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Lipali & Ocean @ Klub Studio, Kraków – 8 XI 2009
I haven’t been to the gig but Aśka Combik, who took the pictures, said it really rocked. The lights were decent and Lipali is a pretty good band to photograph (don’t know about Ocean – never shot them).
The only problem was that most people, who came to see Lipali, thought that the band will play after Ocean. And they were wrong. Very wrong.
The photos were done for Onet.pl.
Trójka Tour (Gaba Kulka, Dick4Dick & Czesław Śpiewa) @ 10 XI 2009
Trójka Tour brought together three popular polish acts: Gaba Kulka, Dick4Dick and Czesław Śpiewa. Pretty nice combination of electro-rock, jazzy pop and cabaret.
I saw Dick4Dick years ago, when they were some sort of a local attraction and gained quite a big number of fans. The shows were different there, much more energy and crazyness, however they are still great to listen to. As for Czesław, I didn’t stay untill the end of the show but he and his band were charming as usuall – it’s really hard to belive thet their music, best sung and listened to in a small club, still has the charm and moves tens of people, in a big club such as Studio. And Gaba? It was the 5th time seeing her this year, and 8th in total. It’s nice to see a singer-songwriter that you met a couple years ago, going from playing shows for 15-20 people now entering almost all the biggest polish festivals and clubs and instantly winning the crowd. However, nothing can compare to her intimate gigs at Ucho club (she played one this year, and for me, it was one of the best concerts of the 09). It’s not worst, it’s just different for me.
Funny thing, the managment phoned me to inform me that we were denied all the passes because of the DVD/program recording, but in the end I managed to enter the pit. There were 7 or 8 cameras on the whole location, so it was just like shooting Behemoth in Stodoła – looking out for the camera, not stepping on the cables and so on. Also the lights differed from song to song, the background was a red curtain (reminded me of the Red Room from Twin Peaks!). Also, it was a one-time event (on the next shows they will have only 2 or 3 cameras) so maybe I’ll end up in a DVD? Who knows;)
Big thanks goes to Piotr Miecznikowski and Damian Moskalski.
W.A.S.P. @ Klub Studio, Kraków – 9 XI 2009
Rocking out loud! Wide-range lenses, fisheye and close-range lenses were invented for bands such as W.A.S.P. – lots of going on on the stage, guitars centimetres from your eyes, great lights! What a photographer would want more?
The photos were done for Wp.pl. And if you are interested in buying the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Article about concert photograhy…
…which has some quotes from us. Also the whole issue is dedicated to concert photography. Pity, it’s not very much but I hope it’s only the beginning of the series!
Thanks to Kaśka Paluch and Maciek Stankiewicz.
Free Form Festival 2009 @ Warszawa – 16/17 X 2009
Last year’s edition of Free Form Festival was my first. I really liked the fest and there were many nice things going around for me at that time, so having good memories and being asked to shoot the meet & greets with the artists, I decided to visit FFF for the second time.
The biggest disappointment (for me) was the location and the weather. Free Form had really bad luck, because just days earlier almost whole Poland was struck by snowstorms/storms/low temperature and it was mid-October and the place it was. So it was pretty cold and I ended up being wrapped in two hoodies plus a winter jacket – nice and warm. The place itself wasn’t so bad, but it didn’t have the atmosphere the previous location (Fabryka Trzciny) had.
The gigs were OK, but three of them just blew me away – Karl Bartos, Birdy Nam Nam and Vive la Fête. Bartos performed the stuff he did with Kraftwerk and I finally got to listen to some of my favorite songs ever, songs that shaped electornic music, songs that my Dad used to play me when I was little (I was so scared of the metalic voices in Trans Europe Express). still I’m soo mad I haven’t seen them in Kraków last year and it will be one of the biggest “concert” mistakes of my life. I don’t know why, but Kraftwerk’s “machine music” always brings tears to my eyes. Birdy Nam Nam’s and Vive la Fête’s performances were, on the other hand, full of energy, loud noises and should be put in a dictionary as words that are used to describe the word party. Party on, party hard. And that was what the crowd did!
Big thanks goes out to Kasia Tarka, for all the help, and Monika, for letting me stay at her flat, helping me not to freeze at the party, not being mad at me for returning at some mad hours and eating the food from her fridge:) And, of course, a festival gallery would not be complete without my “trademark” picture of H., my festival soul mate, my BOO! brother and one of the best people in the whole universe!
The photos were done for Good Music Productions. And if you are interested in buying the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Riverside @ Progresja, Warszawa – 18 X 2009
Sunday in Warsaw was supposed to be devoted to resting after Free Form Festival, but turned out to be my forth night in a row in a concert pit. Lovely! Just, this time it was one of the most popular Polish alternative bands, Riverside. The full coveragel, with a great review by Zbyszek Zegler can be found here.
At the entrance I was informed that there was no pit and we were supposed to shoot from the crowd. Earlier that day I was wondering if I should take it or leave it. Sometimes it’s good not to be lazy! The club was packed so the ladder was a great help that night. The lights were much better than last time, when I saw Riverside – but not great. You know, progressive rock bands have to have some mysterious atmosphere around them:). The concert was also more interesting (lot’s of crowd singing, trumpets present on stage during one song, better setlist and so on) then the one I saw in March.
Funny thing though – I thought the gig was supposed to start at 20, but when I entered the club at 19.30, the first band (out of the three that were playing that night) has just left the stage.
The photos were done for Wp.pl. And if you are interested in buying the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Archive @ Klub Studio, Kraków – 15 X 2009
I don’t recall the Studio club so packed..and I’ve been there on many occasions. I wasn’t aware of Archive‘s popularity in Poland until I saw the huge crowd in the club, and listened to the people who were on their Warsaw gig – a sold-out as well. They are a very nice mix of progressive rock, trip-hop and electronic – genres that always were and always will be popular here – so maybe that’s the answer? However, what a ordinary listener, like me, can say they are definitely great live!
The support for the night was BirdPen (a side project of one of Archive‘s musicians), a very decent band wit ha tragic lighting. The same goes for the main dish – but, of course, after the three first songs the lights got better. As usual…
Funny thing – the gig was supposed to start at 19.00, but when I entered the club at 18.30 the support was already playing. I think that’s the second time, the band started earlier than they were supposed to.
Also, there were rumours that the show’s gonna be cancelled because of the awful weather (Kraków experienced a heavy snowstorm the day earlier). Nothing of that kind!
The photos were done, both, for Wp.pl and Onet.pl. And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Tomasz Bednarczyk // Portraits
Last week I finally got to meet Tomasz Bednarczyk in person. Tomek is a young Polish musician with whom we’ve collaborated on his album cover. We spend some time swapping messages on web communicators and e-mails but never really met. This changed last Saturday, when Tomek, Wojtek and me met for a couple of hours.
Tomek turned out to be a wonderful guy, with a vast knowledge of music and lots of ideas. It’s really great that he also has interests in other genres than experimental (for example: T. is a huge Deftones fan). I hope we will met more often. As for Tomek’s live performances if you live in UK and Spain be sure to check his shows.
The photos were shot in Erdal Factory (located in Kazimierz, Kraków), where the whole installation was. I just couldn’t resist the nice lighting and the industrial climate that was in the rooms. Have to visit the place one more time! We also shoot some analog stuff but I have to wait for the film to be developed.
Behemoth, Azarath, Hermh & Black River @ Stodoła, Warszawa – 25 IX 2009
After seeing the photos from Kala and Fotogrip, I’ve decided to show some of my Behemoth stuff – pics from their new tour.
I’m not really into metal that much – I like some bands, I look forward to some of the gigs but not really a metal fan. Concerts however change my perception of the bands material and, sometimes, want me to dig deeper into their discography. Hermh got me interested into into their work, as I really have a craving for a good black metal once in a while. Behemoth on the other hand pulled out a great show – lots of energy, fire, crazy lights. Felt really good not only watching but listening to their music. I strongly recommend you go and see the guys. In his review, Zbyszek Zegler wrote, that Behemoth reached the world class of musician and could easily compete with the best of the genre. As I said before, I’m not that much into metal, but the gig was one of the best I’ve seen in a while.
Oh, and if any concert promoter is reading this (I know you are!) please take Wolves In The Throne Room out from their forest and explain that concerts are good. Really.
After what I’ve read and heard photographing Behemoth in Stodoła was an easy task – less light and worst conditions were in other clubs. Except from the fact that we had a camera installed in front of us, which was going left-to-right. Annoying, but challenging stuff. What amazed me, I flicked through the pics one more time, after 2 weeks there were made and discovered some shots I thought were boring and not worth using. Some small changes and adjustments made them into one of my favourite pics from this half of the year!
You can see some different photos and a more detailed review by Zbyszek Zegler here.
The photos were done, both, for Wp.pl. And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Macy Gray @ Sala Kongresowa, Warszawa – 6 IX 2009
After a two day marathon at the Orange Warsaw Festival, I ended up at Sala Kongresowa shooting Macy Gray. Apart from the 30 minute delay, everything was quite OK. A very energetic performance, great vocalist and musicians! Although it was the second time this year, that Macy has performed in Poland, the house was packed.
And I really like to shot in Kongresowa. Most people don’t, can’t figure out why. It’s really not so bad, if you only ignore/don’t interact/quarrel with the people sitting in the front rows, who can’t understand you’re just doing your job for the first three songs or less. Thank god, there are less and less of them every time I come there.
The photos were done, both, for Wp.pl. And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us.
SoundEdit @ Łódż – 11/12 IX 2009
When I was attending the Fryderyki ceremony earlier this year, I came across my friend, Maciek Werk, who told me that he’ll be organising an extraordinary event – a festival for music producers – an event that is one of a kind…in the whole world. He had great plans for the event and wanted to invite many people connected with the music business. A bit of fast forward and we had September and the Soundedit festival itself!
Meeting the people who produced some of your favorite records (“Achtung Baby” by U2 or “Black Celebration” by Depeche Mode) is really something for every music fan. And participating in various workshops, seeing and listening how they were done is something I recommend to everyone who are not only interested in music listening but are looking for something more. Also, two concerts by Daniel Lanois and his team were held – the same setlist but one was a soundcheck and the other a regular gig. Personally, I think the first one was much better – a small crowded room, a decent crowd and a lot of energy. Lanois band is one of the best instrumentalists (and vocalists!) I’ve seen in a long time. If you have and opportunity – check them!
The full program can be seen here. Big thanks go to Maciek Werk and the wonderful couple, Joanna Świderska & Adam Kozłowski (aka Photomafia), for letting me stay in their georgeous flat, showing me around town and much more! And what can I say? See you during the Soundedit 2010 edition!
The photos were done, both, for Wp.pl and the Soundedit Festival. And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Wojtek Krasowski // FQP
I think a five minute shot, a quickie, after a nice walk and a dinner. Part of a bigger photoshoot but those three I liked the most. Why am I writing that and not posting any gig photos?
The reason is yestarday, after months (even years…) of hard work, tons of e-mails and hours spend in front of the computer screen, Wojtek (along with his two mates, Czarek Rudaś and Maciej Nejman) officially started Few Quiet People label. Focused on experimental music, the label has many other aims which will be revealed in the following months.
In the meantime, you can download the promo CD for free and listen to some of the best experimental stuff that is made in our country and abroad. If not the easiest way to get yourself drowned into the river of experimental, noise, ambiend and drone sounds, but the promo gives you a nice overall look at the scene.
We’ve done some photos from them, with more stuff on the way, so we are really happy to see the project finally available to the larger audience.
God Is An Astronaut, Caspian & Tides From Nebula @ Ucho, Gdynia – 8 IX 2009
Post-rock heaven – that’s what you should name that tour. Great bands, great music and great people. All rolled into one, long evening. Had a great time with Ania, Marta, Kala, Maciek, Paweł and Kuba. And loads of other people! That’s why I love the Ucho club. Everybody’s there, all the familiar faces. I was very happy to shot there again and talk to the club’s manager, Karol, about the upcoming plans. Great gigs on the way and even more being planned, so if you’re around Trójmiasto be sure to check the club’s scheldue – it may really suprise you sometimes!
On the other hand the show had the worst photographic conditions I’ve seen in a long time. There was no pit, the club was packed full-house, there was almost no light (only red lights from the top, apart from God Is An Astronaut, who had their own visualisation…the only source of light during their gig). And flash? Forget about it!
Both the review and the photos were done for Wp.pl. You can see the gallery here.
And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us.
Orange Warsaw Festival 2009 @ Warszawa – 4/5 IX 2009
50,000 people, pretty good line-up (The Crystal Method, MGMT, Skinny Patrini, Clive Harris and more), located in the center of Warsaw, the capital of Poland – Orange Warsaw Festival. And the admissiom price? Free!
Until I get the response from Snap Event, there will only be links to the galleries on Wirtualna Polska.
- Groove Armada, Calvin Harris & The Crystal Method
- N*E*R*D & MGMT
- Skinny Patrini & Afromental
- Razorlight & Smolik Big Band Project
- Maria Sadowska & JaConfetti
Big thanks go out to Konrad, who let me stay in his beautiful flat for a couple of days and tolerated my unstoppable desire for different kinds of tea.
Tauron Nowa Muzyka 2009 @ Katowice – 28/29/30 VIII 2009
I didn’t know if I would go to the festival with or without my camera (Aśka Combik got her confirmation months ago), but two days before I was finally told, that I’m gonna shoot the event.
I was, and still am, stunned by the line-up. A nice mix of diversity and the “new” sounds from around the globe.
However, non of the concerts stunned me like HEALTH, Fucked Up or M83 did that summer. I really expected a lot from Pivot and Planningtorock but walked away dissapointed big time. Not that much from Fever Ray – I really didn’t get the into her solo work, but I was more than happy to hear the voice that made me cry when I saw that video. See you next time Karin, but please, with The Knife this time!
And Dan Deacon got cancelled so I threw my pain of not posessing a wide-angle lens away…at least for a week. But using a wide angle and a fisheye would be fun – the stages weren’t that big and you could use it for a few nice shots. Next week I’m at the Orange Warsaw, so there’s gonna be a huge difference.
It’s all a proof of the fact that Poland became with many interesting concerts and festivals. And no matter how “strangely” the Tauron Nowa Muzyka is organised and how it deals with a problem of it’s set location (I hope it will be the same place again next year), it’s still one of the most interesting events to go to. I just hope that next year I won’t be sleeping in different places every night:)
Lots, lots of thanks goes out to Hennessy Williams (again!), Marceli Szpak, Graftmann and my last.fm mates!
Coke Live Festival @ Kraków – 20/21/22 VIII 2009
Last year I went to Coke Live Music and got back with a huge amount of dissapointment. The gigs weren’t great, the atmosphere was so-so and I was thinking of not returning this year…However, when I saw James, The Killers and NAS on the poster I decided to go. Contacted the folks at WP.pl (a website I collaborate with) if they were interested with the photos plus a review of the fest and after getting the “green light” I applied for the photo pass.
Really, concerts this year – brilliant! Got a total blast from James, NAS and Lupe Fiasco. James was a pretty nice suprise to the line-up, but the band managed to play a great performance! The same goes for Lupe Fiasco and NAS – two great hip-hop artists. Lupe came with his DJ and a drummer, while NAS put a great show with a live band (plus – a DJ of course;). Hell of a show!
The Killers -a big dissapointment for me. I loved the first record, I really did. But the rest…well. A copy of a copy of a copy from the first LP. The songs sound flat and they do not posess the magic, the ones from “Hot Fuss” did. What’s worse, I got the idea that the band is aware of this: almost all pieces from the last part of the concert came from the debut… And the “no-photo” policy plus the lack of small (but always nice!) things like comming from the stage info the audience. Come on! James started playing FROM the crowd and often the singer would get off the stage and interacted with the audience. Personally, I love those kinds of things!
While the line-up consisted mostly of hip-hop and reagge, it didn’t bother me that much. From politically-involved to pure fun – all faces of those genres were shown. I just hope that next year, more electronic and pop will be present. But inviting The Roots, Beastie Boys or Kanye West wouldn’t hurt a bit!
(Excuse me the absence of The Killers photos, but they did not allow photographers to enter the pit. Their photos were provided by their private photographer, and Brandon’s brother-in-law, Torey Mundkowsky. Well, the guys always seemed to be a “big” friend of all the photographers ..)
And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us. More photos can be seen on Wp.pl.
Off Festival @ Mysłowice – 6/7/8/9/ VIII 2009
(Disclamer: Dear People Who Take Care Of Our Roads And Trains – we live in a country of 40 million, with blooming economy and culture, with more and more tourists comming each year. And it took me about 9 hours to get from one side of the country to another, and it will take me more to get back to Gdynia, because all neat train connections were..cancelled. What the funk is that?)
Thanks to Utek, we started our journey on Wednesday, drove almost through the whole country and ended up in Tychy, a nice town near Mysłowice, where Off is taking place.
Before the first day shows we hanged out with Hennessy Williams, a bootleger from Warsaw, who’s preparing loads and loads of boots from this years Off (be sure to check the list on his site!). We saw three shows (great performance by Paristetris and The Complainer & The Complainers!), talked with Jarek Szubrycht (we’re both so excited that Sun 0))) are playing during Unsound Festival!) and headed back home. A short prelude before a veeery long weekend full of space rock, electronic monsters and experiments from music magicians from all around the globe. Cheers!
And if you are interested in buying any of the photos for a publication, please contact us. More photos can be seen on Onet.pl.
Knock Out Festival 2009 @ Hala TS Wisła, Kraków – 11/12 VII 2009
It was a second time I’ve attended a metal festival this big (first was Metal Hammer Festival in 2007 – but it was much, much bigger and it was one of the first festivals I’ve attended as a photographer). Quite a line-up, ranging from progressive metal, sludge, death metal and trash to post-rock and metalcore bands.
Great performances by the foreing gigants such as The Dillinger Escape Plan (I couldn’t make it the first two times they played in Poland so was very happy to see them now – if you haven’t seen them, do it and you won’t regret it!), Cynic and Meshuggah. Apart from DEP, I caught two other bands everyone has been talking about – Blindead and Tides From Nebula. The first one presented a heavy mixture of sludge and progressive sounds – if I could compare it to any other band it would probably be somwhere between Neurosis, Rosetta and Cult Of Luna. Highly recommended and it really makes me proud that we are from the same town. But the TriCity wasv(and still is) lucky when it comes to bands and artists: Apteka, Behemoth, Kury, Illusion, Pink Freud, Kobiety, Leszek Możdzer… As for Tides From Nebula, the crowd was served with lost of instrumental post-rock and post-metal noises. Convinced me to buy their album as soon as the new paycheck arrives. And I finally admit that I’m not really a trash-girl. There are small exceptions for this genre of music but both, Testament and Voivod, just don’t belong there but the crowd was more than happy.
It was the first edition of the festival, and I hope not the last one. Pretty strange that there were around 2,500 of people there. The ticket price was medicore, the fest takes place during holidays and the line-up was great – I really thought that I will see crowds around 4,000-5, or even a little more…
Photos were done for Wp.pl to illustrate a review of the fest written by Zbigniew Zegler. You can read the feature from both days of the fest here and here. However, the photos I’ve chosen for this blog entry are sometimes different from the ones that got to the review – wanted to show something a little different.
Globaltica 2009 @ Park Kolibki, Gdynia – 24/25 VII 2009
Last year Jakub Panasewicz (with a little photo help from me) prepared a nice coverage of Globaltica for Wp.pl (you can read about the fest and see the photos it here and here) and I really liked the event, so this year I’ve decided to attend the festival third time in a row.
The line-up was a complete suprise as the festival went into a completly different direction. Less world typical music and rather presenting the artists who draw from other musical traiditions. So we had quite a mixture of folk, rock, instrumental improvisations, stoner metal and delicate singing. All in one place for as cheap as 60 zł for a two day ticket. I just can’t write more about the fest as it would sound like a sponsored commercial;) If only it hadn’t rained…
Best gigs? Orange Goblin (awesome stoner metal), Big Sexy Noise with Lydia Lunch (all those New York crazieness mixed with blues guitar and Lyndia singing – shivers all over my body), Jason Webley (a bit of a cabaret and lots of choral singing!) and Murder By Death (gotta love those alt-country folks! I almost forgot those guys existed but an entry on Maciej Stankiewicz’s blog reminded me of them), but the rest of the line-up wasn’t bad either. I was a bit dissapointed by Kyst – heard a lot about them and they just didn’t sound right. I hope to hear the band in a small club – perhaps the gig would be better.
Who I’d like to see next year? Without doubt, I’m waiting for my second favorite band, Woven Hand, to visit Poland and I think they would really fit into Globaltica’s new way of choosing the artists. Who else? Dropkick Murphys, Ben Harper, Nicola Conte, Dave Matthews Band, Tom Waits, Hevia…Lot’s of daydreaming here but hey, if they invited Orange Goblin to the fest, you can expect almost anything, not limiting yourself to folk or world music artists. The sky(or the money..) is the limit!
From a photographic point of view, this was the best event I’ve shoot this year. Great bands, awesome lights, nice security (yup, it happenes sometimes!) and no “three songs, no flash rule”, although the only band I’ve shot for more than three songs was Orange Goblin. There was too much going on, so leaving the pit after three firsts would be a big mistake. I only wish I’ve taken my photo-ladder – the scene wasn’t so high but a couple of additional centimetres really “does” make a differance.
Heineken Open’er Festival 2009 @ Babie Doły, Gdynia – 2/3/4/5 VI 2009
Some shots from the biggest music festival in Poland! The first day brought great gigs from Peter Bjorn & John and Arctic Monkeys (don’t like them on the CD’s but the concert was very nice!), and a major disappointment for me: Basement Jaxx‘s concert. Saw them three years ago and the performances just can’t compare.
I just had a blast with M83 – the best gig of the fest (along with Faith No More) and the best gig of the year. Really:
After three songs I was hooked and the pictures from it have stuck into my brain and don’t want to come out. I was so dead-tired but still managed to jump through the whole concert. One of my friends took a photo of me shooting the band so I’ve got a nice souvenir (thanks Ania!). Worth every second of it. Will the next year bring a performance such as this one for me? Pearl Jam are on their way so it will probably beat all!
All the pics here were made for Wp.pl.
Gaba Kulka @ Ucho, Gdynia – 28 VI 2009
It was the forth time I saw Gaba playing live and third time seeing her performing in my favorite music club in Poland – Ucho (located in Gdynia, my hometown). Now, promoting her new album “Hat, Rabbit”, her set is extended to almost hour and a half. A set full of her ideas, melodies, lyrics and great music! The number of people suprised not only the club’s manager (funny seeing the whole stuff running and looking for more chairs) but the band themselves. The club was full, just like year and a half ago, when Gaba last played in Ucho.
And I love shooting in this club. I mean, all the challenge and fun…And all the imperfections are the reasons I love the place. Sadly, I visit it once or twice every two or three months. And to think that I used to come there and shoot bands two or three times a week…
One of the best gigs I’ve seen this year (with a great performance of “Niejasności” and Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach“) and I’m looking forward to see how Gaba will tame Open’er’s Tent Stage on Friday. But knowing her, she and her band will come of as winners. They always do.
Hello world!
We’re finally up!
A big change from Viewbook(which I wouldn’t recommend) to WordPress, a more powerful, but harder to deal with, platform. Also more stuff was added to the portfolio, with six categories to choose from and two more to be published. But the blog will be the most updated part of all: on Monday we’ll be publishing photos from Gaba Kulka’s gig in Ucho club and from Thursday you can expect daily updates from Poland’s biggest and baddest music festival: Heineken Open’er ’09!
Hope you like it, and write down if anything crashes/stops/goes 404 ‘couse it’s the first day so anything can happen;)
Big thanks goes to Cloudi, Utek and Yuras for helping us with all the technical stuff we couldn’t figure out for ourselves. We owe you guys!