The Black Angels at Brooklyn Steel
With The Vacant Lots
Photographers can have a separate (and never equal) standard for judging their anticipation of concerts. When I haven’t seen a band perform live before, it sometimes comes down to 1) the opinions of other photogs in the pit and 2) the lighting design. For The Black Angels, the first person I spoke to in the pit told me how he sees them every time they’re in NYC; and the lighting last night from designer Branson Fairbrother was phenomenal.
My favorite moments of the night were shooting Stephanie Bailey absolutely killing it on drums, and Christian Bland’s effortless stage presence and engagement with the space on guitar. The saturated lighting and scrim of projected light over the band gave the stage a constantly changing texture that was a joy to shoot.
Tand’s Wilderness of Mirrors record came out in September on Partisan Records, and their continues throughout this month in North America before moving on to Europe early next year. Thanks to Stern Management for the chance to shoot them!
