The Crown Prince

Though things at The Old Blog, as well as everywhere else, have slowed down due to the pandemic, My Lovely Assistant and I have taken on more staff.  Joining The Heir Apparent in a junior position is The Crown Prince.  Much like the photograph that introduced you all to The Heir Apparent two years ago, I decided to focus on some fingers.  In this instance, I was watching as the two Junior partners were meeting for the first time and as soon as their fingers crossed, I snapped away.  Though sung by many, it was Whitney Houston who I most remember singing that she believed the children are our future.  These fingers are what will lead my way.  The photograph was taken at f/5, 1/40sec, ISO 4000 at 57mm.  I don't usually shoot at such as high ISO, but using flash with a newborn didn't seem like a great idea.  Long Live The Crown Prince.

My Spotlight

When I'm photographing a show, I'm often kind of a bundle of nervous energy.  In order to keep myself from fumbling around with my camera and doing something that I shouldn't do, like turning off the auto-focus function of my lens, I try and look around for things to photograph.  On this particular night I was trying to keep my hands off of any important buttons in between sets by Art Of Shock and Sacred Reich.  You can see the photographs of those bands by following the links, and while you're surfing around The Old Blog, check out the photographs of Sepultura, who headlined the evening, by following that link as well.  The Théâtre Corona is such a beautiful building, I often spend my time between bands just staring at the old paintings and architecture.  While looking around, this spotlight caught my eye.  The rays of light had a nice mix of yellow and blue to them, so I took a few shots.  This photograph was taken at f/16, 1/40sec, ISO 10000 at 70mm.  Soon after the lights were lowered, the show was about to begin and I had not turned off my auto-focus.  All was well in my little photographic world.

Sepultura At Théâtre Corona

After all of these months of COVID related delays, closures and cancellations, I was in need of a good shake and Sepultura was just the band to deliver it.  The veteran metal band from Brazil has seen many member changes over the years, in fact only guitarist Andreas Kisser and bassist Paulo Jr. remain from when I first started listening to them, but still proudly carry on their loud legacy. Their most recent tour in support of their 2020 album Qudra arrived in Montreal this past Thursday where they headlined a show at the Théâtre Corona.  The crowd came out early for the sold-out concert, so it is safe to say that I was probably not the only one in need of a good shake.  The band did not disappoint.  In the opening seconds I could already feel my insides shaking and I needed to remind myself a few times not to lean against the stage while taking my photos because the vibrations were large enough to cause some camera shake issues.  That seems like a good measure of a metal band.  They're too loud to be photographed.  The first photograph was taken at f/2.8 1/1000sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took of their performance.

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 3200 at 61mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm

f/2.8, 1/125sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 5000 at 50mm

f/2.8, 1/1000sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/1000sec, ISO 3200 at 28mm

f/2.8, 1/1250sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/1000sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/50sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

If you'd like to find out more about Sepultura and their music, don't forget to follow the link to their website.  Also, a big thank you to Mr. Rodrigo Abbecia for getting me a photo pass for the show.  If you'd like to see the other photographs that I took of Art Of Shock and Sacred Reich, you can do so by following the links.  This concert also provided an additional feel good moment for Your Friendly Neighbouhood Photographer.  The last time Sepultura came to town, I had to sneak my camera in to try and get a few shots.  This time, I was right there in the pit with all of the other photographers and there was no other place that I would have wanted to be.

Sacred Reich At Théâtre Corona

Contrary the the band that preceeded them, Sacred Reich, who took the stage at Montreal's Théâtre Corona on Thursday night have been banging heads across the globe for almost 40 years.  Their first album, Ignorance (1987), often appears on list of the best thrash metal albums ever and lead singer Phil Rind was a trooper, battling through an illness that would actually force the band to miss their tour dates this weekend.  All with a smile on his face.  What I like most about these veteran band is that once they hit the stage, there are no fake scrowls of menacing looks.  Much like the crowd, they are there to have a good time, and a good time is what they will have.  The band took a brief hiatus back in the early 2000s, but have been touring regularly since and released their lastest album, Awakening, back in 2019.  The first photograph was taken at f/3.2, 1/160sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm.  Here are a few more that I took during their performance.

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm

 

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 3200 at 41mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 3200 at 35mm

f/3.5, 1/400sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 3200 at 27mm

f/3.2, 1/80sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 3200 at 38mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm

 

If you'd like to find out more about Sacred Reich and their music, don't forget to follow the link to their website.  If you'd like to see the photographs that I took of Art Of Shock and Sepultura, you can click on the links to see them.  After almost forty years on the road, the music is still as strong as it ever was.  I wish the same thing could be said for me.  Check them out when they come to your town, you will not be disappointed.

Art Of Shock At Théâtre Corona

After going three months between shows, the wait was considerably shorter this time.  I was back at the Théâtre Corona in Montreal on Thursday night for a loud and rowdy night of some classic Thrash Metal.  The first band I got to photograph was Art of Shock, from Los Angeles.  Brothers Art & Adrian Geezar came to Los Angeles from their native Mexico and immediately set out upon making some of the music that they grew up listening to.  Their debut album, Dark Angeles, was released last year and they were making their very first appearance in Montreal.  They certainly grabbed the attention of the crowd, and based on the traffic at their merchandise stand, they made a few new fans as well.  The first photograph was taken at f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took during their performance.

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 1600 at 55mm

f/2.8, 1/2000sec, ISO 3200 at 41mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 1600 at 39mm

f/2.8, 1/2000sec, ISO 3200 at 45mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 400 at 35mm

f/2.8, 1.50sec, ISO 400 at 70mm

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 400 at 35mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

If you'd like to find out more about Art Of Shock and their music, don't forget to follow the link to their website.  If you'd like to see the photographs that I took of Sacred Reich and Sepultura, you can do so by clicking on the link.  I was certainly one of those new fans that I was writing about.  I ordered their album as soon as I got home.  If you're a fan of heavy music, I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

Sara Dufour At Théâtre Corona

As we exit yet another wave of COVID, this time the gap between shows was but a mere three months.  But a stitch in time compared to the 20 month gap between shows last year.  I certainly can't think of a better artist to have ended this latest dry spell than Sara Dufour.  She hit the Théâtre Corona stage like a ball of energy and beamed positive energy towards the crowd right from the opening note.  Within mere seconds, all of the real world weight of the last three months had been magically lifted by her bounding positivity.  The wild banter in between songs would have been worth the price of admission on its own, but the songs really reached out and grabbed the audience.  I guess she could be described as a fireplug of energy holding a guitar.  Her songs come from personal experience, thus the great stories that she has about them.  Her most recent album, Sara Dufour, was released in 2019, but there is sure to be some new music from her coming soon.  The first photograph was taken at f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm.  Here are several more that I took during her performance.

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 3200 at 67mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec, ISO 3200 at 41mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 39mm

 

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 3200 at 67mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 53mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 3200 at 65mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 3200 at 24mm

f/2.8, 1/125sec, ISO 3200 at 59mm

f/2.8, 1/200sec, ISO 3200 at 65mm

f/2.8, 1/125sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm

f/2.8, 1/80sec, ISO 3200 at 88mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 3200 at 70mm

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 3200 at 55mm

As the crowd made their way out of the building after the final notes were played, there was only smiles and happiness to be seen.  Sara Dufour had invited us to share a little bit of her world through her songs, and in doing so, for a few hours, made our worlds a bit of a happier place.  You can follow the link to see the photographs that I took of Cayenne, who opened the show.  Much thanks to Karl-Emmanuel Picard of District 7 Productions for getting me a photo pass for the show.  If you'd like to find out more about Sara Dufour and her music, you can do so by following the link to her website.