“Datarock came all the way from Norway to play for you. We have a special dance.”
And with that, Fredrik Saroea, in his red, Datarock jumpsuit, proceeded to do the side stretch. Right, left, right, left, etc. Needless to say, the audience picked up on the moves immediately.
Opening for Ladytron, Norway’s Datarock laid down an irreverent, goofy brand of their dance-punk, electro rock at the Pageant.
With an infectious energy that started a dance party in the pit, the group played fan favorites like “Fa-Fa-Fa,” “Computer Camp Love,” and “Sex Me Up” during their 45-minute set.
Photographer’s Notes:
I’m a big fan of bands that high-five each other on stage, and well, these guys are a party on stage. I shot for the first three front the pit, but it would have been nice to shoot for a bit longer into the set.
My advice? Bring your wide angle and get in close for the real deal.
Lighting:
Lighting on stage was very minimal, so I decided to supplement it with a little off-camera flash action. I used the Nikon SB-800 and the Nikon SB-28 sync cord to gain separation for these shots.
Very weakly colored lights flashed behind the band, but without much smoke to help diffuse the light, the effects were generally quite low-impact. The treatment on the band from the front consisted of very dim, orange-ish light.
Lenses & Gear:
I shot with the Nikon D3, Nikon 24-70mm, and Nikon 14-24mm. The two shots presented above come courtesy of the Nikon 14-24mm. The ultra-wide lens was a nice choice for when these fun-loving Norwegians came in close to the lens.
Exposure & Metering:
I shot this mostly at ISO 1600, f/2.8, and between 1/60 and 1/20. In hindsight, since the ambient background lighting was quite thin, and I can’t help but wonder if even longer exposure times would have helped fill out the backgrounds of these shots more.
7 Comments Add your own
1. Celso | June 25th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Nice set Todd! Just went on youtube to check out Datarock, they have a couple of nice musics!
Oh and nice usage of flash, one would barely notice it’s presence!
Keep up!
Celso Miranda
2. Todd | June 25th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Thanks, Celso. Datarock are a really fun live show, definitely check them out if you have the chance.
I’ll be shooting a DJ tonight, so hopefully I’ll have plenty of time to experiment with more flash.
3. Bryan | June 25th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I shot these shots with the Kaiser Chiefs last fall. They were fun to shoot. I like the shots of the bassist.
4. Todd | June 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am
The bassist was the man. He was the most fun to photograph because he came to the front of the stage – perfect for the wide angle!
I particularly liked when he’d rock the power stance and headbang. Choice.
5. Tim | June 26th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Eagerly awaiting ladytron pixx
Mira aroyo.. ?
6. Todd | June 26th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Hey Tim,
Ladytron shots are coming up, but it’s going to be a pretty small set. Darkness is not a friend to photography.
7. Natasha Ryan | July 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I’m curious to see your ladytron pictures, because I know they’ll be exceptional as usual. It was such tricky lighting here in NYC with mostly red stage lighting and blinding, seizure-inducing strobe flashs!
speak up
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