Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul McCartney. Show all posts

Sunday 26 July 2020

Famous Gig Images






Snowpatrol


Now I attend and take photos at Celtic Connections festival each January. I’ve been so fortunate to take photos at some awesome gigs – from the intimate folk clubs, the open air festivals, the packed concert halls, the iconic Glasgow music venues. 

There is challenges at all, being unobtrusive at the small venues and dealing with lighting and other pit challenges at the bigger events. One of my first big outdoor event was the band Snowpatrol at Bellahouston Glasgow. It was a perfect sunny day and there is that adrenalin rush being at the front of the huge pumped crowd. 

At the SECC Glasgow we were lined up by the security and after a wait, we were led to the pit at the front of the stage. We stood there looking at the angles, the lighting, the stage and the audience. Photography is often about a lot of waiting, re-checking camera settings and being ready for the star's entrance. Suddenly Elton John appeared waving at the side of the stage. 

Oh i miss those live gigs, folk clubs and festivals! ... and hope they will return again one day very soon. 

Elton




Paul McCartney


Stevie Nicks



Laura Marling at the Old fruitmarket

Mogwai

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Famous Photos

Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood
I have been very fortunate and privileged to photo some of the most famous names in contemporary music from the 70s and from the present day.

Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Jerry Douglas, John Mayer

Present day – Hurts, Emeli Sande, Mumford, Laura Marling, Snowpatrol, more!

Laura Marling
John Mayer
Lindsay Buckingham, Fleetwood
Elton John
Van Morrison
Emeli Sande
Fleetwood
Snowpatrol
Paul McCartney

Tuesday 28 February 2012

*The Early Beatles


There’s a fascination about the early Beatles Photos and Music. What gave them that ‘magic’ – was it how they bounced off each other – how much did George Harrison (the quiet one) add. In the early days all three were front men and Lennon wanted the best in the band. 

At sixteen Lennon started his skiffle band The Quarrymen in 1957. They changed their name to The Beatles and played over in Hamburg Germany in 1960. It wasn't until 1962 that the band picked up attention for their gigs at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. After Decca Records rejected the band in early February 1962 with the comment "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein", George Martin signed the group to EMI's Parlophone label in May.  

I’ve been having fun looking through early Beatles images.

At a time when mods and rockers walked the streets of London, and when British youth was fascinated by the American blues records sold in back street shops and when pop music really took off here. It was fresh and exciting times for pop art culture, Mary Quant fashion, Twiggy, mini skirts and young music. 
Then it was all about the song and the instruments before the advent of the music video. (and oddly the Beatles were the first ones to make music videos, as they were so long at the number one spot they simply couldn't be on Top of the Pops every week!) 

Recommmend Life Magazine 'George Harrison Remembered'. Here's a link you might enjoy.  http://thehamburgbeatles.blogspot.com/

Todays generation is the 'fast' generation they want everything yesterday. They want to be The Beatles 1966 right away... rather than the Beatles 1957.  It took the Beatles 5 years of graft to get anywhere....

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Saturday 11 June 2011

*The Beatles

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My best friends brother had all the Beatles vinyl albums and they used to come in those lovely sleeves when we could enjoy the art work as we listened to the latest one.  I also remember those times singing intimate harmonies to their songs back in my twenties..... it always worked perfectly. 

There was some magic thing going on there between them all. Some special 'synergy.' 

McCartney's 'Let It Be' is a totally life-affirming love song. Paul's piano melodies are the heart of his work, even without the words - but then the words sit on top as if they arrived at the same time. He clearly 'feels' in music. My piano lifts us up..

Lennon on the other hand had more energy and thought outward. 'Imagine' about our shared humanity is perhaps the best song ever written about love. Lennon's words ring very true.  
My words might heal...

Harrison, the often overlooked Beatle, wrote some of the most loved Beatles songs - 'Something' and 'Here Comes the Sun'. His guitar playing was highly expressive and admired by other guitarists. He added more to the Beatles sound than many realized.
And my guitar gently weeps.....

My Favourite Beatles songs in no particular order -  Let It Be, Strawberry Fields, Another Day, A Day in the Life, If I Fell, The long and Winding Road, If I Needed Someone, Things We Said,  You Wont' See Me, Because, Two of Us, Carry That Weight, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, News Today, Day Tripper, Lucy in the Sky, Here Comes The Sun, Something,
... The Beatles prove that genius can come from anywhere, perhaps that is the key thing. And it doesn't have to be complicated.     

Ok have to admit to loving McCartney's' songs -  The Long and Winding Road (except for Phil Spector's dreadful plonking OTT production) and Let It Be. Here's the real natural version of The Long and Winding Road. 

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Monday 28 June 2010

*Paul McCartney Hampden Glasgow 20th June 2010 The Up and Coming Tour



The magic of the Beatles and of music - how do you TOP that? - legend. Paul enjoyed playing to the Hampden crowd, and paused over the entrance moment while a lead was fixed.
He often makes eye contact, not only do you feel the love and that he adores doing the live shows. As with the Beatles songs, it all feels personal even in this massive crowd. Many songs (and not only Hey Jude) were about the audience singing along with that communal live gig experience.

He did most of the classic Beatles I hoped to hear 'Eleanor Rigby',  'Blackbird', 'A day in the Life'  that became 'Give Peace A Chance'...'I've Got a Feeling', 'Paperback Writer', more, more... some with the full band, some with only Paul and guitar, and some at the grand piano. 
Paul likes to rock it up and I was thrilled to hear 'Day Tripper', 'Back in the USSR' and 'Get Back' as encore songs.   They also performed  'Yesterday' with only Paul and guitar, and 'Mull of Kintyre' with a school Pipe band backing the band.  We felt the hot flames of fireworks for 'Live and Let Die.' 
 
Songs included  'Rock n Roll it To You' a tribute to Hendrix.  He paid tribute to his band mates Lennon and George. He talked of George's ukulele and his version of Harrison’s perfect  'Something' was very moving I thought. . At one point he said that he never would have thought growing up he would ever talk with the Russian Defence minister, and he said to Paul, 'We learned English through the Beatles songs.' Paul's music isn't about sending out any idealist message - more about the love and peace we might all hope to share, and having fun with life!  

As McCartney pulled from his vast back catalogue of songs I wondered could there possibly be more classics to hear and oh yes there are!  He took to piano for his moving slower songs - 'The Long and Winding Road', 'Let It Be', 'And I Love Her' - his tribute to Linda.  He made many guitar changes, from an original Beatles guitar to a Gibson fender.  His comment was - 'well I have them all so I might as well show them off!'

His band seemed to enjoy playing with Paul and they performed for two and a half hours, and the set covered the whole range of Paul's music, through early Beatles to Wings.  The music brought back the 60s and those origins of pop music.  Paul seemed as full of love and life and music as ever, and I can feel that sense of 'magic' that was part of the Beatles there on stage.
I met my old primary school friend for the gig, and we sat on the grass near Hampden for a picnic.  We used to listen to all the Beatles albums many moons ago - her older brother had the entire collection, and I can remember how in awe I was of both their music and album covers! Her brother sadly died of motor neuron disease several years ago so I am sure the gig was very poignant for her. 

We had tears at 'Let It Be' - for those remembered. Simply the best sure enough.
 It has been a dream hoping to hear Paul live one day, and to hear those songs I have loved for so long, to take photos just an incredible experience and my ultimate dream. I thought I never would.

Thank you Paul for the dreams. Unforgettable.