XiJinDu Weekly Music Festival Week 9

After week 8 was rained out, it was good to be back at my old stomping grounds and this week, two good bands were book from Beijing. First up was 温莎森林乐队.

 

 

温莎森林乐队 is clearly a young university band. They had a good set on stage and sounded good. I had fun shooting them, and some of the band members were clearly a little shy when I was shooting them in the beginning. Being a foreigner shooting in China means I really stand out in the pit, and most bands notice me very quickly. The experienced bands make sure I get the shots I need, but the younger bands are more work because they either shy away from the camera or play it up too much, making the shots look staged.

 

 

 

 

 

After 温莎森林乐队 set, it was time for 无有乐队 to hit the set. They are one of my favorite bands to shoot in China. The last time I shot them, I had a great time and came away with some great shots.

 

 

When 无有乐队 came onto the stage, the first thing I thought about the lead singer was, where is his hair? The last time I shot the band, the lead singer had long hair, so I was a little shocked that his look had changed so much.

 

 

This photo is from the previous set that I had shot of the band, about one year ago. I think you can see that there is a huge difference in their look.

 

 

Regardless of their new look, they sounded great and after the first song, I completely forgot about their new look and got down to business, shooting and enjoying the show.

 

 

 

无有乐队 had a great set. The crowd got a little crazy by the end, but crazy crowds and rock/metal bands go hand in hand. One funny thing is rushing onto the stage at the end of the show to get the band photo. To shoot the shot, you have to get onto the stage and fight for position with the other photographers. It’s first come, first serve, and if you get there late, you get a bad position to shoot from. I got onto the stage late and had to try and shoot from between the drums to get the shot. Not great, but I knew the band wanted one of these shots. However, I cropped the bassist’s feet. I doubt he cares, but it still bothers me.

It was a good night, and I am looking forward to seeing who I am shooting next week.

Shaun.