One of those end of year blogs…

I’m merely doing this because i’ve run out of good films to watch, new music to listen to and i start back at uni tomorrow!

It’s been a bit of a strange year… I somehow got into Uni without finishing college… I somehow got to photograph bands i never thought i would get to do at this point and i somehow managed to go to New York for my 21st!


* Warning*
This is going to be a long post, well highlights and may bore some of you but they’ll be many pretty pictures =)

Had a splendid start to the year, BMTH and MSI, fun bloody stuff i tell you! The amount of hits for Dir En Grey was crazy and probably remains one of my most viewed albums!

This was a year i finally forked out and bought some flash’s to really use for portraits and band promo’s. Something VERY new to me and really got sucked into that i ended up buying a portable set up, only to realise i need a real studio set up. So eventually got me some Bowens!

Judas Priest – This gig would have been fun if they had actually ventured towards the edge of the stage. Still an interesting gig to do and witness that some old bands… should just leave it be.

Iglu & Hartly – This gig I’ve never witnessed so many girls stage invade and pretty much whore themselves out to the band… Another fun gig together, but my god, girls… control yourselves.

For my 21st birthday i decided a while back that i wasn’t going to spend it in Wales so after convincing my family and a high school friend who loves travelling managed to spend 7 days over there and bloody loved it. An overwhelming place which i think you either love or hate. Every night we would come back knackered, wrap a towel up in ice and soothe our feet from the excessive walking! Managed to cover many ‘tourist’ sites along with some eating in da hood and spending a sunny sunday down a closed Coney Isand. View more photos over on flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/nadineballantyne/sets/72157616172101833/

When The Point closed down i was sad! Seen many great gigs in there, not only was the sound ace, the lighting was ace, the people who worked there were some of the kindest people i’ve met who help run a venue… Just happy that within the remains some of my photos got used on the sign!

Jess got into uni doing photography. Yaaaaay! And i helped her with 3 projects. Yaaaaay! =)

Exit International – Got to shoot these again! They took me along to their rehearsal room where they had a planned idea to build a wall of amps!

The Grammatics – A reason why i still love my cheapest lens. Canon 50mm 1.8 <3

Pulled Apart By Horses – Just one reason why i love this band, they’re bloody nuts. Seen ‘em a fair few times over the last year and they never fail to please. Nothing better when you have; good tunes, lively band, lively crowd, luck on your side and no fear…

Download + Moshpits + Crowd Surfing + Travelling + Suicide Silence = Many Bruises. An absolutely awesome few days spent at Download friday then seeing Suicide Silence with Shaped By Fate in a packed out Clwb. Took me legs bloody ages to heal after that. How good were Limp Bizkit at Download! Certainly a highlight of my year!

Nothing New – We thought we’d risk going in the park whilst it was shut… but the manager let us in the end! Getting to walk around here while it was closed was ace and the fact the nutter worker there showed us around, let us climb on the roller-coaster, spun everyone around on the dodgems and even let us into the Ghost Train!

THIS has to be one of the biggest highlights of my year. I never thought that on NIN’s last tour, having literally just started Soundscape i would get the chance to photograph them… It was utterly unreal and the biggest show i’ve ever done. Truly amazing show and to be there with a good photographer friend Ed Townend. Janes Addiction supported as well! There was a moment me and Ed because of security faffing we got escorted straight to shoot Mew, which meant going in the tunnels underneath and never actually getting to see the arena, only when we had done Mew and could, walking out into the arena and seeing how fucking huge it was was breathtaking!

Square Festival – This is one of the worst set up festivals i have ever been to… Seriously bad which is a shame because there were some bloody good bands on the bill. The fact it was a mission to get there and i had to spend the weekend working with bruised ribs because some twat jumped on my tent and KO’d me wasn’t fun.

Skip Curtis – Used to be in Plinth now solo/model career. He don’t half like to pose! But he knows that
Worked with Skip a few times. Always get some interesting shots.

The return of Dopamine… need i say any more <3

The rKives – Was a kind of ‘lets just see what i can find’ shoot but luckily we did! Nice lads and all seems to be going well for them now!

Hey! Tonight! – A quick promo shoot with these lads before it grew dark. I seem to do a lot of these ‘lets just see what i can find’ shoots…

This dudes insane.

So i did these 2 gigs at once, at clwb, on 2 floors and each band was nicely placed so they didn’t quite clash. How i was not knackered from this i don’t know. Bloody ace gigs though and one step closer to getting me fit aha!

He’s nuts.

He’s a star fish.

He’s funny as fuck.

Flood Of Red – A band that deserves more recognition!

Skindred – Without this man… they’d be fucked.

Black Russian – A shoot where most my equipment failed…

Swn Festival – Was Ok. Not great. Not Shit. Only Ok. Guys work out your ticket sales yeah? Not one in one out. That’s not how it should work, because really, what’s the point in buying a day ticket then? ALSO mention the charities your helping. The gig in clwb where PABH played was insane… the front row was just photographers. But hey, we have to work…

Mon the Biffy – First time i’ve seen these and thanks to Ryan Atkinson i could! Immense live show. I’ve only recently got into them and glad i got to check them out before they get any bigger!

Skip Curtis – Oh o, another shoot with the man. This time for snow gear!

Exit International – And another oh o, i got to shoot these guys again, this was by far the best though. Nothing beats an underground dingy tunnel and their managers office to piss around in. – http://www.myspace.com/exitinternationalmusic

TOC – Hey Bristol, GET SOME FUCKING LIGHTS. Taste of Chaos was good, but you know me, i like to moan… especially about poor lighting. But hey, i got to see Every Time I Die, that’s all i cared about.

GFJD – This was one of the most bizzare gig i’ve shot this year…. just strangely bloody good. Despite the crowd ‘loving’ abuse, wouldn’t stop me from photographing them again! I also got to see Outcry Collective again. Good lads, good show. Another underrated band that deserve a bit more attention!

My friend Vicki from the ex-5150’s has a new band. By faaaar the funniest shoot i’ve been on. They’re a comedy act on their own. I look forward to meeting up with these again at their first shows and laughing my ass off.

KIGH – Last gig i shot for the year in Clwb too. Good times.

All really for that year… Thanks to loooads of peeps.
Everyone that contributes to Soundscape. Reads Soundscape.
Pr’s for passes. Local promoters like Greg (Grab Promotions), Connor (AYOR) and Martin for their kindness.
Bands who use me again for shoots and gigs. (Vicki, Exit International, Counter Clockwork, Skip – LEGENDS).
Anyone that still looks at any of this shit.
THANKS
xx