dansmythPhoto

Photoblog of Portsmouth based photographer Dan Smyth

Web

Flickr

Twitter

Email
October 8
NME Radar Tour: Last night was the Portsmouth leg of the NME Radar Tour (with FLY53 - Whoever they are). It was quite the eventful gig, but really enjoyable and was great seeing some bands i haven’t seen for a while as well as some i’d never seen before. First up were American band, Yes Giantess. I first saw these guys at Latitude Festival earlier this year which as it turns out was their first ever festival appearance. They didn’t disapoint. Even with the lead singer’s keyboard broken the band soldiered on and played a awesome set. Next to the stage were another American band by the name of Local Natives. They were the only band on the line up that i had no clue about either musically or photographically, which made it all the better when it turned out they were amazing and really nice guys (Taylor, the lead singer/guitarist gave me their EP for free!) Then the drama started. 2 songs into Marina and the Diamonds set (which was going great btw) she unfortunately broke down in tears and left the stage. This, we were informed, was apparently due to an illness she is fighting at the moment and that we were lucky to have seen her perform at all. So, thank you Marina for at least managing those 2 for me as you were great fun to shoot and would’ve hated to have missed you.Now, one would think that when a band finishes their set 2 songs in, the next band could then come on a bit earlier. No. Golden Silvers decided to wait right until their set was due to start at 10:50pm. 40mins after Marina left the stage. Fortunately they were good, can’t say the same about the lighting for them though. On the whole though i was impressed with the lighting NME had brought along with them, so thanks! Then the real stuff started. I left the pit, grabbed a tour poster from the wall and headed over to the merch stand to pick up the EP Taylor from Local Natives said i could have. Unfortunately he wasn’t around and obviously the other guys at the stand didn’t believe me. It all worked out alright though as the guys behind the stand were none other than the first band: Yes Giantess. I had a good long chat to them and ended up buying their EP too, was a bargain for only £2. While out in the entrance hall by the merch a fuss was being kicked up outside by a guy who had been apparently inappropriately touching female members of bar staff and had been so kicked out of the venue. From the shouts i heard i gathered that he somehow felt that even after what he’d done he had a right to be still in the venue haha. There was still a while before Taylor came out so i ended up chatting to the Tour Manager of Golden Silvers, really nice guy, apparently he’d remembered seeing me before the last time GS played down at the wedgewood rooms (supporting Mystery Jets) so that was pretty cool. While doing so however a guy ran past us and straight out of the venue with a girl’s camera! crazy stuff. Anyway, i did say it was an eventful gig! Loads more photos from the gig will be on the 405 soon and hopefully i’ll get some more onto my flickr as well Not really sure what’s next up to be honest, it was going to be The Big Pink tonight but the pass didn’t come through so looks like it’ll be something next week. 

NME Radar Tour:

Last night was the Portsmouth leg of the NME Radar Tour (with FLY53 - Whoever they are). It was quite the eventful gig, but really enjoyable and was great seeing some bands i haven’t seen for a while as well as some i’d never seen before.

First up were American band, Yes Giantess. I first saw these guys at Latitude Festival earlier this year which as it turns out was their first ever festival appearance. They didn’t disapoint. Even with the lead singer’s keyboard broken the band soldiered on and played a awesome set.

Next to the stage were another American band by the name of Local Natives. They were the only band on the line up that i had no clue about either musically or photographically, which made it all the better when it turned out they were amazing and really nice guys (Taylor, the lead singer/guitarist gave me their EP for free!)

Then the drama started. 2 songs into Marina and the Diamonds set (which was going great btw) she unfortunately broke down in tears and left the stage. This, we were informed, was apparently due to an illness she is fighting at the moment and that we were lucky to have seen her perform at all. So, thank you Marina for at least managing those 2 for me as you were great fun to shoot and would’ve hated to have missed you.

Now, one would think that when a band finishes their set 2 songs in, the next band could then come on a bit earlier. No. Golden Silvers decided to wait right until their set was due to start at 10:50pm. 40mins after Marina left the stage. Fortunately they were good, can’t say the same about the lighting for them though. On the whole though i was impressed with the lighting NME had brought along with them, so thanks!

Then the real stuff started. I left the pit, grabbed a tour poster from the wall and headed over to the merch stand to pick up the EP Taylor from Local Natives said i could have. Unfortunately he wasn’t around and obviously the other guys at the stand didn’t believe me. It all worked out alright though as the guys behind the stand were none other than the first band: Yes Giantess. I had a good long chat to them and ended up buying their EP too, was a bargain for only £2. While out in the entrance hall by the merch a fuss was being kicked up outside by a guy who had been apparently inappropriately touching female members of bar staff and had been so kicked out of the venue. From the shouts i heard i gathered that he somehow felt that even after what he’d done he had a right to be still in the venue haha. There was still a while before Taylor came out so i ended up chatting to the Tour Manager of Golden Silvers, really nice guy, apparently he’d remembered seeing me before the last time GS played down at the wedgewood rooms (supporting Mystery Jets) so that was pretty cool. While doing so however a guy ran past us and straight out of the venue with a girl’s camera! crazy stuff.

Anyway, i did say it was an eventful gig! 

Loads more photos from the gig will be on the 405 soon and hopefully i’ll get some more onto my flickr as well

Not really sure what’s next up to be honest, it was going to be The Big Pink tonight but the pass didn’t come through so looks like it’ll be something next week. 

 0