The Standstills At Place Bell

We don't always get to photograph the opening bands when there are several groups playing at the larger venues.  Fortunately, that wasn't the case back in November when I got to photograph The Standstills who were opening for The Warning and Three Days Grace (photos can be seen by following the links) at Place Bell in Laval.  I first discovered The Standstills a few years ago hearing their songs on the radio.  Their second, and most recent album, 'Shockwave', was released earlier this year and it had lots of songs I enjoyed.  So, I showed up nice and early at the venue and crossed my fingers that we'd be allowed in to shoot them in action.  I wasn't disappointed, musically or photographically.  The duo of Johnny Fox and Renée Couture, joined on stage by bassists Brendan MacMillian, got the crowd good and rowdy after coming in from a chilly November night.  The first photograph was taken at f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 4000 at 38mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took of their performance.

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 4000 at 50mm

f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 4000 at 47mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 47mm

f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 4000 at 55mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec, IOS 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2 1/800sec, ISO 4000 at 35mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec ISO 4000 at 55mm

f/3.2, 1/400sec, ISO 4000 at 47mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO  4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec, ISO 4000 at 61mm

f/3.2, 1/400sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 65mm

f/3.2, 1/400sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 4000 at 35mm

f/3.2, 1/400sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

If you'd like to find out more about The Standstills and their music, you can do so by following the link to their website.  Their bio mentions a reputation of transcendent rock anthems, gigantic hooks, hypnotic grooves, and infectious riff.  That's quite a lot to offer up in on sentence, but The Standstills live up to their reputation, and then some.  Hopefully I get to see them again, certainly as a headliner, some day soon  With that, we're all caught up.  Here's hoping for some new shows soon.

Send The Search Party

Winter was late to arrive in my part of the world this year.  We did manage to get a good amount of snow just before Christmas, but it had pretty much all disappeared before yesterday saw about 20cm's fall on our heads.  That amount is still nothing compared to the quantities that fall up in the mountains.  This is a much snowier scene than the one out of my window.  It was taken at the cottage belonging to My Lovely Assistants father during one of our visits up North.  At one point, a group of them decided to venture out on to the ice of the frozen lake for an afternoon walk.  I, being a little less brave in the face of so much walking, decided to stay behind and capture their departure.  Kind of like a scene from a movie when the fearless travelers depart on their quest, never to be seen until the third act when saved by our hero.  The photograph was taken at f/13, 1/60sec, ISO 100 at 140mm.  Luckily, no hero was needed on this day, though much hot chocolate was consumed afterwards.

Down By The River

The Eastern Townships of Quebec are where my family is mostly based, and it has some of the nicest looking scenery in the entire Province.  It's also a place that I know pretty well due to the fact that I spent most of my younger years going through the various towns and villages to visit various aunts, uncles and cousins.  In this particular update, we visit the town of Frelighsburg.  I've been taking photographs of this location since before I began taking photography courses.  The colours are nice in the Fall, but it's in the Winter that you get the best view of the old mill on Pike River.  It dates back to 1839 and was built by the son of the town founder.  I seem to remember the wheel still being there when I was younger, though it has long since disappeared.  he photograph was taken at f/7.1, 1/640sec, ISO 100 at 70mm.  A little bit of history for your Wednesday afternoon.

Hugo Mudie At MTelus

I'm not really up to date on the local punk rock scene, but one of the big local names out there is Hugo Mudie.  I am certainly out of touch, though after a little researhc it's not by as much as I had thought.  After a little research, I discovered that he used to be the front man for The Sainte-Catherines, a group that I had seen many many moons ago.  He's also the man behind Montreal's well known Pouzza Fest and on this November night, he was one of the opening acts for the big punk rock show headlined by Anti-Flag and Vulgaires Machins with Chârogne (photos can be seen by following the link), at the MTelus.  For all of the above mentioned work, our host for the evening described Hugo Mudie as being the least known living legend in the world.  High praise indeed, but when you look in to his past, and then add in the show that he and his band put on, you quickly discover that the praise is indeed well deserved.  The first photograph was taken at f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took of his performance.

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 65mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 45mm

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 35mm

f/3.2, 1/160sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 4000 at 57mm

f/3.2, 1/80sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/125sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 4000 at 50mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 4000 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/80sec, ISO 4000 at 24mm

If you'd like to find out more about Hugo Mudie and his music, you can do so by following the link to his website.  Not only is he an under appreciated living legend, but he's quite the snappy dresser as well.  I loved that jacket.  I find myself streching for things to say, which is a shame since I really enjoyed his set.  I'll be sure to keep his name in mind and hopefully will be able to photograph him again.

Chârogne At MTelus

I'm still relatively new to this whole concert photography thing, so I'm not 100% if it is common to see a bass player wearing what appears to be a dog mask, complete with tail.  That's what you're in for, and a whole lot more, when you see a concert by local punk rockers Chârogne.  They were opening a punk rock extravaganza for Anti-Flag, Vulgaires Machins and Hugo Mudie (photos can be seen by following the links) back in November at the MTelus.  Self described as a feminist punk band made up of all women or people of diverse sexual backgrounds, Chârogne hits the stage with a strong message and a raw devil may care attitude that not only demands your attention, but grabs it and doesn't let go.  The first photograph was taken at f/3.2, 1/400sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm.  Here are several more photographs of their performance.

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 6400 at 28mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

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

f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 6400 at 38mm

f/3.2, 1/160sec, ISO 6400 at 45mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 6400 at 39mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/160sec, ISO 6400 at 28mm

f/3.2, 1/250sec, ISO 6400 at 31mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 6400 at 28mm

f/3.2, 1/100sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

f/3.2, 1/500sec, ISO 6400 at 35mm

f/3.2, 1/320sec, ISO 6400 at 24mm

f/3.2, 1/200sec, ISO 6400 at 70mm

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

If you'd like to find out more about Chârogne and their music, you can do so by following the link to their Facebook page. They only have one album to their name, 2017's Mange-Moi, but it's full of songs such as Féminist frustrée, Usine a bébés and J'peux pas montrer mes siens that get their beliefs out for all to be known in a very loud manner.  They owned the stage that night and were one of my favourite new discoveries of 2022.  Hopefully I get to photograph them again.

Starting The Year With A Bang

With one year just ending, it of course means that a new one is beginning.  As previously mentioned, we're all still living under 'The Plague'.  This will be Year Number Four and it doesn't look like it will be going away anytime soon.  For better or for worse, life must go on.  Many things did return last year, including the annual fireworks competition in Montreal.  I didn't end up attending any of the shows this year as I decided to pass those up since I was already spending enough nights away from home due to the concerts I was shooting.  For this annual explosive beginning to the year, I dug back into the archives for this photograph.  It was taken at f/16, 15sec, ISO 100 at 70mm from one on my favourite locations to shoot the winter fireworks over the city.  Maybe 2023 will be the year for that one to return as well.  Despite all of the potential bad things still hanging over our heads as the year begins, I hope that you all keep coming back here to see my work and that it gives you a little moment or two of real world relief.  Happy New Year to you all and I wish you all a terrific 2023!