Having just caught Bullet For My Valentine at The Bamboozle music festival earlier this month, I thought I new what to expect for this show. To my surprise, the Welsh rockers blew their festival performance out of the water with this headlining delivery at the Pageant with a hugely fierce show that had the pit heaving.
Photographer's Notes:
I've caught Bullet For My Valentine on several occasions, including a radio show, Mayhem Fest, and recently at the Bamboozle music festival in NJ. Without a doubt, this headlining show at the Pageant was the tightest and most intense performance yet, and it was a thrill photographing the band in the high-energy atmosphere that they created.
The stage setup was relatively simple. All three guitarists were lined up at the front of the stage, about two meters back from the edge. While this kind of removed setup can create issues, I was actually happy to see the band set back, as it meant better shooting angles and a better perspective for the most part.
To boot, lead guitarist Michael Paget came to the front of the stage on multiple occasions, so there were still plenty of opportunities for more wide-angle shots.
One interesting aspect was that there were two mic stands set up on the very far edges of the stage, and singer Matthew Tuck made good use of these during the second song.
Overall, lighting for this show was quite good – lots of backlighting, but enough accents to keep things interesting throughout the first three as well. Exposure was set between ISO 3200 and 6400 for the most part with my f/2.8 zooms. The only criticism I have of the lighting is that I would have loved to have more frontlighting on Paget when he came to shred at the front of the stage.
End Notes:
Want more Bullet For My Valentine? Check out their set from The Bamboozle in New Jersey here:
Bullet For My Valentine @ The Bamboozle 2010
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