I was honoured to be invited to the video shoot for Slashed Seat Affair’s first video from the up and coming album. I am sworn to secrecy regarding the video itself but I wanted to post about the band’s electrifying energy and limitless stamina.
I cannot post the photos on this blog yet but I can talk about the bands masterful performances and professionalism.
Delivering the Thunder - Rob, drummer
Even though Rob sits at the back he is by no means taking a back seat. Drumming is something I am passionate about so any opportunity to talk to a drummer is time well spent. By the time I caught up with him SSA had already done 3 takes of the video so I asked him about his energy levels, “Great! I’m pacing myself” he said. I saw the last 2 takes and if that is “pacing” himself he would be a blur at full speed! I would need a faster camera for that 
Rob, through the camera
Photographing Rob was tricky because of the layout of the video shoot, but “tricky” isn’t necessarily a problem as Kelly and I fought hard to get the perfect shot. I truely believe we got some outstanding shots and I cannot wait for you to see them!!!
A real Guitar Hero - Noel, lead guitar
My advice to young bands starting up is to GO and watch Slashed Seat Affair to see this man’s performance. Noel gave it everything, at every moment of every take. Under the hot studio lights he blasted his guitar like a demon possessed. I needed to switch my camera to a higher shutter speed just to capture his performance. His charged exuberance was mezmorising to watch; myself and Kelly just couldn’t put the camera down whenever we pointed it at him.
Noel, through the camera
And this is another thing I noticed; he was wearing a heavy leather jacket under hot studio lights giving 100% but he never complained, he completely trusted the crew around him and really enjoyed the sessions take after take. It was impossible…yes IMPOSSIBLE to put the camera down when he is switched on like that, trouble is I had to dump the footage off my camera twice because of Noel’s and the rest off Slashed Seat Affair’s outstanding performance.
Groove shredder - Darren, bass
Matching Noel’s performance in a different way was Darren. Just as energetic and vivacious he gave it everything with every take. The director gave him and Noel free reign to express themselves; I think Darren took it to heart and played as if he was performing in front of a crowd of thousands.
Darren, through the camera
Shooting Darren was a genuine joy; he had that classic rock guitar stance that all of us have ‘pretended’ when doing air guitars but Darren was doing for real and just selling his playing so well it was fantastic to photograph! Legend!
Poetry in motion, angelic in voice - Ellie, lead vocals
Ellie is as petite as they come but don’t let that fool you into thinking she cannot command an audience; she is a born natural at fronting a band. She is the soul of Slashed Seat Affair. She is what most of the fans will focus on and listen to. Much is expected from the front person of any band and it is fair to say the lead singer can make or break a performance; without doubt she never let the cameras down for a second.
Ellie, through the camera
She is very gestural in her body movements and expressive with her arms. Every so often she does an iconic pose looking to one side with one arm bent above her head. It is a classic shot which I am surprised hasn’t been captured more often. Beautiful performer with an rock chic attitude that really shines through my lens.
The photographer’s apprentice, Kelly
Special mention must go to my apprentice Kelly who joined me at the photoshoot. I needed a lot of shots covered and I thought it would be amazing experience for her to shoot something like this, and to gain much needed confidence in a more professional setup with the Nikon D300 and the big 70-200mm lens. It is a real joy to see someone grow and blossom when thrown into a situation like this. She has resisted coming out of her comfort zone, but everytime I push her she comes out the other end a champion.
One Comment
I loved being part of the day and having the opportunity to photograph such an amazing band who all had so much enthusiasm and endless energy right to the very end of the day! Each member of the band looked great on the camera in their own individual way; I would jump at the chance to do this again. Thanks for the experience Terry.