Hey, guys!
On Friday, August 28th, New York-based pop rock band Against The Current (ATC) blew away Malaysian fans with their hard-hitting sound and energetic stage presence.
The night started off with a performance by local artist Ryan Deedat, who serenaded fans with songs by Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, and also a mash-up of songs by Taylor Swift and One Direction.
Ryan was very good at getting the crowd involved with his set.
Even though he and his band only performed three songs, he successfully built a connection with the audience and it was apparent with the way they responded and sang along.
This might also be due to the fact that he performed covers of very popular songs.
It would have been nice to also listen to some of his originals but fans will have to seek them out themselves.
After a while, the headliners were set to perform.
It has always been a struggle for stage technicians to quickly transition from one act to the next, especially when it involves bands and their instruments.
Although this time wasn't as long as some previous concerts I've been to, there certainly must be a way to minimize the transition time because fans can only stay hyped for so long.
Even so, when the intermission playlist ended and the smoke machines puffed out a huge fog, the crowd screamed and squealed.
As the members of ATC emerged from under the stage, the crowd went wild!
ATC started off their set with vicious guitar riffs and fierce drum action before Talk was performed.
Fans immediately sang along and gave their all, while the band themselves replied with a tact performance.
After a few songs, the band took a moment to greet the fans and introduce themselves.
They expressed how glad they were to be back in Kuala Lumpur to perform for their loyal fans who had come to the show to support them.
Chrissy and drummer Will Ferri were very vocal in praising the fans' enthusiasm and had only great things to say.
Their on-stage banter, along with guitarist Daniel Gow had fans feeling as if they were all just a huge group of friends hanging out.
In fact, during one of the intermissions, the fans sang Chrissy the birthday song, who celebrated her birthday on August 23rd.
Chrissy pointed out that she actually celebrated her birthday in Malaysia, as well, the year before, where ATC played a show on her exact birthday.
She adds that she would like to celebrate it in Malaysia again next year! *wink*
The band performed many of their tracks from the Infinity EP and Gravity EP, including my favorites such as Comeback Kid, Gravity, and Dreaming Alone.
Outsiders, a new song from their to-be-released debut album was also performed; and I must say it sounds really, REALLY good!
The whole night was filled with awesome music, righteous head-banging and a great feeling in the gut seeing a once small time band reaching the success that they truly deserved.
Here's a few other photos I took at the concert:
In total, Against The Current performed 15 songs, including one cover and one new song from their recently finished upcoming debut album.
Below is the full set list:
Alas, it wasn't all sugar candies and bubblegum drops.
Unforeseen circumstances caused major delays before the main show, which resulted in a super short meet & greet session for the VIP ticket holders.
It was initially understood that fans would get a full on autograph session and photo-op with the band with a purchase of a VIP Tier 1 ticket worth RM270.
Somehow, something wasn't right and the whole meet & greet turned into a 3-second touch-n-go photo session with the band.
I, myself, experienced this colossal mishap since I had also bought VIP tickets because I wanted to meet with the band and possibly exchange a few words.
Unfortunately, that just couldn't happen and was quite frankly disappointing.
Other than that, the organizers were really negligent in warning the photographers and also the band members of the pyrotechnics that were to go off during the concert.
I, for one, almost got my arm burnt by the fire from the stage as I was not made aware of them earlier.
The band had also expressed their surprise on Twitter regarding this.
Thankfully, nobody was injured due to the pyrotechnics that night.
All in all, I was still glad to have been able to not only cover the concert, but also witness with my own eyes a great trio of musicians making their way to the top.
I wish them all the best.
Many thanks to Digital Idea for granting me media accreditation to cover this concert, as well.
Check out all the photos from this entry and more at QZ Photography's Flickr gallery here.
Hit me up in the comments below if you went to the concert, too.
What was your most memorable moment? Do share!
On Friday, August 28th, New York-based pop rock band Against The Current (ATC) blew away Malaysian fans with their hard-hitting sound and energetic stage presence.
Frontwoman Chrissy Costanza displayed bundles of energy throughout the night
The night started off with a performance by local artist Ryan Deedat, who serenaded fans with songs by Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, and also a mash-up of songs by Taylor Swift and One Direction.
Ryan Deedat displayed great talent
Ryan was very good at getting the crowd involved with his set.
Even though he and his band only performed three songs, he successfully built a connection with the audience and it was apparent with the way they responded and sang along.
This might also be due to the fact that he performed covers of very popular songs.
It would have been nice to also listen to some of his originals but fans will have to seek them out themselves.
After a while, the headliners were set to perform.
It has always been a struggle for stage technicians to quickly transition from one act to the next, especially when it involves bands and their instruments.
Although this time wasn't as long as some previous concerts I've been to, there certainly must be a way to minimize the transition time because fans can only stay hyped for so long.
Even so, when the intermission playlist ended and the smoke machines puffed out a huge fog, the crowd screamed and squealed.
As the members of ATC emerged from under the stage, the crowd went wild!
ATC started off their set with vicious guitar riffs and fierce drum action before Talk was performed.
Fans immediately sang along and gave their all, while the band themselves replied with a tact performance.
Rock on, Chrissy!
After a few songs, the band took a moment to greet the fans and introduce themselves.
They expressed how glad they were to be back in Kuala Lumpur to perform for their loyal fans who had come to the show to support them.
Chrissy and drummer Will Ferri were very vocal in praising the fans' enthusiasm and had only great things to say.
Their on-stage banter, along with guitarist Daniel Gow had fans feeling as if they were all just a huge group of friends hanging out.
In fact, during one of the intermissions, the fans sang Chrissy the birthday song, who celebrated her birthday on August 23rd.
Chrissy pointed out that she actually celebrated her birthday in Malaysia, as well, the year before, where ATC played a show on her exact birthday.
She adds that she would like to celebrate it in Malaysia again next year! *wink*
Who wouldn't want to see them again next year?
The band performed many of their tracks from the Infinity EP and Gravity EP, including my favorites such as Comeback Kid, Gravity, and Dreaming Alone.
Outsiders, a new song from their to-be-released debut album was also performed; and I must say it sounds really, REALLY good!
The whole night was filled with awesome music, righteous head-banging and a great feeling in the gut seeing a once small time band reaching the success that they truly deserved.
Here's a few other photos I took at the concert:
Dan the Man
Will the Beast
Charismatic Chrissy
In total, Against The Current performed 15 songs, including one cover and one new song from their recently finished upcoming debut album.
Below is the full set list:
- Intro
- Talk
- Paralyzed
- Infinity
- Something You Need
- Closer, Faster
- Thinking
- Since U Been Gone (cover)
- Dreaming Alone
- Outsiders (new song)
- Gravity
- Comeback Kid
- Fireproof
- ENCORE: Brighter, Another You
Alas, it wasn't all sugar candies and bubblegum drops.
Unforeseen circumstances caused major delays before the main show, which resulted in a super short meet & greet session for the VIP ticket holders.
It was initially understood that fans would get a full on autograph session and photo-op with the band with a purchase of a VIP Tier 1 ticket worth RM270.
Somehow, something wasn't right and the whole meet & greet turned into a 3-second touch-n-go photo session with the band.
I, myself, experienced this colossal mishap since I had also bought VIP tickets because I wanted to meet with the band and possibly exchange a few words.
Unfortunately, that just couldn't happen and was quite frankly disappointing.
Other than that, the organizers were really negligent in warning the photographers and also the band members of the pyrotechnics that were to go off during the concert.
I, for one, almost got my arm burnt by the fire from the stage as I was not made aware of them earlier.
The band had also expressed their surprise on Twitter regarding this.
Thankfully, nobody was injured due to the pyrotechnics that night.
All in all, I was still glad to have been able to not only cover the concert, but also witness with my own eyes a great trio of musicians making their way to the top.
I wish them all the best.
Many thanks to Digital Idea for granting me media accreditation to cover this concert, as well.
Check out all the photos from this entry and more at QZ Photography's Flickr gallery here.
Hit me up in the comments below if you went to the concert, too.
What was your most memorable moment? Do share!
Comments
Question: what do I need (the basic equipment) to cover a concert/battle of the bands-themed performances?
The basic equipment would be a camera, and it doesn't really matter what kind UNLESS there are a few limiting factors like lighting, distance between you and the stage, image quality etc.
Could you give me a more specific description of the concert? Details like time, venue, from where you'll be shooting (distance from the stage/performances) and any other things you might be concerned of.
Regarding angles, it depends on your personal way of composing your photographs. Because you have mid-range to telephoto lenses, you can't stand too close to the stage if you want to get half-body shots. And the tight shots should be from an angle that flatters the subject. Also watch out for shots that have the microphone covering the singer's face, and try to shoot from the side where the singer's hand doesn't hold the mic. Say, if he/she holds it with her right hand, shoot on his/her left side. This will avoid the arm/mic blocking most of the face. Since it's a BOTB, get the instruments in the shot, too.
If the lighting is okay or if they at least have a spotlight, you don't need a speedlight. But having one (or two) as backup is always good but it will make your bag/camera heavier. If you are bringing speedlights, please bring extra batteries, too.
As far as equipment go, you're pretty much set. If you can find a wide-mid range zoom, that would be better because it might come in handy for situations where you might not be able to shoot from wherever you want and need to stay in front of the stage only. But since it's a job, you should be able to get all access to anywhere.
I use the 600D. I just have never shot in such low-light situations. Wait, are concerts/BOTB considered low-light environments? Haha. Anyway, thanks a lot for the advice. :D
You're very welcome. I do hope I helped. Would really like to check out the shots you take later! And of course, it would be awesome to go for a photowalk/outing. I hope to organize one soon.
All the best and take care.