Placebo (Olympia, Dublin)

Now here is a band which completely hold my heart. Their debut album was my debut album. They are the reason I drew black biro under my eyes. They’ve grown in odd directions with an element of electro and rap and other dodgy mixes along the way… but everyone has to experiment in their lives and i did all mine through this one band.

I’ve seen them play countless times in various countries. For my 18th birthday i travelled to Manchester to see them. I sneaked my 35mm SLR passed the bouncers and snapped my heart out. Brian (glorious Brian) noticing my blatant disregard for the “No Photography”  rule he strutted over mid song and stood about a foot away from me on stage and screamed to me “keep taking photos, never stop taking fucking photos”… …. … God I love him.

This Olympia show was particularly special as it was nearly 9 years to the day since they first played in the Olympia theatre. A show which was halted mid song as the ceiling began to collapse. During this 20 minute interval the mosh pit turned into an androgynous teenage orgy, which I’m sure many of you will remember well, even if you claim not to!

I could go on and on with more embarrassing Placebo related stories of my teens, but i’ll save them for another time. Maybe when I get them for a shoot in the studio.

Green Day (O2 Dublin)

Do you have the time… to listen to me whine, about nothing and everythin all at once?…For you Billie Joe, I have all the time in the world.

( Green Day pix from Marlay Park  June 2010 http://ruthlessimagery.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/green-day/ )

Jack White

The Trinity Philosophical society seem to be giving out Honorary Patronage’s as if they were cheap Aldi sweets… (Pete Doherty I’m looking at you). But Jack White deserved one. An amazingly intelligent man, I can tell that from 20 mins in his presence. So sweet, charming, respectful and handsome.

Oh and Check out our darling BP Fallon’s intro to the new Dead Weather video!

Hard Working Class Hero

For those of you not bothered to take a wander into town to view this masterpiece… here’s the pix for your internetual viewing pleasure.

Hotpress Music Show (RDS)

ok… so if you work for Hotpress, there is no Christmas, no Birthdays, no nothing… as everything is geared towards that one weekend in October when the entire Hotpress camp is relocated to the RDS for the Music Show. And ya know, there is never an ill word spoken about Hotpress during these days, as it is obvious just how vital the magazine is to the Irish music community.

My job this weekend was to snap the feck out of the show. Mostly people photos, which was a welcome break from live photography. I also headed to the Music Show Afterdark session in the Academy where Speech Debelle and David Kitt tore it up…and May Kay (FLApes)and BP Fallon spun some insanely pleasurable tunes! (Tom Vek- yea ya would!)

Not 100 percent blog relevant… but still music and photography, so why not!

Much love to each and every wonderful new friend I met over the days… thanking you x

Coldplay-Elbow-White Lies (Phoenix Pk)

…. the bigger the gigs the suckier the restrictions. This job really tries me sometimes.

“You may only photograph Coldplay whilst standing on your head singing My Sharona in French. You must not photograph Coldplay unless they photograph you first”….

Tried me hardest, given the circumstances.

Elbow, on the other hand… the sweet respectful Princes of the music busyness. Full of joyful appreciation for music, for fans and for photographers. How I adore thee.

(Just as I post this, the beautiful Elbow come on the stereo and I fall more and more in love….*sigh*)

Electric Picnic 2009

wow… what can i say? It may just have been the greatest weekend of my life… definately of my career. The Flaming Lips were the greatest 3 songs of my career, without doubt.

Hotpress, you rock. Hotpress friends, you rock. My friends, you rock. Readers Wives, you rock. Random funny pillheads in the crowd, you rock. Musicians, you rock. Bouncers, you rock. Joe the taxi man, you rock. B&B mammy, you rock. Wayne Coyne, you definately rock. Guy who spilled a pint over my camera…well, sorry, you don’t rock…but i forgive you darlin

Bands worth a nod: Jape, Ebony Bones, Passion Pit, The Big Pink, Sugarhill Gang, Klaxons, Madness.

Faith No More (Olympia Dublin 09)

wowza! A complete and utter mosh down memory lane. Incredibly tight preformance if not a bit short. A few bars of the Eastenders theme song too many..and a bit heavy on the Irish gags too (anyone actually know what a Shelaliegh is anyways?…and yes, i did google that spelling). Dressed in a full salmon coloured suit, Patton looked rather like an extra from Goodfellas, but has aged notably well. Proper showmanship and cracking tunes…good times all round.

Innercity Pirates….

latest shoot from these Pirate boys… right before they head off to Laaandaan to record the debut album… que anticipation! x

The Horslips

Yes, I shot the Horslips! and they were such legends… honestly, i had such craic with them. All gents and charmers. Ye young bands could learn a lot from these guys!

Have a look at some of their old skool photos on their webpage…sooo very 70′s. perfect.

Oxegen…Friday… the Blur day!

Balcony TV Awards (Morrison Hotel)

Last night saw the 3rd annual Balcony Awards. I think we all know someone who’s appeared on the show in the past while, so its wonderful to see it grow so big and rock it perfectly. An amazingly selfless platform for new and established bands (even internationally)…and they’ve just launched a new all round music friendly website…defo worth a click.

…just to mention, if this post meanders a bit its because im still drunk… free champers, whats a girl to do!

So 14 bands were due to play at the afterparty (yes, 14!!!)….The Amazing Few, Bi Polar Empire, Red Kid, Funzo, The Phonic Athletic, Camogie Lovers, John Shelly & the Creatures, Band on an Island, The Beat Poets, Neon Choir, The Hot Sprockets, I Am One, Readers Wives…. and i’ll be fecked is im linking each of those!

…Now, the sad and random thing is that the lovely Garda lads were called in and the place was shut down at a mere 12:30. This meant that Red Kid and The Amazing Few didnt get to play. Bastarding Guards. Russell didn’t win “Best Male”, which is a bit crap cause we all know that he is indeed exactly that.

oh, and any help in identifying which band is which would be greatly appreciated…. twas the champers again. ooops.

xxx R

Manic Street Preachers (Olympia)

right, well I’m a massive MSP fan, lets just make that clear from the get go. I don’t actually own any non Richey stuff though, chalk that down to personal taste or teenage angst or what have ya… but anyway.  The gig was split in a quite a novel way. They played the new album in its entirety for the first hour… they then took a wee lil break (just long enough to pop to the bar) and then came back for a glorious second half that was filled full of classic hit and rarities! La Tristesse, Little Baby Nothing & Sorrow 16, c’mon folks, bula bus!

falling in love all over again.

R

xxx

HOTPRESS will have a full review of the show (written by a proper journo, not a snap happy photographer!) and printed pictures in the  June 18th issue (so go buy it!!)!

PIX ALL UP!

CODES (ALT)

my favourite Irish band… there, i said it. such beautiful lovable musicians. always a joy x TUNES

DIT Battle of Bands 2009

Bravo to A Futurist Theatre for stealing the show… hands down they deserved it. Tis been ages since i’ve had to pick my jaw up off the ground after a gig.But a word of caution, their myspace tunes do not do them one bit of justice. Check em live.

Line up also included Falter Ego, who i’ll admit were also smashing, and the J Walkers. There was another band, but i missed em… apols.

IMRO- Red Lables, Land Lovers, Dirty Epics & Dirty 9′s

ALT last night saw the first show of this years IMRO showcase gigs… such a blinding opportunity for young irish bands.. check out the rest of the gigs here.

Last nights running order went, Land Lovers (check back at the blog for more to come on these lads!!!)…then the Dirty 9′s…followed ever so rockingly by one of my fave new Irish bands, The Red Lables (seriously, check these out live if you can, makes ya love music again!).. and then topped off by The spunky lil Dirty Epics.

Dirty Epics

Lily Allen (Academy)

gobby …chavvy… woteva, all i know is that this lady writes perfect pop tunes…and ya gotta love her style too, A+ for the stilettos…A++ for the reeboks too!  oh and fuck can she sing too, shes come a long way! xxx

Not Squares (Twisted Pepper)

my second time seeing this Nordy band in Twisted Pepper… and christ it was well worth it. They really rock it out, shouty women and bass u can bop to. love it. Go see them live, their myspace doesn’t do them justice. sorry the pix are a bit shite… i was a bit drunk, to say the least. plus the lights were non existent. typical of small Dublin venues really.

Oh and yea, that is a stage invasion… always fun! x

Laura Izibor

I met this gorgeous lady one afternoon in the Morgan Hotel for a very special Hotpress shoot. Now its not very often we get a looker in front of HP cameras, so wen i got this chance i went to town and shot a bit more fashiony than normal… such a delightfully easy shoot, extremely photogenic and gloriously modest was Laura!

Laura Izibor

Of Montreal (button factory)

Shiney shiney shiney…. if i wasn’t being crushed to death by hardcore glitter lovers i would have stayed n snapped my heart away…. but ive already broken ribs in this game!

Of Montreal