Sometimes at gigs something magic happens…. the audience is really up for it, as are the musicians on the stage. It is as if it all comes together in that one time and place. And it is at these rare gigs that I am able to get a good position and shot unobtrusively for the entire gig – and I am not restricted to those ridiculous 3 songs (which I know matter for the bigger stages). The trouble with restrictions is it creates a ‘manic’ grab for photographers while it can be an adrenaline rush. Also I am not sure it’s the best situation for portfolio images or a quality photoshoot. Sometimes.
I got into music photography by chance. I took some photos at a gig several years ago and realised I had a talent for capturing the right moments. While I should add I have studied art and portraiture many years, so perhaps photography is a natural progression. Also as I am a huge music fan it made sense for me and music is my motivation - from Mozart to pop.
Dougie
was magic. He was on good form and like a choir master he really got everyone
singing in full voice.
This event took place to an expectant and warmly enthusiastic Milngavie Town Hall
audience. Some were clearly die-hard McLean
fans and some had travelled long journeys for the gig.
Premier Scottish songwriter is best known for his song Caledonia which has become
part of Scottish culture and is often performed at weddings and played by
pipebands. He also wrote the theme The
Gael for the The Last of the Mohicans
(1992).
McLean performed songs from his 2012 album Resolution,
as well as some of his large back catalogue. He gave us a full two entertaining
sets of his warm thoughtful songs.
He began
with the song Holding Back - 'a wee
song about contentment' he said. (there may well have been a few more songs I
didn't manage to get the title of).
First Set: Holding Back/ Don’t Look Down/ Another Time/ Loving One (She Loves
me when I'm gone, She thinks about me when I'm gone)/ Some Hearts/
Second Set: Resolution/ Not Look Down/ Scythe Song/ In Darkness/ Broken
Wings/ Caledonia/ For his encore he sang the song You Sing Loud (Shine
on, oh shine on over me)
He encouraged us to sing and he said that people were never passive in Scottish
music - he explained that they joined in and that is why the old folk songs had
so many refrains. For the song Some
Hearts he conducted our singing and he suggested we sang with more
harmonies.
He also spoke about how music can heal and the inspirational work of Nordoff
Robbins Music therapy for terminally ill children.
He said - I travel with my little songs. McLean has a touching compassionate voice in his songs.
His song
themes appear subtle and soothing sitting alongside calming melodies but
actually they carry powerful messages and emotions. McLean is something of a philosopher in his songs which offer
thoughtful insights on life with a strong sincerity. He fully recognises and
accepts the emotional draw of the 'song'. His songs are personal but also
intimate and universal, as if speaking directly to you.
His songs have lines such as - You
may fall but you must not lie down/‘Some hearts will fill with
wonder/ Some hearts will break in two/ Some hearts will wait for summer/ Time
will turn.
Price we have to pay/ Place we started from to resolution’
Lost in
the fiddle’s sweet sound….For a moment free from one more endless day.
He said
that we must make loads of mistakes in order to really ‘live’ life. He said
that music wasn't always kind and it can sometimes be a heart breaking kind of
thing
McLean has been a professional musician for 38
years since a chance encounter with the Tannahill Weavers.
Try Dougie
McLean songs - She Will Find Me, Another Time (about his father), Broken Wings,
Holding Back,
Some of the best loved falsetto voices were The Beach Boys surfing California sound. There is something inspirational and heaven ward in the beauty of the high male voice – much more so than the female soprano voice. The best known church choirs are the young male choristers. The falsetto was also often heard in the soul and Motown songs coming out of America. Are these voices taking us closer to heaven? They can be sweet and tender and they appeal greatly to women who melt and swoon over it. For women they offer empathy and show the sensitive side of men. Other examples of wonderful falsettos are the singers from Earth Wind and Fire; Freddy Mercury of Queen; The Bee Gees.
One of the greatest male singers ever was Jeff Buckley who blended his love of Nina Simone and Led Zeppelin to weave his wild vocal expressions that have influenced a new generation of male singers. Hybrid masculine and feminine sensibilities. Hyden Thorpe of the Wild Beasts feels the falsetto expresses the vulnerable hurting side of yourself and pulls him out of the everyday experiences with a freer way of singing.
While I also enjoy the more rough edged male vocals given the choice I prefer the soaring high male voice. My favourite soul singer was Otis Redding, along with pop singers John Lennon and the Bee Gees. some quotes from the BBC 'Imagine' Just One Falsetto'- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
Warpaint impressed
the audience and they played an ethereal sound and the band describe
themselves as experimental art rock. First girl band I've photographed. They were in soft-blue stage
lighting which wasn't so easy to photograph! http://www.warpaintwarpaint.com/
Warpaint is an American art rock group from Los Angeles, formed in 2004. The band's members are Emily Kokal (vocals, guitar), Theresa Wayman (guitar, vocals), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass, vocals), and Stella Mozgawa (drums, vocals). Warpaint released their debut EP, Exquisite Corpse, in 2009, followed by their full length album, The Fool, released in 2010. "Shadows" was the first single release from their debut and was playlisted by BBC Radio 1 as part of the In New Music We Trust. Warpaint toured in the United States and Europe in 2011 to promote the album. They played at Bonnaroo, Glastonbury Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Rock Werchter and Electric Picnic.
