MANX musos may have noticed new music photography blog Peel Gig Tog over the last few weeks.
It is the work of Peel photographer Liam Reynolds, who has been capturing and writing about the gig scene out west.
Peelgigtog.com is the home of his visual and musical journey, while the concurrent From the Side of the Stage project is a series of podcasts, released ahead of gigs as a preview of the band.
‘Sometimes people turn up to a bar, drink, dance, and leave without knowing much about the band they saw,’ explained Liam.
So how did the project start, is Liam a big live music fan?
‘I used to drum a bit. I’m a full time dad so it was more about I needed something to get me out and keep me occupied,’ he said. ‘I’m glad I found the scene, it’s gathering pace now.’
He added: ‘I’m amazed at what I’m capturing. Feeling the emotion through the picture is something I never thought I’d achieve, given the poor lighting conditions at gigs. That is the challenge, I’m refusing to put a flash on.’
He squeezes in around two bands in one night at weekends, meaning he has already captured something like 18 different acts in Peel alone, dashing between venues like The Creek, The Highwayman and The Marine.
Bands as varied as Tiger Years, Mr Eliminator and the Deadly Vipers, Slice of Life, David Holland, Scarred ID, Stockholm, Borderline, Little Miss Dynamite and 9 Bar Gypsies have all been the subjects of Liam’s lens. Any favourites?
‘Final Cut have stood out for me,’ said Liam. ‘And Nick Barlow and the Bad Noise, they know how to throw a party.’
‘It’s hard work but rewarding. A band like 8 Bit Empire move around so much, but if you capture a head band, you can almost hear the music when you look at the image.’
His plan is to produce podcasts for 10 different shows, but as far as the photography goes, Liam doesn’t foresee any reason to stop. Will he keep it strictly based in his western homeland though?
He doesn’t think so. ‘If I stayed just in Peel it would hinder me. Photographing in The Creek most weeks, I’d end up with the same shots, so I will need to widen the net. I hope to start getting invitations to bigger gigs and grow with it.’
• Lee Brooks’ ramblings on the rumblings of the island’s music scene. Contact lee.brooks@newsiom.co.im or 695674 with Manx music news, reviews and photos