I thought it was plain Wishful Thinking when I found out the day before that, Yes, there is a go- ahead to cover China Crisis. The day before that, I didn’t even know they were in Manila! Fun fun shoot, this. China Crisis is such a cool band to cover!
Aching back after a full day and hours of running around with multiple gear, heading to another gig, but just couldn’t resist. Their costumes and make-up are sci-fi flick good, gotta hand it to them.
It was a darn good thing to have attended and shot China Crisis’ gig last night at McKinley Hill. There is something about gigs, music lovers, and I guess, photographers. At a time when many people are borderline paranoid-distrustful, such camaraderie is such a breath of fresh air! Sometime during the gig, a total stranger handed me his camera, an apparently very new EOS 60D, and asked me to figure out the movie function controls! I was so sorry that a 60D is a piece of gear that I haven’t tried, and couldn’t be of much help. That little encounter made me smile, though. Later on, the same guy handed me his camera again, this time for me to take his picture with China Crisis jamming it up in the background. I was happy to oblige. Afterwards, I went for a cigarette break at the side. This time two guys approached me, asking to be photographed, but they didn’t bring their cameras. Easy. One of them gave me his calling card with his email address on it. Gave him mine, in exchange. Of course I’m not exactly hoping that they will be my new best friends, but encounters like these are certainly one of the perks of the job. Sure, standing for hours with several kilos of gear hanging on you can be a literal pain, but it sure is worth it. Posting some outtakes now; it is 1am, and shots of China Crisis will have to wait another day.
Two of them are my friends; the rest just asked to be photographed. Perhaps I’ll never see them again, but the exchange of goodwill was great!
Went to a gig in Saguijo a couple of weeks ago, and as usual the place was jampacked. I even thought of bringing gear, but it was good that I didn’t–it would’ve been useless if not utterly stupid to lug that in a place where there’s just enough room to stand! We sort of missed the gig, as we had to content ourselves with the only available table outside the music room. If I can’t shoot sandwich, I’ll shoot punkin instead, and a toy cam will have to do.
30 October, 2010.
So, Cynthia Alexander, the indie rock goddess who gave me insomnia singing I-N-S-O-M-nia, left last summer, hied of to Seattle to test its musical waters. You know that discomfiting spot, like wishing someone the best best best, yet that little selfish part of you is afraid that she might never come back, and you’d have to book a flight to somewhere int the US to catch her gig again? That selfish fear was so transparent Cynthia chided me with “Really?” when i wished her luck. I said Of course I do, but I certainly wish you’d come back and gig still. It was with excitement that we cheered her gig in New York. Yes, New York! and at the same time chewed our fingernails: let’s hope she visits and gigs here still!
The irony of it all. In many ways it pains me that (not only) in my country, undoubtedly talented musicians perform in tiny bars like Conspiracy, while some not so talented ones can fill the Big Dome (Araneta Coliseum in Cubao). At the same time my friends and I so enjoy those gigs, and we can never find that level of fun and musical high in a place as big as the Dome.
But anyway. Let’s cut through the chase, as my title already did, anyway. Cynthia Alexander is back, will be here until April, and going back to Seattle. So if I were you, I’d catch all the gigs i could, to see me through the next visit.
Remember “Betamax?”
H Photography 