Peter Gabriel at WOMAD

For as long as I can remember I've had a wish to photograph a big name concert and also to photograph Peter Gabriel in concert. On the 25th July 2009 at the Charlton Park WOMAD festival both of those ambitions merged into one and became a reality. Normally getting a decent camera into a concert and using it is all but impossible without a media pass. I'd tried in vain to get myself media accreditation in the days prior to the concert but in the end I was happy to have been turned down. The press were only allowed to shoot the first 3 songs and then they were gone.

With the help from Alan and Ian, two friends I have met at other Peter Gabriel concerts over the years, and a trick of bringing back two glasses of beer for them enabled me to get within 3 rows of the stage without actually having to wait there for 5 hours.

Peter and his band came on stage around 21:30 and played for around 90 minutes. The set list went something like this;

Boy In The Bubble
The Book Of Love
Darkness
Come Talk To Me
Steam
Downside Up
Games Without Frontiers
No Self-Control
Big Time
Washing Of The Water
The Tower That Ate People
San Jacinto
Red Rain
Solsbury Hill
Biko

A couple of links of interest. Firstly to WOMAD, and secondly to an organisation that Peter strongly supports Witness.org.

I'm really happy with the results but you be the judge - take a look for yourself.

Apparently I look better in black & white

Normally I'm the one hiding behind the camera lens, but I liked the idea of getting my own Character photos done so much that I decided to be brave and go for it.

I had my good friend Jules Addison take the photos.  I knew roughly what I wanted, and Jules knows my photography style well because I shot his wedding a month or so earlier.

The idea behind a character photoshoot is to try and bring out more personally of the subject than a standard business portrait would, hence I bought along my silly hat, a pair of sunglasses and a camera to pose with.

It was only during the processing of the images that I came to the quick conclusion that I look better in black and white.

It was an interesting experience, and helped me to discover just how awkward having your picture taken can feel to someone who is not used to it.

I personally quite like the photos, probably some of the best of me that I've got.  However you make up your own mind....