Rebeladelica

Natalie Merchant at Hammersmith Apollo, 22 May 2010

Imelda — Sat, 22 May 2010 13:41:04 +0000

Former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant’s return to London to promote her first album in seven years.

I’ve seen her perform a few times over many years but this was the first time I’ve photographed her. She’s still just as enchanting as a performer, with a curious, enigmatic vibe and always somehow off in her own world, which I wanted to capture with this image. She sang with a small acoustic band, playing only songs from her new album until the encore, when she let rip with old numbers and danced wildly around the stage. How I wish photography restrictions at large venues like this didn’t always prevent shooting during the last songs of the show – it’s always so different in mood to the first few songs of any set, the images from each would tell a totally different story!

Iggy Pop & The Stooges at Hammersmith Apollo, 3 May 2010

Imelda — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:37:49 +0000

Iconic rocker Iggy Pop reunited with The Stooges to play their album ‘Raw Power’ in full. One of the most energetic and alluring performers – even in his 60s! Holding on to the vibe of punk rock, even in a venue of this size and after doing it for so many years. The security guards were genuinely worried about the photographers prior to Iggy’s arrival and we were warned not to get too close! Apparently, he can be a bit unpredictable and over enthusiastic. No, really…?!

Marilyn Manson at Brixton Academy, 10 December 2009

Imelda — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:33:03 +0000

Arch provocateur Marilyn Manson’s return to London’s Brixton Academy. One of the trickiest gigs I’ve shot, due to the phenomenally complex (and unusual) restrictions, coupled with challenging low-lit dense blue smoke. This totally obscured the rest of the band and partially shrouded Manson himself. A wonderfully striking subject for a photograph, but surprisingly camera shy, it would seem…

The King Blues at the Electric Ballroom, 9 October 2009

Imelda — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:29:40 +0000

The King Blues returned to their familiar stomping ground of Camden, north London, for this, their biggest headline show of the 2009 at the Electric Ballroom.

I’ve been photographing The King Blues since early 2008 and I’ve shot them in every size of venue – from a boat on the canal, a tiny in-store record shop gig and a studio film set to Brixton Academy and big festivals. They never cease to be one of the most interesting, dynamic and compelling bands I’ve ever seen. Seemingly able to take a crowd of any size with them on a riotous journey of full band mash ups peppered with moments of jaw-dropping, stop-everything, one man poetry stand-offs. This show was a rousing, celebratory night, with this shot taken in the very last seconds of the encore. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of photographing them!

Jello Biafra at Islington Academy, London, 8 September 2009

Imelda — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:24:33 +0000

Jello Biafra with his new band the Guantanamo School of Medicine played a ‘fake blood’-soaked set of mainly new and few classic songs, which proved he’s still a punk rock icon. Amazing to see him performing with a band again after most of his visits to the UK in recent years have been for his intriguing, but non-musical, spoken-word events.

Leftover Crack at The Underworld, London, 13 August 2009

Imelda — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21:16 +0000

Controversial ska-punk rockers Leftover Crack from New York burnt a trail through the UK in the summer of 2009, rumoured to be their last European tour.

I had the pleasure of shooting three of their shows on this tour – their headline slot at Rebellion festival, their Lock Up Stage appearance at Reading Festival and, inbetween the two, this intimate headline show at The Underworld in Camden, London.

Literally one of the hottest gigs I’ve ever been to, this was one of frontman Stza Crack’s many crowd-surfing moments. LoC are one of the most entertaining bands to shoot, for their jumping, dancing, crowd-interaction, band-member-interaction, general unpredictability and occasional total shedding of clothes.

The Adicts at Rebellion Festival, Blackpool, 8 August 2009

Imelda — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:18:31 +0000

The Adicts playing the main stage at the Winter Ballroom in Blackpool for 2009’s Rebellion Festival. Touted to be the biggest punk festival in Europe, running over four days and featuring old, new, bizarre and traditional punk. It was a brilliant if hectic weekend. I shot around 60 acts, ending up with probably the most beer, glitter and crowd-surfer’s feet flying over/at my head that I’ve ever experienced collectively in one weekend.

Other show highlights included The Damned, The King Blues, Leftover Crack, The Aggrolites, Killing Joke and Voodoo Glow Skulls among many others.

The Adicts went all out on glamour, make up and props, subverting any idea of the scruffy, crusty image often afforded the punk world. I was still finding glitter in my camera case for weeks after shooting this band.

Faith No More at Brixton Academy, London, 10 June 2009

Imelda — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:15:44 +0000

Faith No More playing their first European reunion show (after more than ten years) at Brixton Academy, just prior to their performances at Download Festival and Reading/Leeds Festival.

It was the band’s sole London date and their only UK non-festival headline show. There was a general ban on press that night – apparently they weren’t looking for any publicity due to the sold out gig designed to be simply ‘for the fans’, since they weren’t promoting any new releases.

I was one of just a handful of lucky photographers allowed to shoot the gig, which easily matched their performances of over a decade ago for dynamism, eclecticism and power.

In this shot vocalist Mike Patton plays the suave, crooner role before letting loose in time-honoured scream-fest style as the set progressed.

Infinite thanks to FNM’s bassist Bill Gould for giving me access to this show!

TnT Dance, London, March 2009

Imelda — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:09:37 +0000

TnT Dance were launching their Salsa school in London and asked me to take the promotional photos for their website, flyers and general publicity campaign. Tina and Toan, who founded the company, are featured in this shot. They are both performers as well as teachers and I wanted this photo to convey both connection and individuality, with a stylish, dynamic and choreographic quality.

Sharron Levy, London, December 2008

Imelda — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:52:08 +0000

One of a number of promotional photos I’ve taken of singer/songwriter Sharron Levy. This shot was designed to be simple and elegant with a hint of a fashion/model vibe. Sharron has used a number of my images on her various music websites and for flyers, business cards and posters.