Have during the years had the chance to meet and work with a few of the coolest people in the music world. I love the Tokyo underground music scene and have made some real good friends coming to obscure gigs shooting these people and giving images as thanks on weird days of the week and at even weirder hours. It's never a bad time for a musical/visual uplifting experience...
Met the whole Mayhem team slacking backstage once, and when you hear that Norwegian accent it changes your view of Black Metal. I met and shot Anthrax twice, Suicidal Tendencies, At The Gates, Pig Destroyer, Dio, Agnostic Front, Sick Of it All and a whole bunch of other cool bands/people. But I have to say, when the sound, light, atmosphere and energy is there, a gig in a Tokyo underground "Live House" is hard to beat. Pure and very inspiring.
I have been on the road in Japan with metal cats Pulling Teeth and my favorite Japanese Death/Trash metal band OGRE Japan. Been shooting the upcoming metal guys in SURVIVE when they were into Roots Metal and dreadlocks (heavy as fuck!).
The weirdest photo shoot must have been when I was assigned to do a portrait of Slayer main axe man Kerry King backstage in a "shag room", behind the dressing room in one of Tokyos main venues. Just needed a cool face to face image and thats what I got. The room had a heart shaped bed all in pink. Awkward to say the least, time was not on my side (had 10 min to set up and shoot). Had a press pass for the 10 min portrait of King, then I was able to let it all out in the mosh pit (no camera, I either shoot 100% or thrash 100%)for one of the most extreme music experience ever, Mastodon opened the show...!
I was once assigned to shoot Mike Muir for a Tattoo mag, the editor didn't speak a word or English so I ended up giving the interview as well as shooting the portraits. Poor homework from the magazine, cos it proved that S.T guru did not have one single tattoo. That shit was the coolest I ever heard for a long time, never judge a book...Respect.
Hint; ultra wide angle, flash on slow sync, low ISO and get close...too close.
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