Mr. November Photography | James Berry

Even considering the shoddy number of gigs I’ve actually been approved for in the last few months, I have somehow failed to keep up with this meagre flow of photo work in diary form. I really am, in keeping with the title of this post, quite bad at blogging.

I even began writing this at the end of November, that’s how bad I am. I thought I might rattle through the last couple of months in order to clear the decks. So…

Ghostpoet @ Scala
Sigh. About the worst light ever. Apart from in between songs. Which was annoying. Still, genial performance from the gifted MC.

Feist @ London Palladium
The plushest of venues. The lushest of all voices. Seriously, divine. What could possibly go wrong? HEY!! LIGHTING GUY!! HELLO!?!?!

Bon Iver @ Hammersmith Apollo
Unusual in that we shot songs 2, 3 and 4, rather than 1, 2 and 3. Meaning that we got to stand and watch song 1, which was a real treat. Usual in the fact that the light was a bugger to deal with. Awkward becuase he rarely ever stepped away from his manifestation of microphones. Barely got anything I was happy with, but still happy to be there.

Miles Kane @ Electric Ballroom
Don’t care much for him, but the cocky swine really is one hell of a performer, and that’s good enough for me. He also got me my second published shot in The Independent. Did I mention how much I love Miles Kane?

Laura Marling @ Westminster Central Hall
What were the chances of a Laura Marling gig in a fancypants venue NOT being all seated and NOT having a photopit?! Quite high, it seems. Needless to say I got there way too late, had rubbish sightlines to the stage, the light was minimal and I left in a bit of a grump. Still, she was 100% more delicate and breahtaking than I had actually been expecting, so dark clouds, shiny linings…

Wretch 32 @ Koko
From one extreme to the other. Wretch 32 had a photo pit, a decent sized one at that, but it was packed with the most undisciplined rabble I’ve ever had the misfortune to photograph alongside. The amount of shots I had ruined by some kid raising his camera aloft and firing indiscriminatly is untrue. His lighting rig was however completely bling.

Bush @ Scala
Who knew they were still going?! They brought their own lights though, for which I was extremely grateful, so I’ll hold back on commenting on my general continued indifference. Pit at the Scala too. Winning night.

Charlie Simpson @ Islington Academy
Yeah, Charlie Simpson. 

Friendly Fires @ Brixton Academy
Fluid, confident performance. Big, righteous sense of occasion. Tremendously awkward to shoot. Surprise surprise. Loads of lights, none of them really in the right place. Packed pit too. Could have been worse though, I suppose.

Stay tuned for the next thrilling instalment of the catch up in which I photograph a forgotten indie band killed by celebrity and have a challenging dalliance with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal…