I’ve been staring at my screen for a good twenty minutes now trying to figure out how to go about describing last night’s performance. I think I am beginning to finally recover from it. Every time I see this man in concert, I actually get emotional. The way he slaps his harmonica against his lips so passionately while making those funk-inspired vocal sounds that echo through the instrument’s chamber just blows my mind. Especially when he gets really fervent and starts giving the stage floor a real beating with his feet, all to the rhythm of the music, making it vibrate right into my gut. He is, hands down, my favorite harmonica player and I have been following his career, alongside those of Jim Zeller and Carl Tremblay, since the age of twelve.
Last night he was playing at the new venue on Ste-Catherine called L’Astral. Needless to say I had been anticipating this moment for quite some time so I came prepared, Nikon in hand. I managed to seat myself right up against the stage; my view couldn’t have been more ideal. I started taking some test shots to make sure I was using the proper settings and all. Everything was perfect, I was ready. Suddenly, the announcer’s voice comes on requesting that everyone turn off their mobiles, etc, etc… And no cameras or other recording devices allowed. What? Did I hear correctly? I swear I could have shot the man two seats to the right smirking at me. I rested my camera in my lap feeling utterly defeated. Guy and his band came on and opened with a bang (as usual). The lighting was stellar and this was making me antsy because all I could think of was how amazing this would look in photographs. Damn L’Astral I thought to myself. However in mid-concert I couldn’t stay put any longer. I couldn’t let it go, I was so close I could hear them all breathing in between songs. So I crossed my legs, propped up my camera on one knee, turned it on and started snapping away blindly – flash off of course. No one took any notice. I felt like the Frankie Wilde of photography.
Turns out eyes weren’t really that necessary.
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