Best gigs of 2009

In no particular order, what I saw, what brought my attention, what was fun to shoot and made me cry. What made me to buy the band’s CD or just Youtube their stuff for the whole day. What stuck to my skull and will be there even after this year’s concert season will finish…

…or in short: the best things I saw in 2009. Lot’s of text, links to photos so be prepared! However, if you’re looking for reviews filled with professional comments, enlisting the best chords the guitarist played that day, naming all the genres the band has stepped into during the certain gig – don’t waste your time. This list is just about the sole love for live music. And all the photos and feeling that come with it.

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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.

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