Sunday, May 24, 2009

No Doubt @ Cricket Pavilion


Some shows... right before the band starts... we photographers get to peek behind the giant curtain. We can see the band take their places, and see what they are feeling. When Gwen Stefani walked on stage, shielded from the massive sold out crowd by a huge white piece of nylon at the front of the stage, she couldn't help but smile. Frankly, it was nice to see the humility from such a huge star. It was also, for me, another one of those "whoa, this is a big deal" moments. It doesn't get much bigger than Gwen Stefani... reunited with No Doubt.



Keeping with the 'big' aesthetic, the stage set up for No Doubt was both massive and really fun to look at. There was a ridiculously large screen at the back of the stage.  Drummer Adrian Young with two touring back up band mates sat atop a large white spider-like drum riser. Everything on the stage was white. Even the screen was white at the start. Which, as simple as it sounds, makes for a really cool and clean look.





The band was perfectly together. Musically tight, and thriving off each other.  Every one seemed to be having a great time. Gwen, Tom Dumont (guitar), and Tony Canal (bass) could all be seen jumping around and kicking wildly into the air. It was a very genuine good time. The crowd couldn't have been happier. The screams were nearly as loud as the music.



I'm really glad I got to shoot this show. I thought it would be a big deal, and it was. Probably more than I expected. Lighting wise, it doesn't get much better, or easier. With a f2.8 lens, I was able to keep my ISO at 400 and my shutter between 1/200 and /250. It was a great environment for shooting... and the subjects don't get much more entertaining.



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