The Killergrams Live

There are some awesome New Zealand bands out there but these guys are seriously flippin good. Lead by Tom Maxwell, Killergrams have created their own fusion of blues and country rock that works so well. A western-country feel that takes you back to a time when places like Queenstown were pioneer populated settlements driven by a gold rush.

The Venue

Sherwood is still a pretty new spot on the Queenstown events map. With accomodation, a great bar, spectacular food and regular live events, this place has become my favourite hang-out over the last year. If you’re visiting Queenstown I can highly recommend staying here, or at least popping in for dinner, preferably when there is live music scheduled. Look out for the ‘Song Writers society’ which happens on the last Thursday of each Month. The SWS showcase some of Queenstown’s best original music performed by a wide variety of artists.

Photographing Live Music

I’ve had a love affair with music since I was born. Both my parents are musicians and I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by, and playing music. Combining my love for music with photography means I’m effectively the happiest I could possibly be. This isn’t just important for producing great work, it’s essential. If you don’t have a connection with your subjects then the images will show that. If you do….. that’s when great photographs are made.

Blinded by the Lights

The above image is one of my favourites form the night. It looks as though Tom has been blinded by my flash. In fact, he actually performs almost the entire set with his eyes closed. I have photographed the Killergrams before on a casual occasion when I didn’t even know they were in Queenstown. This time I came prepared with a flash and warned the band before the gig that it might be quite bright. Tom explained to me that ‘it doesn’t matter, I mostly sing with my eyes closed anyway’. The above image was simply a dramatic gesture during one of their songs.

Capturing Emotion

As with all of my ‘Lifestyle-ducumentary’ photography, it’s about capturing atmosphere and emotion. This means waiting and watching until it’s the right moment to shoot. Especially when you’re firing flashes, less is more.

Black & White

Black and White is definitely the way to go for live music. Particularly in an environment like this. What’s really cool is that the Killergrams had already adopted this look for their promotional material and EP release even before I’d photographed them.

If you’d like to learn about the work of W Eugene Smith and his Jazz Loft Project (the best music photography ever made), click here.

To learn more about the Killergrams click here.

If you’d like to get in touch about booking me for event photography or getting some photography lessons on how to capture and create images like these, click here to get in contact.