The frontman actually talked quite a bit in between songs, so the “scary inhuman” persona didn’t hold up for very long.

Thanks for the comment!

That’s awful, I’m sorry to hear you had to leave early. Are you OK?

Mastodon was the first band I shot and I think I must have missed you in the pit. I think there were about 6-8 photographers in the pit for most of the main stage bands.

Hopefully I’ll be posting the rest of the shots from the various sets next week!

I’m glad you found ISS, I hope you’ll join in the discussions on this site.

Someone gave me the very good tip of opening your jaw while inserting earplugs and letting them expand, as it changes the shape of the ear canal slightly and creates a better fit while the plugs are in use.

I think wearing earplugs during shows is critically important, especially considering how close we are to the bass speakers, even it’s “only” for three songs. Three songs is plenty to damage one’s hearing!

Fabulous website - just started shooting shows myself in the past couple weeks and it looks like you have a great resource here. Your photos are superb so I’ll be reading every post, trying to pick up tips :)

I also use the foam earplugs but not Hearos brand. Believe mine are rated at 32 db too - they certainly work and it makes all the difference in the world, especially being in the pit. Plus they’re a tacky bright orange so they’re easy to find if they fall loose in the camera bag after the lights go out :). Only drawback I’ve found is the squishiness factor can sometimes lead to them opening up a bit and letting unfiltered sound in, but that’s only if you keep poking at them and it fixes itself after a few seconds. Given they’re so cheap, I usually use mine for a few shows then replace them, along with carrying some extras in my bag. Thanks for getting the word out on this - I have tinnitus myself after years of playing in bands and it’s no fun at all.

Keath

The creepiness factor about the look is debatable, but I would agree, the music itself isn’t creepy at all. There was a great deal of showmanship in the performance, which I respect.

They do their job, create a certain mood… But although they’re music is heavy, there is nothing creepy about them, or their music, and even about their shows…