Par : FrF.Kmeron, 29-12-2009 - 12:54

To sum up another great thing that happend for me this year…  Some call it the holiday season, other the « lets get a cool tan on a beach » season, me its just the « 3days and 50 artists, its gonna be freakin’ tiring but gosh its cool » season. Festival, all size and « influences » from a small 1000 people, 6000, 20 000… and me, lucky to have passes to go backstage and frontstage to try to get some cool snaps. Quite something for a first summer honestly!

Starting with the « Fete de la Musique » in Brussels, this celebration on summer day, in front of the royal palace, nice, last year i discovered some very good bands, this year i was astonished by the energy they had. Considering also that i always sucked big time at jump shots, it was a wonder to actually succeed to nice ones in the same day, for Moriarty and for Balkan Beat Box

Then the first big big festival on Brussels, didnt actually thought id get a photo pass for the whole 3 days, lots of great people, lots of dust, but damn happy. Discovering the groovy Keziah Jones

Ben Harper, in front of 20 000 people. He’s talented, but not communicative enough for me.

Arno is a Belgian singer, i actually discovered him a year ago, during les Ardentes, then i learned to listen to it, to the nice lyrics, and the moments he sang « les filles du bord de Mer », making having the whole crowd with the hands in the air is just breathtaking, and you’re here, the only photographer taking pics of that, bc all the other one stayed only for the first 3 ones and didnt took the courtesy to come back for this last one, the other one authorised for us. little did they know. Highlight of the Festival, by far!

Emir Kusturica & the No smoking Orchestra was an awesome end of the 2nd day, festive, people happy, smiling, sharing, and me, up there, in front, at the same height as all the artists and what they see. Sure people are not looking at me, probably not even noticing i’m here. but what a view.. not sure enough people realise how sometimes they can be lucky, i do really mean lucky to be on the other side of the crash gate, see things differently, as only a few can, the happy, the few, the lucky ones.

Benabar seal the deal the last day, wasnt that fan of his music on cds, cool, fun, well written, but never thought that hes actually a power battery on stage, jumping, right, left, interacting, ahah, that was great, and a cool way to finished, tired and dusty, 3 days and half a hundred artists with some other 20 000 people. my first full festival as a photographer, a cool one, hot and sexy, but cool one above all

Main Square Festival in Arras was another chance to cross Franz ferdinand and Lenny Kravitz, but i do remember most and foremost Moby. went there only with a compact, no photo pass, but had a blast anyway. Moby, last artist after also Justin Nozuka, katy perry, duffy and the 2 others i already saw before… alsmost midnite.. starting to rain, typical, welcome to the North of France if i may say… but in the end, an artist willing to share and live every single moments. Big smile when i now think about it, but him saying « well if ur all under the pouring rain, why shouldn’t I » and taking his mic front stage, under the rain… wow… but like WOW! not even close to remember the goose bumps some tracks gave me -yes, you can have goose bumps while soacked wet-. him giving away his towels to the front row as a desperate to make everyone comfortable, dont worry Richard Melville Hall, we already feel like we’re in ur loft with you, around the piano jumping and swinging all together… « in my heart »

Les Ardentes this year was actually a one day festival for me, not enough time, didnt quite get the festival rythm, my back hurts, feet are soar, knee is barely there, but when Peaches ask for my pictures of the AB i took a couple of month back, and that i say no problem, just help me out for a pass someday, and actually get an on-stage pass, the daily pain is just non felt anymore, you just dream that you are here, shooting an artist you randomly knew 3 years ago from a cd on a graphists table, loved it, and now invited by her to a festival, just incredible, who am I to deserve that except someone that fucking digs it

Serious Business at Dour, invited by the LaidBack friends to do a photoreportage on one of the stage all day, allowed me to see the celtic punks of the Dropkick Murphys, just to get a shot of how i miss ireland, and discover some very nice electro peeps like DJ Mitsu the Beats, all the way from japan, that understands english but doesnt speaks it, you got to smile at this, music unites people in this40 000 people gathering, music, lyrics, sounds, experience. life.

Not a festival, ’cause i actually willingly chose to not go to the Bruksel Live to go to Luxembourg to see Snow Patrol. Did not have any doubts, and i was right! those irish lads are just what i needed at that time, halfway through the season, to have just one step back and sing along « if i lay here, if i just lay here.. would you lay with me and just forget the world? ». remembering also the « c’etait un rendez-vous » short feature of a car racing in early morning paris, to get to her beloved one…

The Feest In : Het Paark Festival was not scheduled, but 2 days prior to the first gig, got a mail saying « the photographer is sick, would you go instead », sure i’d go, yes, its lost in flandersin Oudeenaarde, but hey, there are some pretty cool artists, dont need more than that First slap in the face will be « triggerfinger » and the charismatic singer, damn i felt exhausted at the end of this, this true powerful rock n roll 3 piece ensemble juste reminded me why i also loved festival : discoveries, get to be astonished by an artist « unscheduled » or never heard before by myself, and that you afterwards really want to see with his own gig.

The Qemists and Jenna G was also cool, 2nd time after them being a support act for « enter shikari » a while back, Jenna G was sweet enough to mail me to ask if she could use some photos for her press kit.. how can u say no to someone that cute ahah good drum n’ bass

The main reason i didnt even think about saying no to replace the photographer is that Ghinzu was there, and being the 1st belgian band ive heard about some years ago, loving their music, i kinda had to be able to shoot them at some point, so i did, and it was just great. only the first 5 songs were allowed, i actually did 93% of the gig before a security guy said « Time’s up », but i was there, moving my butt and singing in the photo pit, happy to sing along « do you read me, do you read me loud, do you hear me comin’ « , did miss the last song, that i shot from the crowd, so no biggie, but at that time, that just juiced me up and remembered me why i loved concert photography, thanks John S

Heather nova finished the 3 days in this flanders land, sweet, beautiful, wish i could have spared this moment with someone, a shame it was a technical failure ^^

Le cabaret Vert, 42 000 people in a town called Charleville-Maizieres in France, unexpected as well, but strong and good festival Tricky gave me a good impression the first day, and i did discover some tracks of his that sounded very good live!

Lyre le temps was the electro discovery of this festival, and the public did respond very well to it

Deftones was not at all my cup of tea musically wise, but Chino was definitely fun to shoot

ShakaPonk was energic and powerful, a shame we couldnt actually stay long to shoot..

I missed the entrance of Emmanuel, lead singer fron the « im from barcelona » swedish lads, but didnt miss it this time ^^

The « We are Enfant Terrible » are basically the reason why i came at this festival for the first place, was glad to see them on stage, was cool for cyril the drummer to recognise me during the press conference just with my avatar bc we didnt actually ever met before… incredible press conference for the record, during deftones, 23h00, a dozen people, but no one asks any question, so cyril says « what about a game?!?!?’ and we actually played a children game, you know, the one where you’re supposed to slap the hand of your neighbour and all.. finsihed second out of five, but surrealistic moment ahah, people did ask some questions afterwards, id guess they knew we would have played for 20 minutes otherwise ahah ^^

Discovered « Debout sur le  zinc », met 2 lovely ladies, had once again a blast, exhausted but good…. also for all the backstage life, and being able to cross some singers and be there for some acoustic session… uber priviliged people im telling you… and tomorrow, the last part of the year, september till december, but what a summer

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