One of my favorite and lesser known festivals in the city is the Montreal Ska Festival. I’ve shot a few shows over the last couple of years at the festival and I just love the vibe of the crowd and the fun and energy of the music. I was asked by The Fabulous Lolo (Lorraine) to come down and shoot her show, which was the first show of the year under the Ska festival. Lorraine is awesome (and definitely Fabulous), a legend in the Montreal ska community and always, always puts on a great show. I missed her 2012 show which was raved by many people as one of the best shows of the year, so even though I had an earlier gig, no way I was missing this show.
The Petit Campus (the downstairs part of the Café Campus bar on Prince Arthur) is a small intimate venue. The stage is barely knee high so you are up close to the performers. One of the hard things of shooting a band like this is the number of artists on stage can easily make your images look cluttered. However, te beer at the venue isn’t too expensive – always something I’m happy about – and the lights aren’t actually that bad! I would of loved staying for the full set, but I had to head home after 4-5 songs. A great show… if you are a fan of ska, rocksteady or similar music, this festival is one to be checked out for sure!
Hell, even I was dancing on the floor with my camera in hand 🙂
Here are some images of the show!
