Photographed for ConcertWorks & The Starlite Room
VADER
Robb Flynn - MACHINE HEAD
GALLERY: Machine Head & Fear Factory Demolish Midway Music Hall - January 25, 2024
Best of 2023
Hey y’all! Once again, I’m fashionably late on sharing my yearly round-up. But hey, that seems to be a trend lately, so let’s just get on with it, shall we?
2023 was fast-paced, fun and stressful all at once it seems. It came and went in the blink of an eye and still has my head spinning. Although I’ve fallen off of the wagon of sharing my galleries whenever they’re prepared, I had the opportunity to photograph some pretty sick shows over the year, and knocked out a couple of killer press shoots with some of Edmonton’s finest.
To be totally honest with you, I felt like I was playing catch up constantly in 2023. It was a struggle to maintain motivation to do a lot of things, and maybe that’s because I’m going through a period of burn-out that hasn’t really let up on me. So for everyone who follows along with what I do, and looks forward to the galleries and work that I usually share, I’m sorry that I put you through a dry-spell throughout 2023. Truth is, I think switching gears to focus on myself, my happiness and to take the time to rest has been what’s putting a dam on the flow of photos, but you gotta take care of yourself first before everyone else sometimes. If the shit-assed pandemic has taught us anything, it was that… Wasn’t it?
The goal for 2024 is to cut that shit out. If you want to be an accountabili-buddy about it, you go right ahead. I promise I’ll thank you later! To recap a handful of highlights from the year, off of the top of my head (and this may be the obvious answer for those of you who know me personally) but being able to photograph the final Edmonton performance for KISS was totally sweet. As a big fan of the band, having this iconic quartet in front of my lens for the second and final time was thrilling; If you’ve shot them before, you know what I mean when I say they’re the best in the business. Another great highlight was catching the European sensations in Beast in Black once again as they pummeled the Starlite Room. I mean it when I say this, but these fellows make it so unbelievably fucking easy to get great photos of their performance, and I wish more bands would do it the way that they do it. Plus, they shred, so I mean… That adds to the fun as well. Some of you folks may be wondering: “Hey Dana! What about shooting the Junos?”… Don’t ask me about my experience shooting at the Junos, I have nothing nice to say. Capiche?!
On a more positive note, I also had a whole bunch of stellar locals reach out to me for press photos over the course of 2023, and some of them came to me with super creative visions for their shoots, so that really gave me the opportunity to stretch my knowledge and try new things. Although some of the photos that I’ve shot for other heavy hitters in the scene are still under tight wraps and cannot be shared with you just yet, I promise… Once their announcements have been made, and I get that green light to share, I’ll be plastering them everywhere!
On a more personal note, I turned the big 3-0 this year, and although most people dread this time in their lives, I have to admit that I’m feeling rather apathetic about it. People age, and life goes on, and I mean that in the most positive way possible because life is what you make it! I also bought a new car that I think I might be obsessed with, and am in the thick of wedding planning. I also did a bit of travelling in 2023 and had some killer experiences along the way. From spending 3 weeks running all over Nashville & Memphis, Tennessee to a ripper weekend in New York City to attend the final KISS show, I gotta say… My sense of adventure is totally at the forefront of my mind, and wanderlust may be a difficult urge to fight off in the coming years.
With it currently being -42 degrees Celsius in Edmonton today, ya gurl here is hunkering down with a big-ass mug of hot chocolate and Bailey’s, and thanking everyone who has been a positive contributor to the last year. Whether you were someone who hired me for your show or press photos, someone who took the time to say ‘sup, or simply someone who likes and follows my posts: Thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. So, without further adieu, please enjoy my favourite photos of 2023, in no particular order, and have a kick ass 2024! Happy (late) New Year! ❤️
Beast in Black
GALLERY: Beast in Black Brings Bombastic Shred to Edmonton's Starlite Room - September 23, 2023
Photographed for Concertworks
Beast in Black made a triumphant return to Edmonton’s Starlite Room with the likes of Dance With The Dead in tow!
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Jungle Rot - Loud as Hell Festival 2023
GALLERY: Loud as Hell Festival 2023
Every August long weekend, something rumbles in the badlands of Alberta… That something is the coveted Loud as Hell Festival! This year’s rendition of the fest was easily one of the best years yet. After photographing this event for the last 8 years, I often look forward to spending time in this area of the province, where I get to catch some wicked bands while rekindling friendships with folks I wish I didn’t get to see only once a year.
Check below for a recap of the handful of bands I photographed at the fest this year!
Day 1
Featuring:
Ashes of Yggdrasil | Silent Line | Whorrify | Lost Nebula | Osyron
Day 2
Featuring:
Untimely Demise | Necronomicon | Narcotic Wasteland
Day 3
Featuring:
Wormwitch | Pound | The Convalescence | Jungle Rot
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Dave Mustaine - Megadeth
GALLERY: Megadeth Massacres Edmonton on Crush the World Tour - May 1, 2023
Photographed & Reviewed for v13.net
The forefathers of thrash and heavy metal as we know it graced Alberta’s capital at the Edmonton Convention Centre on Monday night, as Megadeth brought the formidable “Crush the World” tour to Edmonton with the likes of Oni and Bullet for My Valentine leading the charge, kicking off the month of May in the best and heaviest way possible.
Read on right HERE to learn more about my take on this gig, and check the gallery below!
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GALLERY: Nothing More Fills Edmonton's Rock n Roll Soul With "Spirits" Tour - April 22, 2023
Another check off the bucket list for this kitten! It was a treat to finally have Nothing More in front of my lens for an evening at the beautiful Midway Music Hall in Edmonton. Check out my gallery below from my time in the pit.
Interested in knowing how the show went? I wrote a little recap of the tour for V13 right here!
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Best of 2022
Guess who’s back, back again! Although I’m not the real Slim Shady, and I certainly am not going to stand up, I will however welcome you to another year end blog! It’s fashionably late, but hey, we’re here now, so that’s okay!
2022 felt like a whirlwind for me. Which was both a blessing and a curse. Concerts and events came back with reckless abandon, and it’s really a thing of beauty. Having missed this part of my life for the better part of 2 years, admittedly, it was difficult to get back into the swing of things, and truthfully… It still kind of is. But, thankfully, I was given the opportunity to cover some remarkable events in 2022, and have had some wicked experiences along the way. So without further adieu, grab yourself a beverage and keep on reading!
Throughout 2022, I had the pleasure of photographing 19 shows, 1 music video and 5 promotional photoshoots. I made the executive decision to sit out festivals this year, simply because I wanted a little extra “me time” over the summer months to enjoy my garden, spend time with my dogs and to go on some much needed camping adventures. The music video I filmed was a ton of fun, and I genuinely mean that. With such a simple set up, I feel like Tessitura and I were able to capture the dark and moody vibe that they were going for with this particular tune, and that’s a nice cherry on top of the whole endeavor. Check that video out HERE. I know what you might be thinking: “Where the hell are the jump photos?!” I hate to disappoint you… But all 5 of my press shoots in 2022 were studio based, and well… It just didn’t really happen. I know that’s a piss-poor excuse, but that’s what I’m going with. Don’t hate me, I’ll do better in 2023! To satiate the craving for a little extra out of the press photoshoots I did, here’s a little gallery of some of my favourite individual shots; they’re all favourites for a variety of reasons (mainly being that these individuals totally murdered their solo-camera time during our shoot) and are in no particular order:
Overall, the year felt like it was really touch-and-go with shows for me. I don’t know if that’s the burn-out talking, or if that’s just the reality of things. The handful of local shows I both photographed and attended as a spectator had wicked turn outs, and that’s always an awesome thing to see. Maybe more so now than previous years, ya know, ‘cause of the Vid wreaking havoc on everybody and everything fun in life, and all that. However, seeing a great swell in local attendance is only something to be happy about and thankful for. If I can speak plainly, and let’s be honest… This is my blog, so I’m gonna… Leading up to the pandemic stricken years, show attendance on the local level was kind of meh. So seeing a plethora of familiar and new faces at these local gigs can only mean good things ahead. Or so one can hope.
As for the big-time shows… To summarize them into one word? Explosive. Seeing internationally touring bands coming out of the pandemic swinging with both fists had me all sorts of stoked. Although many were ones that I have photographed before, and don’t get me wrong, I’ll happily photograph them again, there were a few bucket-list gigs that had me over the moon: Blackberry Smoke, Opeth and Avril Lavigne to name a few, although one of those gigs I really had a bone to pick with… 10 points if you actually follow my half-assed blog and can guess which one I’m talking about 👀 Much like the local gigs, it was just great to be within the atmosphere of live music again.
In truth, 2022’s rendition of concert events was really great. Yeah, it was slower than it maybe should have been for me, but as I’m sure many of you know and can relate, burn out is a great, big bitch. It’s something that I’ve been wrestling with for the last year, and I’m making it a goal to overcome it and kick it’s ass. Nothing is quite as gut-wrenching as looking at something I once revolved my whole life around, and feeling apathetic towards it. Perhaps I’m going through some sort of a phase, or a transition of thought, but either way, I’m looking forward to bursting out of it, quite like how Ace Ventura busted out of an animatronic rhino that one time.
On the flip side, I had another big year on a personal level. Many awesome things happened, and I’ll only speak on a few of them, otherwise you’ll be here for way too long. Between huge advancements like locking down a solid job that I enjoy doing most days to getting a drivers license (I know, some of you might be thinking “Isn’t she like, 30? and just getting a license now?” I’m 29, and yes, trauma sometimes creates late bloomers so shuddup.) This is a huge deal for me, and if you know me personally, you’ll understand why. Let’s brighten the mood, eh? I had a great year growing my passion project! If you’re not familiar, I’m currently on a journey of creating a photo-documentary of the dogs that reside in Edmonton, and I call it The Edmonton Dog Blog. It fills my cup to meet like-minded dog-people in the city who are down to share their dogs’ story, regardless of whether it’s peachy or heartbreaking. It’s totally adorable, and if you’re a dog-obsessed person like me, I think you’ll love it. I also got engaged! That’s right, someone went and put a ring on it, and I’m totally smitten. I’m looking forward to continuing the many musical and foodie inspired adventures that we’ll have forevermore. Who would have thought that someone who hired me to photograph their CD release at The Artery so many years ago would be asking me to spend their life with them. Pretty fuckin’ cute.
Alright, alright, mushy stuff aside, I had a massive achievement occur in 2022, and I really don’t think anything will top it. To give you a little backstory: In 2015 I photographed the formidable rock ‘n roll gods of AC/DC at Commonwealth Stadium in the pouring rain. This was my first stadium-level show, ever. So needless to say, it holds a sentimental place in my heart. Little did I know (or quite frankly, did anybody know) during this particular performance, frontman Brian Johnson completely lost his hearing. Fast forward to 2022, Mr Brian Johnson puts out an autobiography called The Lives of Brian, and wants to retell this specific story about how he lost his hearing during a gig in Edmonton. An email from Penguin Publishing comes across my inbox, asking to license an image. The image in question? One that I photographed during that show back in 2015! After pinching myself and agreeing to a deal with Penguin Publishing, I’m extremely proud to say that I’m officially internationally published in Brian Johnson’s book that’s currently being sold and read by book lovers and music fans all over the globe! Check the little carousel below for photos of the book, the photo in the book, and the photo I also had featured on Good Morning America during the release campaign of the book. The broadcast that features my photo can be seen HERE.
Okay folks, lets put a pin in this, shall we? If you’ve made it to this point… Congratulations! I’d like to extend a nice, healthy THANK YOU! Thank you everyone who has supported me throughout 2022, whether it was calling me for photo services, or referring me to your friends, thank you for letting me be a small part of your lives as musicians, music fans and lovers of photography.
You know the drill, I’m bringing another year end blog to a close, in the best way I know. I've sorted through the hundreds of photos that I've snapped over the course of the year and have compiled some of my personal favorites into a little gallery (in no particular order) for you to feast your eyes upon. I want to wish everyone (especially you ride or die homies who stuck through yet another on of my year end blogs) all the love, happiness and success in 2023! Let's kick it’s ass together, shall we?
From my heart to yours, HAPPY (late) NEW YEAR! 😘
Avril Lavigne @ Rogers Place - May 19, 2022
May Recap - Avril Lavigne, Billy Talent, Opeth & More
April seemed to fly by, and before I could stop my head from spinning, May was here. Kicking off the month strong with Canadian rock n roll heroes Billy Talent at the Edmonton Convention Centre, with Anti-Flag and fellow Canadians NOBRO opening up the night. All-girl punk bands are pretty sick in general, and NOBRO was pretty in-your-face about being a chick in this day and age. Anti-Flag was notably not in the mood to screw around; The Pittsburgh punk icons dominated the stage and had the audience in the palms of their hands for the entire duration of their set. Extremely impressive, if you ask me. However, I gotta say, it just floors me how good of a band Billy Talent is. Every time I get the opportunity to see Billy Talent I’m always thinking exactly that: “Fuck this band slaps”. Despite this show being one of many to fall victim to pandemic rescheduling, there room was quite full, and that was a heartwarming sight to see.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen Opeth and Mastodon, let alone on the same stage. Needless to say, catching these 2 bands at the Edmonton Expo Centre was must for me. I’ve been a big fan of both of these bands for some time, and I absolutely loved Mastodon’s latest release “Hushed and Grim”. Mastodon murdered a semi-crowd pleaser set, only playing a handful of new tunes and a bunch of bangers that had people going ape shit on the floor. If you’re a fan of Opeth, you’ll understand how pumped I was when I learned that they were planning to play “Ghost of Perdition”. This song came across the setlist during my allotted first-3-songs of shooting time, and I could feel a lump in my throat. I mean, can you blame me? That song totally slaps and they rarely play it. Don’t come at me for getting stoked, okay?! Anyway… Despite the hella challenging light show that this gig put forth, the performances were absolutely killer, and Khemmis was an undeniably suitable opener for this bill.
Calming down on the genre front for the weekend, I was please to have Alberta’s sweetheart, Corb Lund in front of my lens in an intimate setting at the Starlite Room, which was a very special opportunity. This was the second of three back-to-back-to-back sold out shows that Corb played over the weekend, and the house was so full, you couldn’t fit a fart in there. (It’s okay, you can giggle at that last remark.) Opening the night with singer-song writer Mike Plume who told stories of playing gigs with Corb, and played songs about life, drinking and being Canadian. The crowd ate this right up, and was red-hot for Corb to take the stage and bring the house down with his unconventional country tunes.
Returning to shoot a proper show at the Winspear Centre for the first time in something like, 4 years? I don’t even know how long its been, all I know is that it’s been a minute since I last got to be near that stage and in the room as a whole. Even better, with Shakey Graves on the stage to boot. The guy knows how to work a room, and it’s just so cool to watch. Between telling jokes that had the near sold-out Winspear Centre in stitches, to totally crushing just about every song he spat out into the microphone; Shakey could write a book about keeping people engaged when you’re the only one on stage. I absolutely adore this man’s music, so photographing him in this gorgeous room was such a pleasure, along with Winnipeg’s Begonia leading the charge with her contagious bubbly personality and super soulful singing.
Upon receiving the green-light to shoot Canada’s pop-punk princess, I couldn’t help but think that 9 year old me would have been screaming. I was looking super forward to shooting Avril Lavigne, however this one in particular ended up being quite bittersweet from a photographers perspective. This was intended to be a soundboard shoot, which in most cases kind of suck due to the distance from the stage and the overall lack of mobility, but upon arriving at the arena, it got so much worse. Unfortunately, we shutter bugs were placed double the distance farther back than we were originally supposed to be at, which posed a problem for many of us that evening. I know what you non-photographers might be thinking: “Dana, what about that giant white lens you run around with?” Well, the giant lens you usually see me with is awesome and works well for 99% of the shows I photograph. However, when I’m stationed at the soundboard (or in this case, Timbuktu.) a little more lens oomph is needed. I’d love to break down the sizing of lenses and how the significance of lens length matters in these situations, but that would just put you to sleep. If you’re REALLY that interested in learning more about it, send an email or slide into my DM’s. You do you. I digress, we photographers were stationed way far away from what we had anticipated, and that really took the piss out of my excitement for this show.
Now, just to get something straight, photographers seem to always have something to bitch about. Whether it’s shit lighting, or having to shoot from the soundboard, there’s always something that’s just unpleasant impeding the path to success when it comes to doing our jobs. Now, before you fellow shooters get your ginch in a twist over my truth bomb, hear me out! I bitch about these things ALL the time as well, but there’s always a bit of reasonable thought behind these complaints. In this case however, even the most seasoned shooter would have felt the pain in the ass that this situation posed. Why we were all stationed so far away, I don’t know. But I do know that it was lame, and unfortunate considering Avril killed her performance and the opportunity for better photos was totally swiped away. But, what can ya do. In the words of Ray LeFleur: “the fuckin’ way she goes.”
I ended the month of May shooting with my dudes in Sparrow Blue. I always love getting together with these guys, whether its a press shoot or for a gig, it’s always a pleasure. For this press shoot, we kicked it in 99ten, then wandered upstairs into The Common. Both of these spots have so much potential for great photos, so I’m glad the guys were able to nail down this location for our photoshoot. For this one, I used 2 soft boxes for a few of the shots, and then shifted gears to a simple bounce flash. If you want some more details on my gear for this shoot, hit me up here. Overall, the guys always kill it when we do our photoshoots, but I needed to include a photo of Jon from this gallery, simply because it’s like he can read my mind when we shoot; He does exactly what I need him to do without even having to tell him, not to mention he has hella style, and brings his A-game to every shoot we do. I know the guys are cooking up some juicy things for everyone, so if you’re into bluesy rock n roll, you’ll want to keep an eye on them.
Thank YOU for taking a hot minute (or two) to read my May recap blog! Got questions regarding what I shot throughout the month of May? Send me an email HERE with your concert photo questions, let’s nerd-out! But until then, stick around to get the scoop on June’s recap!
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Corey Taylor of Slipknot @ Rogers Place - April 15, 2022
April Recap - Slipknot, Imagine Dragons, Blackberry Smoke and more
April got real busy, real fast. But you won’t catch me complaining! Kicking off the month properly with Blackberry Smoke was a total treat. I had bought tickets for this show back when it was announced in early 2020, but thanks to the pandemic, it was rescheduled 2 times before finally being able to happen. It was well worth the wait, though! Midway hosted the show, and everything just sounded top notch. Aside from being a wicked-good shoot, Blackberry Smoke nailed every song they played, along with their “Cripple Creek” cover, which put a cherry on top of the evening.
Filming music videos is totally new territory for me, but I was thrilled to film one for Tessitura. Despite the drummer being my partner, and although that sometimes leads to us butting heads when discussing creative things, Gord and I sat on this particular dark, chaotic, strobey concept for some time. So, at last we decided to put our boots to the floor and spent a few days building a shoot-space for the video, and really rounding out the concept. The band is due to release a new album in June, so to unveil the first track off of the album, we applied our concept to the song “Gallows”, and I think it compliments the aggressive mood and overall in-your-face nature of the tune. We’ve got more video things in the bag for Tessitura, but I’m not spilling the beans on those just yet.
I always love shooting local talent. I cut my teeth on these local bands, and I’ll never not answer the call to photograph them when they need. It’s such a mutual benefit, plus there’s SO much hidden talent right here under our noses, and it’s a shame that more people aren’t aware of it. So naturally, when Skepsis asked me to photograph their album release show, I accepted. I’m glad I did, despite the show being a fuckin’ banger, I really needed an evening out. Upon receiving news of there being a death in my family, an evening surrounded by good friends and of course, seeing Skepsis melt faces at Shaker’s Roadhouse was just what my soul needed. I’m so proud of these guys for putting out this banger EP, and it was truly a pleasure to have them in front of my lens.
Watch me throw you a content-curve ball here. In case you didn’t get that joke, the curve ball is photos of a pop artist amongst these images of heavy metal performers. I was able to walk the halls of Rogers Place again this month, and it sure felt good. Imagine Dragons was a great first for getting back into the swing of things with arena-scale shows. This was my second time shooting them, and it was just as exciting as the first. Despite their music not really being my cup of tea, they put on a damn good show, and are hella entertaining to watch. They also won some brownie points among photographers on this tour cycle (I think). If by some wild chance one of them reads this shit blog, thanks for having confetti blasts during your first three songs, dudes!
Now this is the real deal right here. And by this, I mean Slipknot. It was almost poetic in a way — Back in 2015, Slipknot was my first arena show, ever. Now that the pandemic is pretending to be over, fast forward 7 years later, Slipknot is my first arena metal show after 2 years of nothing. It was like it was meant to be in a way. Or so I tell myself that. This set was composed of their crowd pleaser tunes, and people at Rogers Place just ate it up. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen people fly over the barricade that aggressively, and whether it’s because this is the first large-scale metal show to hit Edmonton in 2 years, or if it’s because, well, it’s fucking Slipknot, I’m not sure. Either way, I was anticipating this show for a very long time, and it was a total thrill to shoot Slipknot once again, and it felt even better to be warmly welcomed back into the environment.
Returning to the Starlite Room to shoot European powerhouses in Beast In Black was simply magical. The energy that this band produces and connects to their audience with is something that you don’t see very often, but it was really something to behold. Especially so, considering that this is Beast In Black’s first North American tour. Needless to say, I think their impression of Canada (at least) has been great, which is promising for future tours. Leading the pack with fellow power metallers in Seven Kingdoms, and of course Edmonton’s hometown heroes in Striker all shared the bill with Beast In Black. People went absolutely ape-shit for this show, and it was something that really filled my cup this month.
Rounding out the month of April with some homies is always the cherry on top of my monthly round up of photos. Have I mentioned how much I love working with local talent? I don’t really care if I sound like a broken record with this matter, ‘cause I’m saying it again! (deal with it). I had a wonderful time reconnecting with some old friends in Purple City DIsco as they opened up the Starlite Room for Electric Six on the 30th. Something about local groovy funk bands just gets me, and Purple City Disco is where it’s at.
Thank YOU for taking a hot minute (or two) to read my April recap blog! Got questions regarding what I shot throughout the month of April? Send me an email HERE with your concert photo questions, let’s nerd-out! But until then, stick around to get the scoop on May’s recap!