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Jethro Tull concert (at least, in part)
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:06 pm    Post subject: Jethro Tull concert (at least, in part) Reply with quote

This evening I have been to a festival and photographed the concert of Clive Bunker and Mike Abrahams - that is, half of the original Jethro Tull formation (This Was).

My little town and surroundings are really strange, you have nothing happening for months, and then all of a sudden you have many events happening together in the same evening. There was the Bunker-Abrahams concert 9 kms from here, and also an experimental music concert in the castle of Scipione (must have been a fantastic scenery) dedicated to the memory of Demetrio Stratos, and finally a street event downtown with music and live acting.

I had to make a choice, and being a long time Tull fan, I decided to go to see what it was about.

The environment was very loose and relaxed so I could take a lot of pictures. I will post something as soon as I can.

ADDED NOTE: If you prefer to see the series as a gallery instead of single images, go here:

http://www.orio.ws/temp/jethro/index.html


_


Last edited by Orio on Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:12 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK here I am... I was really tired yesterday, had to sleep. Smile

So I went to the concert and took with me the three fastest lenses that I have (outside of 50mm. lenses), that are:

- Distagon 35mm. 1.4
- Planar 85mm 1.4
- Planar 135mm. 2

The Distagon was permanently on the 5D, while I switched the two Planars on the 400D.

I think you will easily tell the Distagon from the Planars - as for which tele is which, I am not sure to remember correctly, I switched the two quite often.

Of course high ISO - 400 and 800 on the 5D, 800 and 1600 on the 400D.
I have chosen not to remove the noise. Part I'm lazy, part it also feels normal in such type of photography.

Before I go on with the pictures, a few considerations:

- I need a third body, another 400D will be fine no need for a FF, but three cams are very important in some situations. Two are just not enough.

- taking pictures on a stage where lights constantly change in intensity and direction is about one of the most difficult photography task. After some tentatives of doing spot metering each time, or average metering, in AP mode, and seeing the rate of failure, I just decided to make an average metering, switch to Manual mode, and stay there and never watch the light meter anymore. Actually, this barbarian method proved to be the most effective in the end!

- Focusing manual lenses on a stage that is dark with bright spots, on people that are constantly in movement, is a real pain in the ***. For a moment I really wished I had Autofocus plastic lenses (gee did I really say that?) Shocked

- all in all, the garbage/keepers rate in this type of situation is much higher than in daylight street festivals and even in sport events. So final advice: SHOOT-A-LOT, LANCELOT! Very Happy


Last edited by Orio on Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:13 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. setting the stage up

The final touches to the stage illumination
(Distagon)



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

2. the opening act



(Distagon)
The Tull Tribute night was opened by a duo (guitarist-vocalist, but sometimes a guitarist from the Tull cover band joined them on stage) who performed some Jethro Tull and Traffic songs in their own way. The young lady had a charming voice, like an angel, much in the Celtic style. It was strange to hear the Tull songs with a female voice, but I think in the end it was a nice twist - the whole ending up like a crossover between Tull and more folkish approach (such as Pentagle)


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

3.



(I think this was the Planar 135)

_


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

4.



This is a situation where I really wish I had a Foveon sensor camera. The red spotlights make the Beyer sensor take a very low resolution image Crying or Very sad


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

5.



This is really a missed focus image (horribly backfocused) and should be in the trash, but I find the smoke has a really curious ghostly hand shape - quite eerie if you ask me - so I thought it was worth showing to you because of that Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now I take a short break to eat something, after I will post the main act photos Smile


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

6. Main act, first part: Beggar's Farm with the two Tulls as guests



The main act was divided in two parts, in the first the Italian Tull cover band "Beggar's Farm" performed some of the main Tull hits along with Bunker and Abrahams as guests. Here on drums you can already glimpse Clive Bunker.
The cover band was a real surprise, usually you expect sloppy wannabees, but these guys were REALLY solid musicians, very tight, and musically every inch as good as the real Tull musicians. In other words, real pros. You could not tell any quality difference between their playing and that of Bunker and Abrahams.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

7. Clive Bunker



Clive Bunker was behind the drums all the time, and it was very difficult to photograph. This is about the best shot I could get of him.
I was impressed by the energy of his performance. At the not green anymore age of 58, the guy really pounded relentlessly on the drums from beginning to end and didn't miss a beat - it was like listening to an electronic drum, so much was his precision.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

8.



The Ian Anderson "replicator" was really a talented guy - he sang in the same register of the original (obviously) and was quite similar, but I appreciated the fact that he was not mimicking - he didn't mimick Anderson's moves or voice inflextions. He sang in Anderson's tone, but with his own style. And the flute part, well, that was the real surprise! He went through all the parts with incredible ease. This guy knows how to play.


Last edited by Orio on Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:36 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

9. Mike Abrahams



Then, all of a sudden, Mike Abrahams showed up on stage!

_


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

10.



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

11.



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

12.



This, I think, is the best shot that I took yesterday evening.
I am very happy with this shot.
(Distagon, of course)

_


Last edited by Orio on Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:36 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

13.



The audience appreciates.

The area of the Festival where the concert took place was called the "Young People Space", but to be honest, when the Tull guys entered the stage, there I saw much more people close to retirement age Twisted Evil


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

14.



When the band played songs like "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath", Abrahams left the stage, because he was not part of Tull anymore at the time - but Clive Bunker obviously remained!
I tell you, it was a real emotion to hear him play the drums on "Aqualung". I recognized every drum passage, even if I didn't listen to the song in years. It was really like a quantum leap to the past, when I was a teenager listening to the Aqualung LP in those hot long summer afternoon of the Seventies.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

15. "Locomotive Breath"



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

16. Clive's drum solo



During "Locomotive Breath" Clive Bunker played a long drum solo. Unfortunately it was so smoky that I almost couldn't see anything! Shocked


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

17.



When the smoke finally faded, the solo was over.


Last edited by Orio on Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:21 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

18. The Abrahams-Bunker Trio

For the second half of the main set, the cover band left the stage with the exception of the bassist, who joined Abrahams and Bunker for their Trio set. The music changed radically. Abrahams and Bunker today play a very gritty blues-rock. They also made a recording I think. A radical change from the Tull atmospheres. I'm not sure the audience really appreciated. I listened for half an hour then I left - I can only take the rock-blues in small doses, after a while it begins to sound all the same to my ears.

Here Mr. Abrahams tunes his guitar while returning on stage for the Trio set.



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

19.

Guitar operations again:



PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

20.



The bass player, and Clive Bunker in the background.

_


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

21.



The Trio at play.
Now lunch break Smile after I will post the last pictures.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perfect light - a proof for your great command of this manual lens and your good eyesight Wink For me this would be too dark to get the focus right.

Michael