Mastodon | MTelus | Montreal Concert Photographer

Mastodon mtelus montreal metal chom

Heavy Metal powerhouse Mastodon was headlining a pretty cool bill at the MTelus last night. And oh what a show on this Thanksgiving day. They are one of those bands that are always a sure bet live. They are intense on stage, just as their music. Whether it is from the manic mouvements of bassist Troy Sanders, the heavy riffs, or the constantly changing lights…

Oh, those lights!! Having shot Mastodon before (check out those grainy black and white shots), I was expecting a challenge. And that it was. Bright backlights switching to white side lights, all while keeping those gentle tones of pink and green on the stage. The artists move in and out of the lights, making it quite a task to try and capture an essence of the show. And let’s not forget the 14-16 photographers who were also in the pit, working in the same conditions, trying to get something viable for their medias.

I find that in shows like this, the images aren’t always perfect. A guitar neck can be cut off, light may not be consistent on the artist on stage, but that… is OK. It does represent the show. And facing such a challenge is what makes this line of work fun! Sure, we all love bright white light on an artist who poses and moves in front of us… but really, how do you progress in what you do if that is all you capture?

Knowing that the show was going to have…uh… interesting lighting, I opted to use a 16-35 on my second body instead of the 70-200.  Trying to capture more of the feel than the artists.

Photos were done for CHOM 97.7 / iHeartRadio.ca . You can see the full media gallery HERE. As always, below are some of my faves and a few exclusive black and whites.

*images of openers Eagles of Death Metal are coming up shortly!*

Mastodon mtelus montreal metal chom

Mastodon mtelus montreal metal chom

Mastodon mtelus montreal metal chom