Conference Centre with their current Afraid of Heights tour. The energy amongst eager concertgoers of all ages seemed to build in the room as the minutes rolled down until showtime, greatly adding to the anticipation for what was in store.
A wave of roars erupted from the audience as the lights dimmed and each member of the band took to their spots on stage. Starting things off with a bang, the band roared into "Devil in a Midnight Mass," causing a frenzy of shouts from those gathered in the front row. The show lost no momentum as the familiar plucking of "This Suffering" floated out of the monitors soon after.
Billy Talent gave it their all throughout the entirety of their heavy 22-song set, which included a healthy balance of hits both old and new, obliging their die-hard fans and new listeners alike. As the show seemingly came to a close, the band slammed into "Devil on My Shoulder," which seemed to give everyone an extra power-boost, which only intensified as Billy Talent kicked their encore into high gear with "Fallen Leaves."
Concertgoers across the room could be heard singing along to their favourite Billy hits. Looking around, one would be hard-pressed to find someone without a smile on their face or mouthing the words.
Sticking to the typical Canadian ways, the band politely exchanged smiles, thanked those who came out to the show on a weekday night and expressing their immense appreciation for the support that Edmonton so generously provided that evening.
Max Kerman & Mike DeAngelis - ARKELLS
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE
One of Canada's finest took to the stage of the Shaw Conference Centre on Friday night, to deliver one hell of a show to a house full of screaming Edmonton fans. The Arkells put on an explosive performance, with the incredibly energetic Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls at their side to breathe life into a snowy Friday night.
Colin Cripps, Jim Cuddy & Greg Keelor - BLUE RODEO
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE
At last, my first show of 2017 is in the bag, and I'm chomping at the bit for more! What better way to kick off the year than getting out on the town to shoot Canada's very own Blue Rodeo, as they delivered a quaint and mellow show to their Edmonton audience at the beautiful Northern Jubilee Auditorium on Thursday night.
It seems to have come and gone all too fast, but 2016 has at last come to an end and I truly do not know where to start when it comes to punching out this little "Dana's year in review" blog... So as I sit here sipping a glass of cheap wine while reflecting on the past 12 months; the goods, bads, ups, downs and everything in between, I cannot help but feel a sense of gratefulness. Not only because of the opportunities I've been given over the past year, but because of the people who have come into my life through simply being in front of my camera, and their infinite amounts of support that they've showed me since then. So, before I get all mushy and sentimental on you, let's just jump right into (in no particular order) what 2016 looked like for me.
So, over the course of 365 days, off the top of my head I've shot roughly 40 shows in three different cities in Alberta, one being a festival, but hey, it still counts! We'll get into that later ;) Throughout those (around) 40 shows I've shot many local acts, and some world-wide superstars as well. I've had photos featured in six different issues of Exclaim!, including two of which, were featured in the "Best Photos of 2016" section of the 2016 December/January issue.
I also had the opportunity to start a new chapter in my career as a professional photographer with the local promotional company responsible for putting on some of the most awesome shows all around Alberta, Concertworks. I've been lingering around the shows that Concertworks puts on for a few years now, so we decided to make things a little more official. I'm really looking forward to being a small part of the Concertworks team, because they're a solid group of people, they're passionate about what they do, and they have some really killer gigs coming up in 2017!
Early in the month of October, I was invited out to Edmonton's Victoria School of Visual and Performing Arts to speak to the photography students about the in's and out's of concert photography. I'm an awful public speaker, so this not only slightly helped me get over my fear of talking to large groups, but it also felt great to be able to pass on my knowledge of concert photography and working with bands to an eager group of very promising young people with great potential, who are just as passionate as I am when it comes to photography. I'm really hoping, and looking forward to seeing a few of those guys and gals in the photo pits in the future.
This years festival season was a bit shorter for me than usual, but no less exciting or special. Being a small part of the Western Canadian metal festivals is something I greatly cherish, and am constantly looking forward to each year. This year, was year number five for both Calgary Metalfest and Loud As Hell which was not only a huge milestone for each festival, but for the Western Canadian heavy metal music scene in general; So checking out what each festival-family had in store was a must. Sadly, I couldn't attend the full event in Calgary, but on the last night, Calgary played host to a historic night of Canadian metal with the almighty Annihilator putting the cherry on top of CMF #5 at Flames Central. Loud As Hell, of course, was as awesome as ever. Once again, featuring a full Canadian line up, through the rain, wind, and all around unpleasant weather, LAH #5 triumphed through the mud and muck with high spirits and eager to do it all again next year. I also had the opportunity to par take in photographing the Fire Aid Benefit Concert for those who were affected by the wildfires in Fort McMurray in the early months of spring. Some of Canada's biggest bands such as Blue Rodeo, Nickelback and City & Colour (to name a few) came together to put on an unforgettable performance for so many people who's lives have been changed forever due to this tragedy. More info on the Ft. Mac wildfires can be found HERE.
Over the course of the last month, I was finally able to put purpose to a particular method behind one of my many madness'. Those of you who've been following me on Instagram over the last few years are familiar with my infamous "jump for joy" pictures that I've subjected many, many bands to during press photo shoots. Well, I took a leap of faith, and made all those jumps worth something by putting out a 12 month calendar for the year 2017! Featuring bands from Edmonton's local music scene, I culled together enough shots that stood out the most to me, and of course that were my favourites since I started this little trend for myself, and slapped 'em into a calendar that's bursting with awesomeness. I was totally unsure of whether or not the calendars would do well at first, but to my surprise, I was able to sell out the first batch on the first day! I grew more and more ecstatic with each message coming in, asking to purchase a calendar, as the second batch of calendars flew out of my hands just as quickly as the first. As requests for calendars keep coming in, I'm looking forward to ordering another batch of calendars in for the month of January.
It's difficult to put my finger on what I loved the most about this year, or what my favourite memory is... Throughout 2016, I had so many opportunities to photograph some incredible bands, and work with some truly remarkable people. The opportunities were endless this year, not only for my business, but to grow as a photographer and as a person. I've learned so much about myself, my adaptability, and the extent of my persistence while keeping my eyes on the prize. Needless to say, 2016 was by far one of the most successful years of my career as a professional photographer, and I'm chomping at the bit to see what 2017 has in store for me. I need to thank everyone who has supported me this year, whether it's through sharing posts on social media to hiring me for your biggest gig of 2016, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! So, as I bring this long-ass blog to a close, I managed to sift through thousands of photos from this year and picked out a few favourites (in no particular order) and some that highlight some of my most cherished moments. I wish whoever is reading this (or actually made it this far) all the best and utmost success in 2017, and from my heart to yours, HAPPY NEW YEAR! <3
IN FLAMES
PHOTOGRAPHED FOR MRG CONCERTS WEST
Concluding my year of awesome concerts with this show was the best possible way I could have brought this year to a close. The infamous In Flames and HELLYEAH teamed up on their co-headlining tour to bring Union Hall to the ground, and they did just that! Many Edmontonian's braved the bitter weather to catch the buzz on this gig, and not a single person left the venue without a smile on their face!
Daniel Martin & Ryley Hughes - SAVAGE PLAYGROUND
Edmonton's newest up and coming rock 'n rollers, Savage Playground, unleashed a wild set on their Edmonton audience at the Brixx bar and grill on Wednesday night, rocking the packed house to the core with their rendition of classic rock 'n roll.
Once again, being out and about shooting a rad local band couldn't have made me happier. Not to mention seeing the abundance of support that the Savage boys had received from their audience. Hitting up this gig to catch the guys in action was well worth braving the bitter, cold weather! The guys nailed their performance, which seemed to have smashed the expectations of those gathered in the venue who were not yet familiar with Savage Playground's music.
The guys also have a wicked new video out for their new song "Could've Been Me", which you can check out HERE on YouTube!
EYE OF HORUS
I had the opportunity of working with one of Edmonton's most talented and talked about death metal bands on the local music scene last night, as they, Eye of Horus, celebrated the release of their newest EP entitled "Obsidian" with their Edmonton fans. The guys had the Mercury Room packed from start to finish with smiling faces and whirlwinds of headbanging hair in abundance.
There was no shortage of talent in the room last night, as Calgary's Exit Strategy, and fellow Edmontonian's Skepsis and Storm Horizon had the honor of opening up the night and warming up the audience. It's been a while since I last shot a gig featuring all local acts, but it certainly felt good to be out and about while seeing so many familiar faces and catching the buzz on such a wicked show, not to mention being a small part of such a big night for a group of really great people.
