Merthyr Rock 2012

I'm really happy to be able to say I'll be working with the Merthyr Rock team again this year!

If you didn't know (...which rock have you been hiding under!) Merthyr Rock is a new Welsh rock festival in Merthyr (surprise surprise) and after a successful first year featuring headliners Ocean Colour Scene and The Blackout, they are back for a second year with big names such as Razorlight, Kids in Glass Houses and Skindred.

After my internship with them last year, I was eager to get involved for the second year of the Welsh Rock Festival. Of course, when I was offered the chance to run the official festival blog again (after setting it up and running it last year) I jumped at the opportunity! If you would like to find out about my experience last year as Crew Member, you can read about it here. Back to the blog...

Here it is, all fresh and updated for 2012!

I'll be frequently updating the site with news, information, interviews, features, competitions and fan posts/submissions!

I'm really excited to get stuck in with making the blog as interesting as possible so please take a look and tell me what you'd like to see on there. Make sure you get yourself to the festival too, I promise you will not regret it. There will be an amazing atmosphere, awesome selection of bands and an all-round fantastic weekend on offer.

Alpha She - Studio shoot

I mentioned in a recent post that I was hoping to be involved in another band photoshoot and as promised I'll share my photos and experiences with you! 

The girl band, Alpha She, were great fun to work with - which is always a bonus! Up until now I haven't had the pleasure of working with female 'models' (other than on my Richard Avedon inspired shoot in which, with a little persuasion, I got my friends involved with) so this was a great opportunity to do some work with females.  

The style of the shoot was based around an updated 60's theme... meaning big hair, classic poses and neutral colours. The main focus was to take separate images of each member of the trio in order to create a sequence. The final images are going to be used in the girls' promotional material so I wanted to get a good selection of images that would work well together but also be strong stand-alone images too. I also took the chance to try out a variety of different lighting set-ups and styles to get a wide variety of shots, which you will hopefully notice in the selection of photos here!

I use my trusty Canon EOS 550D on photoshoots and in this I used both dark grey and standard white backdrops in order to get some variation, to compliment the different poses and styles of images and to work with the 60s style. I personally love the grey background for studio work and after researching I noticed a lot of 60s photography features a black and white effect so thought grey would work well in this instance for updating the look.

If you'd like to see more of the shoot then head over to my flickr page - you'll also find lots more including my other studio work and different styles of photography so feel free to check those out too! If you do, let me know what you think. I'd love to get some feedback or constructive criticism! I'm still in the process of learning about lighting and improving my knowledge regarding studio work. Hopefully the more work I do, the better I will get! 

The shoot was great fun and I shall hopefully be doing more photography work with London Calling Management (the team I arranged this and the previous studio shoot with) later this year and next year so keep your eyes peeled for more!

Marina and the Diamonds

Cardiff, The Coal Exchange – 27^th June 2012

The Lonely Hearts Club tour hit Cardiff last week with all the pink, plastic and pizazz that would be expected of Miss Marina Diamandis. The half Greek, half Welsh popstar headed home to celebrate the successful release of her newest album, Electra Heart, which bagged her a number 1 ranking and a top 10 single.

Amongst the backdrop of the impressive venue, the stage was a small affair but made up for it in set-up. With a silk nightgown floating, purple chaise lounge waiting and 70’s style TV buzzing, the stage promised nothing less than a spectacle of typical Marina-style. Like a florescent halo, the words Electra Heart hovered over the stage letting the fans know that the newest album of the 26-year old star was ready to be showcased. The Diamonds were ready and waiting for their Queen to take to the stage.

Kicking things off was supporting act, Meredith Sheldon. It’s easy to see that the vocals and thought-provoking style was in-keeping with Marina’s, however Meredith failed to completely engage with the excited audience. Sheldon exuded an effortless air of cool as she took to the stage in a ripped up t-shirt and rock ‘n’ roll appearance but with little connection to the audience her set was a personal and somber affair.

Anticipation soars as the lights go down; the crowd erupt as the Abergavenny-girl floats on-stage in a plastic-pink dress and a white veil. Light floods the stage as Marina’s hauntingly sweet vocals burst into ‘Homewrecker’, provoking an explosion of confetti from her hands. The fans’ expectations are certainly met in the impressive opening and the room bounces their way through the first track.

Removing her veil, the faux-bride turns to her heart-shaped glasses and moves on to ‘Oh No’, which sees her move around the stage in a playful, whirlwind manner; setting the tone for the rest of the show. This certainly isn’t just a gig, it’s obvious that Marina has considered every song and every outfit – that’s right, the star makes 2 outfit changes throughout the set, as well as incorporating a few extra minor changes to boot.

   

The next dress is a baby pink, glittery knee-length number. Ready for a theatrical performance of ‘Power and Control’, Marina begins the song from her damsel in distress position on her purple chaise lounge. But once up again, Marina bursts back into her cheeky interaction with the crowd.

Marina played the role of everyone’s friend as she chatted with the crowd, particularly highlighting the overwhelming heat which saw everyone agree that inside the venue was ‘our summer’. The one-of-a-kind queen of thought-provoking pop gave a shout-out to her family who were hidden amongst the fans in the crowd and responded warmly to the constant calls of “we love you Marina!” with “I love you too!”.

Playing a host of songs from the number 1, Electra Heart and her 2010 debut studio album, Family Jewels, Marina took time to showcase her vocal talents without the pomp and glamour that EH calls for. Taking to the keyboard, she sang both ‘Obsessions’ and ‘Teen Idle’, reminding every fan just why Marina is a diamond. Her voice resonated around the hall and the goosebumps could be felt all around.

The set enthusiastically draws to an end with the single, ‘Primadonna’ and finishes with the euphoric ‘Radioactive’ which sees the venue turn momentarily into a club as the crowd jumps along with Marina.

Leaving the stage, the crowd begin chanting for the encore. Murmurs ripple through the crowd as fans wonder what she’ll return with. A majestic-styled Marina returns in a silky green dress. But of course, Marina has to sprinkle her own signature flair over everything she does and falling across the dress is a sash reading ‘Teen Idle’ – of course leading to the track.

The finale was always going to leave the fans wanting more, what else would you expect from Miss Diamandis? The giant burger and cheerleader pom pom come out to accompany the hit track Hollywood, which ends the night on an incredible high.

Marina’s enthusiastic engagement with the Coal Exchange saw her not only bring Electra Heart alive with stunning vocals and glittering glamour but made the night a memorable spectacle for all her diamonds. With her Lonely Hearts Club tour, Marina brought home a slice of summer with her cheerful nature and passionate on-stage performance! 

(*Photo taken by myself)