Talk about a career on the rise… Australian singer / songwriter Vance Joy brought his Nation of Two tour to the Bell Centre stage last night, and even if this was my 5th time photographing Vance in the last 4-5 years, and he has now moved from smaller venues to arenas, the guy still keeps the humility that I love about him. Simple stage (with extra lights and backdrops as fit for an arena), genuine smiles and catchy folk pop rock (however you want to label it).
I first caught him as the opening act for Young The Giant at Metropolis back in early 2014 where his more pop-inspired folk was interesting to hear, the lights were dim, and as with most openers, the crowd was more interested in the headliner. But a few months later he was at Osheaga on the small stage (he as on at 2pm). It was probably the biggest crowd at the small stage I was covering that we had all weekend. And that is considering the other amazing “new” talent at the small stage with the likes of July Talk, Royal Blood, Courtney Barnett, The Beaches — all the more reason to always check out small stages at festivals and not just the headliners ;). Just saying.
He came back a few years later with a few sold out nights in a row at Metropolis as a headliner, and also had a nice intimate show for Virgin Radio Montreal contest winners. And somewhere in there, he opened for little known artist Taylor Swift, which may or may not of had a good impact on his career.
Vance Joy is always a treat to see live. Personally, I think I prefer his charm in a smaller venue, but I totally get how his appeal can attract masses of people.
I was covering last night for Virgin Radio Montreal / iHeartradio.ca and you can see the full image set HERE
Below, some faves and a few exclusives down below 😉
