09.02
30 August 2008 saw the Brian Jonestown Massacre back in Melbourne for the first time in several years. The venue was the Hifi Bar and the place was packed to the rafters.
First on stage were The Lovetones – they kicked off with Mantra and kept the crowd bopping along nicely.
The sound was great and it was the first time in a while I had the chance to photograph them under some decent light.
The Hifi Bar is a great venue to see bands but as a photographer it can be rather challenging, especially on nights like Saturday where you are dealing with a full house and there is no photo pit. As a drinking bar it also leaves plenty to be desired – you have to fight your way to the back to grab a drink and when you get there the only beer they serve is Tooheys or substandard European swill.
After a brief break the Brian Jonestown Massacre made their way on stage; no-one was quite sure what to expect from their quixotic front man Anton Newcombe; would it be fisticuffs with the band and/or crowd, would it be vindictive tirades directed at the audience or would he be in the mood to entertain the capacity crowd with some of his well crafted songs? Thankfully it was the latter.
From a photographic perspective this was one of the most challenging shows I have been 
confronted with for a long time – Anton was positioned stage left well out of the lights, a candle would have provided more light and then there were some obnoxious peons who thought it was entertaining to jostle me whenever I went to get off a shot or wave their hands or a sweatshirt in front of my lens.
BJM were really on form and the music ebbed and flowed – there were a few minor breaks for refreshments; Vodka and cigarettes being the favoured forms of refreshment. There were a couple of interludes where special guests were called to the stage to perform, namely Matt Tow of The Lovetones and Aimee Nash of The Black Ryder (and formerly of The Morning After Girls).
All in all a great night of music.
Photos can be seen at:
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