Red Bullets and The Swamis rock up the Esquires club.

Friday was an evening I had noted on my calendar for quite some time. Two of my favourite local bands were playing in one intimate venue. Also, it was the first time I was taking out my Nikon D3 out on a real gig.

The bands really worked the crowd who were up for it. It was a small venue but that made it more special. The sound, the lights and the atmosphere was all in place for a great evening. I believe the lads also felt a vibe as they really played up to the lively audience.

There were other bands there; they had a good sound but lacked the presence of Bullets or Swamis. Purely from a photographer’s perspective if the band doesn’t give me any kind of attitude or emotion, then it is hard to capture.

A great night, but I must mention one thing about the Esquire venue. Everything was great except the lights, whoever controlled the lights obviously never had a photographer give them any direction. They consistently flooded the guitarists and lead vocalist with a single wash of colour; this gives no contrast or depth to an image and make everything look monotone and uninteresting. However, it wasn’t my gig or my place; in other places I have asked the lighting controller to give me a more varied contrasting range of colours. Red from one side and blue from the other gives the classic and best canvas on the bands.