I shot photographs with Alkaline Trio last night and it was again a super show. I really like them live and feel they give a really good performance. Because they are quite a dark band, the lighting is mostly back lit and because you cannot use flash with bands like this, it makes it quite hard to shoot the way I would normally like (especially without smoke). For this reason I opted to shoot dark images and this is the result. Not as nice as I would’ve usually been able to get but I like them. I did shoot for a magazine so I cannot show any of the other stuff until the issue comes out but I had to post something because I have been getting mails asking about these.

After many emails I have also decided to post my images a little bigger so you will see that this has started with this post. Hopefully that will help you see better.

I hope you are all well. Marcus

Today was a super fun day. I worked with Kristopher Roe which is really exciting for me after only being in London for a short while. Kris is a photographer and amazing singer, song writer and front man of the band The Ataris and he is currently playing some acoustic shows in the UK and through out Europe. Having loved his music since back in the day, I was really overwhelmed and nervous to work with him today but we met up this afternoon and his humbleness made it really easy for me to be calm and besides having a good time taking photographs, it was really good just catching up with him and chatting about photography, music, life and their tour to South Africa in May (yes they are really coming).

Anyway, to cut this long story short, I shot a few portraits while walking around and these are just a few of them as well as some live ones of his show which was really good.

I shot this the other day when the boys from Zebra and Giraffe playing live in Hatfield. The lighting was not so good from a photo point of view and it was starting to rain so I never shot that many but I do like this one because you can see a bit of the crowd.

Listen to these guys, you will love them.

Ok, so my friends from Zebra and Giraffe played on Saturday night too and that is the main reason why I went to Tempos. I have shot with these guys so much before and witnessed many of the hours they have worked on their project and it’s crazy that I haven’t been able to get to one of their shows until now (but that is what work does).

Anyway, the show was really cool and I have to admit that I think I am going to become a Zebra and Giraffegroupie, not only cause they are friends but because they really are good at what they do. I think the album is good but I think their live show kills that album and makes it looks small. It just puts things into perspective for me and makes me want to listen to the album more and more so that I can sing along at their next show.

I really had fun shooting photographs by moving the smoke machine and getting in everyone’s face and just actually taking over the stage. The pics came out really good I think so that’s always exciting for me. These are just a few of them. Please let me know what you think.

Do yourself a favour and go watch them. I know you will enjoy it.

Hope you are all well. Have a good week. Marcus

Desmond and the Tutus also played on Saturday night and I really like them a lot. They seem to just have a fun time and work the crowd so that everyone has a good time. These are some of the photos from their show. I felt super bad being all up in their faces cause I don’t even know them.

Watched Kid of Doom at Tempos on Saturday night and really really like the sound these guys have. I just keep wishing that the keyboardist would grab the microphone and sing. My personal opinion though. Shot a few pics just to check lighting. These are them.

Some of my photographs of 30 Seconds to Mars are being used on the new Jared Leto fan site in Germany and I think it’s cool. Check it out if you a fan of Jared Leto.

Reach had their album launch at Doors in the Vale on saturday night. I made it super late and left right after them cause I was done. They are super cool though and I cannot wait to get my hands on their album. I am sure they owe me one. Haha.

These are just a few photos from the show. Lighting was terrible to photograph in but I knew that would be the case. I like these though.

Hope you all well. M

This photograph is quite old but I just found it backing up my drives and liked it quite a lot. I am posting it because Greg is the front man from Reach and they have just launched their debut album entitled Fire and Grace and you need to check it out if you can. You can listen to some of the tracks on their myspace page by going here www.myspace.com/reachrock

This passed saturday The Exploited played live in Johannesburg. They have been playing punk rock since 1980 and I wasn’t even alive then. The singer honestly had the most stage energy I have ever seen in my life. The show got completely out of hand and I saw people actually getting trampled. I was pretty scared so I just hung out in the backstage and watched the show from a safe place. It was really complete chaos as my buddy, Tyrone, explains.

It was good though and I got some pretty cool photographs. You can see in the third one how much spit and sweat was flying around. I buried myself in my hoodie and am taking my camera to Nikon right now for a clean up.

Thanks so much to Nick from Punk Safari for bringing out bands and supporting the scene here so much.

Bloodline Ltd was another opening band before Exploited and these guys always get the crowd rattled up. The energy of the guys is something to appreciate even if you aren’t into the hardcore scene. Check these guys out especially live.

Fuzigish was one of the opening bands from the Exploited tour and as always they played super.

aKing is one of my favourite bands of late and their album has been killed in my cd player since it’s release. There is just something about them that I really like and I think I really relate to their style of music. It’s always super crowded at their shows so when I found out they were playing the live at 5 in studio this weekend I had to make a plan. The boss hooked it up for me as he was doing the mixing for the live feed. Anyway, as always, I had a good time and even though the lighting is always terrible, I shot a few photographs. These two are of Laudo, the frontman. His presence is super and really different to most other bands. He doesn’t run around going crazy but concentrates on making good music. If you haven’t listened to them yet, make a plan.

Seether performed an acoustic set at my friends studio today to record for Live at 5 and I shot a few photographs of them jamming. I didn’t want to get in the way much so I didn’t shoot as many as I would’ve liked to and also the lights there are really really terrible. I like these two quite a lot though.

The boys from Zebra and Giraffe are busy practicing together so that they can have a super live show ready soon. Its going to so good I tell you. I interrupted their practice last night and they really are working hard. The album has just started hitting shelves so be sure to get yourself a copy. Check out their video blog on YouTube by clicking here.

Zebra and Giraffe is ready to go and again I am going to push them because I think the album is awesome and going to do super well. Greg Carlin is the brains behind this project and this was my second shoot with him. I really like his ideas and am super excited to be working with him. He was filming a music video yesterday for his first single and these are some of the shots I got in between takes.

My friends, Bemo and Buddha, were guests on UJ FM last week and Alan and I decided to go along and party with them and obviously shoot photographs. It was super cool and hopefully they will get to do it again.

With everything that has been going on here I just realized that I hadn’t yet posted this even though I thought it was done last week. Crazy.

My friends from Harris Tweed have been in studio with Brent Knopf from Menomena and I went to shoot some photographs of them finishing things up before Brent headed back to Portland. It was super fun because they had some of the crew from the Wits Choir in studio with them to record vocals and honestly it all sounds incredible.

I cannot wait to hear this album when it is finished.

My friends from Harris Tweed are currently in studio working hard on their new album so today we went passed to see how it is going and shoot some photographs. It’s all sounding bloody amazing as imaginable so this blog is to wish them good luck with the rest of their time on this.

We are shooting the new album photographs quite soon so I will keep you posted on them as we go along.

Last set of band photographs I am going to post from Coke Fest, I never really expected much from the Good Charlotte crew but they definitely proved me wrong and I found myself tapping my feet to the music. They were tight and really good at what they do. Always a good thing to witness.

As grumpy as this may sound, I really don’t enjoy shooting photographs of bands playing in the day but it is true. For this reason, I only shot a few of the guys from Kaiser Chiefs.

Instead I just sat back and enjoyed the sounds for a change. They were as fun to watch as their music is to listen. Not sure what else to say besides “Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby”.

Ok, the long weekend is over and family time has been put in so now I can look through my photographs from the weekend and try and post some of the ones I like. 30 Seconds to Mars also played on friday at the Coke Fest and they were super rad. They are headed up by Jared Leto and he definitely knows how to put on a good live show with plenty crowd involvement. My friend Keli loves him to bits and it would’ve been so rad if she was with me to rock it.

Ahhh, a fun day.

Last night I shot a bunch of bands at the Coke Fest and then I shot Muse. HOLY cow, they are definitely the best band I have EVER seen in my life. Going to buy their dvd now.

Might upload some photographs of the other bands later, not sure.

Have a super Easter weekend. M

My buddy Alan is playing in the band Cassette for a bit and I went last night to shoot photographs of them playing at the new Mini launch. He’s a proper rocker and they are super fun to watch live.

I shot this photograph of Noodles during The Offspring‘s tour to South Africa. That was a fun show with memories from long ago.

Ok Go performed a show yesterday at Emmarentia Dam and it was super rad. I have always liked their music but it was never in my favourites list. Live though, definitely one of the most organized and tightest bands I have ever seen. So fun and just an all round awesome show.

I went to see Flash Republic play at Legends in Pretoria, with my fiance and my sister, on saturday night. The venue was amazing but the lighting for the venue wasn’t that good so I only shot a few photographs for the hell of it. I like this one a lot. As always, Flash were amazing.

I think my most favourite band to watch at Woodstock this year was definitely the band Fire Through The Window. The main members include Sinead (fun girl with a pretty voice) and Marc from Nemesis Army and Permission to Float (guitar and vocals). Marc reminds me so much of Jack Black from the band Tenacious D and I mean that in a super good way. He really is the coolest acoustic guitar player I have watched in ages. It was muddy and again the light was not good so I never shot much of them but I hope I will be able to soon. Awesome band.

I have been wanting to shoot photographs of the guys from New Born Fire for ages but something always gets in the way. I got to shoot a few of them playing on the Revolution Stage at Woodstock 9 last weekend but the lighting wasn’t that great cause it was still daytime and I hate shooting live band photos then. Anyway, these ones are really cool actually and these guys are so fun to watch and listen too. Check them out if you haven’t.

NOFX is currently touring South Africa thanks to the guys from Punk Safari. I went to the show last night and it really brought back a lot of good memories from when I was younger and just getting into skateboarding with my friends. These guys have been playing together for basically as long as I have been alive for. Crazy.