I have been waiting to catch these guys ! Tonight there are on the support bill for REEL BIG FISH.
Sonic Boom Six are a Ska-punk outfit from Manchester, and they are pretty cool.
“Grand statement time: Sonic Boom Six are, simply, the most exciting live punk band in the country. They cater for chin-stroking social commentators, wide-eyed rave kids and big-shorted punkers all in the space of a single gig and will – yup, will – own 2009″
- Scene 2009: Punk&Metal, NME (Jan 10, 2009)
“It’s taken a while but Sonic Boom Six are rocketing out of the underground – a hefty shot of ska-punk, hip-hop, reggae and even jungle in the mix, not to mention big, sinuous rock dynamics and hooks.”
- Tick, Tick, Boom!, Kerrang! (May 30, 2009)
“It might have taken until their third album for SB6 to break the UK underground’s glass-ceiling, but their massive grassroots following practically guarantees success for City of Thieves. The fact it’s a fantastic stew of punk, ska and hip-hop helps too; finally, their time has come.”
- The Panel, Music Week (May 02, 2009)
“This isn’t good, it’s way beyond that and deep into the realms of something special. A hundred word analysis cannot do this album justice, so let’s just say it’s one fucking excellent album and get on with our lives? Agreed? Agreed.”
- City of Thieves Review, Rock Sound (Jun 01, 2009)
“Sonic Boom Six have always been one of the most diverse and inventive bands to get lumped into the British punk scene. It’s smart, joyous music that has plenty to say and does so eloquently.”
- City of Thieves Review, Big Cheese! (May 30, 2009)
http://www.sonicboomsix.co.uk check there shizzle out !!
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 4:02 pm. Add a comment
I forgot how much fun this band are, AMAZING LIVE SHOW. Once again, full access to photograph the band. LOVE IT.
The last band I had shot live was a good few weeks ago, since then LABB MAGAZINE has been my 100% focus, but tonight was so much fun. A couple of ciders, a couple of hello’s to old friends and in the pit and a punk rock show. The only downside of the night was the muppet in the crowd who chucked his drink all over me whilst I was working. But hay.. Thats Rock and Roll right. Thank you to the Tour Manager for sorting me out very last moment.
The Line up was Sonic Boom Six, Big D and the Kids Table and Reel Big Fish. Some how I did not expect sure a big crowd, but lots of cool people turned out in the cold.. and.. I was not the only fool in shorts, so that was nice.
Enjoy the photos, the full gallery can be viewed here.
Continue Reading…
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 5:22 pm. 2 comments
I have mean meaning to show this shoot of for a while now. This shoot started while having coffee with George Eko, and a couple of friends. We had a free day to work with Arabella (Adage , Birmingham), the day after we had received and e-mail from Hox (Birmingham) who were happy for us to use there collection. A single phone call had the location sorted.
On the day,George Eko was on hand to style and dress, Becky Hunting was on Make up and hair. Richard Battye was on the camera. Which left me to sort out the finer details and drink the coffee. I also did a bit Art Direction on the shoot. The Post-Pro was also done by me.
A big thank you to Carlo (once again) for helping arrange The Rainbow pub. Thank you to the staff at the Pub also !! Your all stars.
Posted 2 months ago at 12:13 pm. Add a comment
Birmingham Clothes Show Live 2009
A little hub of fashion and all that surrounds it. This year the organisers decided to keep in with the traditions while subtlely stepping up their game.
The trade hall where am packed as always with a wide variety of stalls ranging from model scouts through to independent fashion houses and not forgetting all the aspiring soon to be high street regulars.
The fashion show was as amazing as always. showing casing a variety of designers with a mix of trends ranging from ultra texture couture to office wear and snugly warm inter pieces to keep you toastie….
full gallery click here
check out the pics and enjoy the feast….. Merry Christmas!
Words by George Eko
Photos by Dave Piper
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 1:04 pm. Add a comment
Adobe Lightroom 2 +
Just some workflow insight ,
I have been a HUGE fan of Lightroom for a while. Proof checking, editing, printing, web gallery creation, the list of time saving functions is crazy. If your a Pro photographer and your not using Lightroom, your doing something wrong. If your working with a batch of frames, Photoshop is only really used in a final editing stage. Most of my edit work happens with in Lightroom these days.
There are a few functions that I would still love to see in Lightroom, It would be great to able to run Photoshop actions (using the photoshop engine) inside Lightroom, Add layer styles, create comp layers also, it would be really cool to able to sync your Presets into layer styles in Photoshop. Just some of these little additions would make Cross Platform (cross software) editing much streamlined projects when colour matching is important. Using the correct tool for the correct job. Why use Photoshop for simple things like contrast changes.
Anyway, here is some Lightroom fun , You can put the Web module of Lightroom into “advanced mode” (an “experimental and unsupported” feature – so try this at your own risk) which will expose MANY more customization options in the Lightroom panels.
To go into Advanced Mode you’ll need to use a keyboard combo:
“Control Alt Shift /” on PC
“Cmd Alt Shift /” on Mac
Do the same to Return back to the normal version.
I get asked alot, what the best editing processes are , Its really simple. Do whats best and most logical for you. I use this work-flow as a rule
Adobe Bridge > Lighroom > Photoshop > Lightroom > Bridge
Bridge -
I use Bridge to remove blank frames or frames that are clearly not useable, Rename files and upload into Lightroom a quick selection of photos that are going to be edited.
Lightroom -
Lighroom is used to pull out a final selection of photos, Crop and Colour the photos, Overall pages edits are done. Vignettes, tones, curves, hue, saturation and Camera Calibrations are also done ( I never sharpen at this stage !!- you only ever want to sharpen a Final Product. Its always the last step. If you are not going into Photoshop after, then finish your photo in Lighroom )
Photoshop -
There is no way I could list the steps in here of what can you can do. As a rule though, Skin is touched up and sharpened for which ever media the product is headed towards, Change colour Sets depending on the Products destination ie : RGB or CYMK etc..
After this stage no other editing process should be needed.
Lightroom -
Back into lightroom to make batch size changes, Create Web Galleries, Contact sheets, Slide shows etc..
Bridge -
Bridge is then used as the content management tool, Using the Pre-made Actions you can send photos into other programs such as Photoshop to add watermarks borders, Prep for web, Border or any other Presets that you use.
Each stage is very important, and should leave you with a clear workflow. Pick the Photos, Edit the Photos, Make them PERFECT, Edit them for purpose. Store them in a correct manner.
If you use your noodle, you should not go far wrong. Just do what works for you, but ONLY IF YOU ARE USING LIGHTROOM !!
Posted 3 months, 4 weeks ago at 2:18 pm. Add a comment
Zebrahead is an Orange County, CA-based punk-pop-rap band which was formed in 1996 by vocalist/guitarist Justin Mauriello (formerly of once there), guitarist Greg Bergdorf (formerly of 409), bassist Ben Osmundson (formerly of 3-Ply), and drummer Ed Udhus (formerly of 409).
Inspired by acts including Fugazi and The Descendents, the group found themselves uninspired by the local trend towards ska punk and instead began incorporating elements of hip-hop into their sound, eventually recruiting rapper Ali Tabatabaee to join their ranks.
After issuing the EP Yellow on the indie label Doctor Dream Records in May 1998, Zebrahead signed to major label Columbia Records to release their full-length debut, Waste of Mind, which appeared later that same year. The band’s follow up album Playmate of the Year was issued in mid-2000 and the Stupid Fat Americans EP followed the next year as an exclusive release for Japan.
Zebrahead headed over to Europe with Green Day to support the records and played various festival dates as well. Throughout the years, they also shared gigs with bands like Less Than Jake, Kottonmouth Kings, 311, Reel Big Fish, and Goldfinger.
Three years after having released a full length album, MFZB (aka Mother Fucking Zebrahead Bitch) appeared in 2003, and shortly afterwards lead singer/guitarist Mauriello exited the group to pursue other interests (namely start a new band I Hate Kate). His departure distressed fans, as the singing/rapping dynamic between him and Tabatabaee was crucial to the band’s sound. However, Zebrahead was soon back in action with the addition of new vocalist/guitarist Matty Lewis (formerly of Jank 1000) to their lineup. — last FM
Full Gallery – Click here
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 3:13 pm. Add a comment
Birminghams Brand new 02 Academy play host to Enter Shikari, Devil wears prada supporting.
Enter Shikari are a four-piece post-hardcore band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England formed in 2003. Inspired by hardcore (in both punk-rock and dance genres), metal and trance.
Despite being offered several major label record deals, their debut album Take To The Skies was released on their own label – Ambush Reality – in March 2007, reaching the dizzy heights of #4 in the UK’s official Album Charts and going on to sell over 100.000 copies in the UK (the album was released in Europe through PIAS, in North America on Ambush Reality / Tiny Evil, and in Japan on Hostess).
In March 2008, after spending 12 months on the road across the globe, Enter Shikari set up camp in their rehearsal room (a large shed in Chris Batten’s back garden which they christened “The ‘Low”) to begin writing tracks for their second album such as Antwerpen which was released as a free digital-download from the band’s website.
In July they played to their largest live audience at the UK date of Linkin Park’s ‘Project Revolution’ travelling festival alongside JayZ, Pendulum and N*E*R*D, as well as playing several shows with Linkin Park in mainland Europe.
Enter Shikari followed a UK / Ireland tour in October 2008 with the release of a one-off single ‘We Can Breathe In Space, They Just Don’t Want Us To Escape’ (a finished version of a track the band demoed in 2005 but never got around to ever finishing properly until the summer 2008). — last fm.
Link to the bands website
Posted 5 months ago at 4:05 pm. Add a comment
Venue – The Hare and Hounds
Cheers to Carlo from the 444 club for letting me know abou this fantastic band, all the way from LA to Birmingham,
“If you threw Kings of Leon, Scissor Sisters and Arcade Fire into a blender, this – with an obligatory shot of wheatgrass – is exactly what you would get in your musical glass.”
Almost 40 years to the day since the Manson murders is, perhaps, not the best time for this bunch of long-hairs to release their debut album.
Throw in a messianic group leader, the fact that they drive around LA in a painted bus and write lyrics that include “Run to the desert/ You will be/ All that you need to be” and it’s clear that history, minus the murderous madness (hopefully), is repeating itself as farce in sunny California.
Having said that, there is also something unmistakably now about Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. If you threw Kings of Leon, Scissor Sisters and Arcade Fire into a blender, this – with an obligatory shot of wheatgrass – is exactly what you would get in your musical glass.
It’s a somtimes heady brew. Sharpe – real name Alex Ebert – and his crew (which stretches from nine to 13) sing, clap and make all manner of joyous noises that make live shows raucous and rejuvenating events. Such “vibes” are harder to get across on record.
Up from Below starts promisingly with a few short foot stomps signalling the arrival of “40 Day Dream”, as Sharpe bursts in with “Ooh, I’ve been sleeping for 40 days ‘n’/ I know I’m sleeping cos this dream’s too amazing”. There follows a redemptive Arcade Fire-style group-singalong chorus with a “magical mystery” motif, as the spirit of the 1960s come charging triumphantly into the here and now.
It sets a standard the group can’t possibly maintain and there follow songs so forgettable that it’s hard to believe it takes this many people to play them. Salvation arrives again at the album’s core, with two songs so fabulous they diminish still further those mediocre moments. “Home” is a psychedelic-country jam that positively whoops with delight, while “Desert Song” is as ominous and creepy as the Manson Family it evokes.
Bottom line is, if Up from Below had come out in 1969, it may well have started a musical revolution. But times have changed and the acid-fried young folk of that year played their own small part in that cultural shift. For now, it’s worth popping a few of these songs on to your iPod and musing on what might have been had that hippie dream not turned so dramatically sour.
Reviewed by Simmy Richman
Posted 7 months ago at 9:11 pm. Add a comment
