Could this be the perfect festival?
I have been to quite a few festivals over the years, and previously my snobbiness would only accept the full three days of camping in a muddy field as the true fest experience. I guess an element of that still lingers in my soul, but as the limitations of having an ‘in my sixties’ body set in I am leaning in to the joy of the open air, single stage, no camping experience. And so when the excellent Nick Linazasoro said yes to me covering the Saturday for XFM’s On the Beach for Brighton and Hove News I was, to say the least. one very happy bunny!
The joy for a photographer of being able to focus on a single stage, with pit access and a VIP area to use in between acts felt like pure luxury. Add a superb line up, sunshine with gentle breeze, and sea views – this was pretty much a perfect day for me.
Lime Garden
First on the line up – kicking off at about 1.30pm – was Brighton based indie rock band Lime Garden. A really popular act with the early afternoon gathering audience and a very uplifting way to start the day. Describing themselves as ‘wonk pop’ there is a definite indie dance vibe. With the release of their album ‘Maybe Not Tonight’ earlier this year, the band have many more tour dates in the UK, Europe and North America for 2026.
Tour Dates
Badly Drawn Boy
It’s always a joy to hear Badly Drawn Boy play and this was a particularly heartfelt performance as he shared with us his sorrow over the recent passing of his mother. The intricacy of his compositions and how immersed in his music he became during his set resonated following his sad revelations, and brought extra meaning to the lyrics that some of us know so well. A beautiful experience.
Tour Dates
Ash
Another band in the midst of quite a global tour, it felt like quite a treat to have the awesome Ash gracing the ‘On the Beach’ stage this summer. Following the mellow acoustic performance from Damon Gough, aka Badly Drawn Boy, the Irish indie rock band dialled up the energy instantly and delivered a charismatic set with lots of crowd pleasing tracks. They are very entertaining to watch as a band making them even more fun to capture as a photographer.
Tour Dates
Anna Calvi
The power of Anna Calvi’s performance left me a little awestruck. Filling the space with her virtuoso guitar expertise, overlaid with powerful operatic vocals and coupled with a dramatic delivery of her complex compositions, this was a memorable musical experience. Add to this her phenomenally talented band and this was a set that stayed with me. The aesthetics of the bright red backdrop and black and red outfits added so much ‘in camera’ to every shot – a gig photographers’ dream!
Miles Kane
I am a little ashamed to say that I am completely new to Miles Kane’s music. I am also not one for immersing myself in an artist’s work prior to a gig. Hearing the tracks for the first time live brings something individual to the experience. With his cv including co frontman of the Last Shadow Puppets and frontman of The Rascals, of course this was going to be a dynamic set. And capturing the moves with the stage still bathed in sunshine made it all the more vibrant.
Editors
The final two bands of the day were both favourites of mine from way back. My earlier memories of seeing Editors perform, long before I had achieved pit privileges but still HAD to be front row, included be squashed pretty tightly against the barrier. And the band’s musical appeal has not waned at all! This goes not only for the songs, and the outstanding musicians, but also in big part to Tom Smith’s astounding vocals! His eccentric stage antics are also, at all times, entertaining!
Tour Dates
The Maccabees
And as dusk began to fall and I started playing furiously with my camera settings, the moment had arrived. The renewed reappearance of The Maccabees to the live arena has been one of my favourite recent music revelations. Something in the ethereal quality of the vocals and harmonies, and multi layered elevation of instrumentation that seem to connect my appreciation with every song. The feeling that every band member is having the time of their life also brings exuberant and uplifting emotion in the images too. The perfect end to a perfect festival day!
Photography Notes
Life is so much easier when the biggest light you could ask for, aka The Sun, is there for you! So with my iso on 100 for most of the day and the pit reasonably close to the action, I could happily swap between my 85mm and 35mm. and even when the light started to fade, the stage lighting was superb. The only issue as is sometimes the case when my mirrorless set ups aren’t quite perfect, is the banding on the projections.
My final, but most important point to make, is a huge thank you to all of those involved in the organisation of On the Beach. Everyone was so helpful and ensured the photographers felt valued. We are mostly there because we just love being part of the process and are passionate about live music, so anything else makes the experience magical.