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Give me ten minutes and I'll come up with a list of my favourite live Bands of 2014.

But give me ten seconds and the one Band that immediately gets added to the list has to be Dead Sea Skulls :-)

I only discovered the Band by accident (so to speak). They were on the bill for the 2014 Vale Earth Festival way back in the summer. I guess I am always a sucker to be impressed at the VEF. It is one of the few gigs every year where I let myself forget about the photography (not strictly true) and hang out with a few beers... Real Ale of course (thanks Errol)!

So I confess that I had enjoyed many, many pints by the time I saw Dead Sea Skulls at the VEF. So maybe my judgement was influenced by the liquid gold? I was about to find out at the fund-raising gig for the VEF held at the Fermain Tavern last Sunday... yes Sunday!

It was with a little apprehension that I arrived at the gig. Could my new-found heroes live up to my beery, hazy memory of their first performance?

As I was only drinking Ginger Beer this time I would be a more critical critic!

Nothing to worry about though. If anything the band was even better. They are a true 'live band' who thrive off the feedback from a close, intimate crowd.

The set they played was truly memorable and I heartily recommend them to anyone.

Support was from Alderney's number one selling Blues man Robert J Hunter, a F'ing good To the Woods (you had to be there to get the joke) and the tight as ever Sugarslam.

2015 will have a lot to live up to :-)

Pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF DEAD SEA SKULLS
VIEW PICS OF SUGARSLAM
VIEW PICS OF TO THE WOODS
VIEW PICS OF ROBERT J HUNTER

There are two roads to choose between in life. You can choose the safe route for a life that offers no high points and few memories.

Or you can take the risk... and follow the road to the Fermain Tavern to celebrate 30 years of high energy performance by The Risk. High points and memories will come aplenty along the way.

So no decision to make then. The Risk it is.

The band marked their three decades anniversary with a gig that did a good job of reproducing the vigour and verve that distinguished their early years. Mark even found himself rolling around the stage on his back. Why change a habit of a lifetime!

However three things have changed over the years... but they can all be counted as positives.

All the benefits gained over time are technological and each plays a part in raising the standards of a live performance.

Firstly, today's stage sound production is fantastic and really enhances the live experience.

Then you have two more improvements that a photographer appreciates.... that'll be me!

The latest LED stage lighting is a huge enhancement. Combine this new illumination with the latest digital cameras and the photographer is able capture pics that were never possible only a decade ago.

So there we have it. The Risk played an impressive set that reminded their supporters what had made them great... and modern tech rewarded the fans for hanging around for three decades!

The support acts were a varied mix of duo Blue Mountains (very good) and Citizen-X who showcased how much things have changed in thirty years of music production.

Definitely a night that memories are made from.
VIEW PICS OF THE RISK HERE
VIEW PICS OF BLUE MOUNTAINS
VIEW PICS OF CITIZEN-X

I wonder what are you getting for Christmas?

....read on to find out what I received in my early Xmas sack!

But first, can I tell you that I am having to keep quite a few secrets at the moment as I know (shhhhh) what dozens of you are about to receive under your Christmas tree. (Hint) I hope you have a little space on the wall above the fireplace ;-)

This festive period has been my busiest yet for picture sales with Framed Montages and Canvases proving to be extremely popular.

Christmas is almost like a 'harvest-time' for me as the twelve months of cultivating interest in my photography pays off. It also illustrates very well just how hard-working and consistent you have to be to nurture a large and loyal following. For this festive season I have been selling pics from across the whole genre of my work... everything from Elevated Panoramic shots to Sports, Racing and Band pics.

I'm very, very lucky that I've established myself as a photographer who specialises in the subjects that I really love... namely Motorsport and Music performance and it is incredible how many people also share the same love. I know there are many other photographers who pursue these same interests and regularly visit my galleries to comment on and critique my work. Maybe even pick up a few tips? ;-)

But what really amazes me is how many people are simply interested in viewing my picture galleries. The total number of picture views is amazing and I thank all the regular visitors.

So now I had better reveal what I have just received as an early Christmas present. The pressie takes the form of my web-site total views smashing through another mile-stone number.

The total views of this web-site have just topped 8,000,000, EIGHT MILLION, WOW!

This new record comes after just four years from the very first upload. The 'year one' views were recorded at 1,000,000 and have consistently grown up to today's annual count of around 2,500,000!

As the new year approaches I remain encouraged by the interest in my work and my New Years resolution is to work even harder at what I love.... oh, and to drink much more Real Ale!

.....consistent, reliable and predictable, that's me :-)

Thanks for your continued support. Have a very Happy Christmas and a fun New Year!

You can read about some of the previous 'mile-stones' here:
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT SOME OF THE PREVIOUS MILE-STONES

Andrew

If you need something done then I think you should always go straight to the experts.

So if it's a party you need organised... forget Ghostbusters... call Chaos Events :-)

Once again the Greenman turned the Fermain Tavern into 'party heaven' last Saturday when they organised the aptly named 'Light to Dark'.

The bands that made up the evenings line-up covered a wide spread of colourful shades... from lighter to heavy.

True to their ethos of always finding a great cause to support the Greenman had singled out the deserved Jonah Gillingham for a little pre-Christmas aid and my fiver donation was my best outlay of the week.

I couldn't resist taking a few pics of the Bands as the lighting by Lloyd and Lasers by Gareth were amazing!

If I had to make a choice, I think the Band that really stood out on the night were BLAKALASKA who were truely amazing... aided by great sound and lighting, thanks guys :-)

My Band shots are now online. Follow the links to see pics of BLAKALASKA, Demise of Sanity and Buffalo Huddleston:
VIEW PICS OF BLAKALASKA
VIEW PICS OF DEMISE OF SANITY
VIEW PICS OF BUFFALO HUDDLESTON

The Guernsey Donkey can be a bit stubborn when you try to get it to move.

However if the carrot is big enough and it starts down the road there will be no stopping it!

I have a feeling that the Facebook campaign under the heading of 'Enough is Enough GSY' is building that unstoppable momentum :-)

The turnout for the demonstration on North Beach against the threatened new General Sales Tax, Paid Parking and increased Refuse Collection costs was fantastic.

But the trigger for the organised protest was the threat of the introduction of a mixed bag (and poorly judged) range of Vehicle Width and CO2 emission taxes. Maybe this was the final straw that broke the Donkey's back?

The Donkey's came out in force... and we're a stubborn lot :-)

I took a few pictures of the protesters. They are now on-line:
VIEW PICTURES OF THE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH PROTEST

A few more updates today from the Vale Earth Fair.

I hadn't realised how busy I've been since the VEF (way back in August) but having found a couple of missed folders with VEF pics in I'm now sorting through the last of the Festival shots and there is just a glimmer at the end of the tunnel :-)

Today's picture updates feature Robert J Hunter and his band, Citizen X and one of my favourite live acts, Static Alice.

Check-out the updates here:
VIEW PICS OF STATIC ALICE & ROBERT J HUNTER PLAYING AT VALE EARTH FAIR

Following the theme of my last Blog... this is also short and sweet :-)

I've been working through a couple of old photoshoots that didn't make it on-line at the time they were shot.

Today's additions are all from the Vale Earth Fair. This is a fantastic annual festival held within and around the historic walls of Vale Castle in Guernsey.

The new galleries feature The Crowman, Subversion & Jawbone. More to follow...

Subversion...

Jawbone...
VIEW PICS OF THE CROWMAN, SUBVERSION & JAWBONE

VIEW PICS OF A RARE OUTING OF CHOKE
I think that the 'Halloween Metal Mayhem' on Saturday was the nineth.

I reckon that qualifies it as a local tradition. Don't you?

The Fermain Tavern was full of ghouls, ghosts and more than a little fake blood (at least I hope it was fake blood!)

There were some amazing fancy dress outfits too (at least I assume people don't wear that gear all year round). Surely these guys 'n gals don't only come out at Halloween?

Anyway, the photo-opportunities are just too good to miss so I lurked in the shadows and cobwebs to capture some of the atmosphere ;-)

I've added a couple of new Galleries featuring those pics...

VIEW PICS OF THE JERSEY BASED MASTICATED

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES OF BUFFALO HUDDLESTON
Now I'd love to think that I had that sort of influence... but of course I don't :-(

Shame.

It is just a coincidence that, after having had a moan in this Blog just last week about Guernsey's 'gig-goers' not making enough effort to support the live music scene, we saw perhaps the liveliest gig of the year at the Fermain Tavern on Saturday.

Could I really have made people get off their behinds.... as easily as that?

No. What we experienced was the golden mix of 'The Tav' booking a band that is well known (locally) with a special guest band that rocked this years Sark Folk Festival (that is if a folk band does actually 'rock'?)

I'd hate to be a gig promoter as clearly gig-goers are a fickle bunch. Killamonjambo, who were so poorly supported last week, are a great band and well worth following but the word simply hadn't 'got out there' locally with the resulting poor turn-out.

However it was all change on Saturday!

The popular Buffalo Huddleston were launching their Album 'Sunrise' at a party and it seemed like everyone was on the guest list. The Fermain Tavern was packed solid with a mass of fans. The contrast could not be greater. This is what a live venue should be like... and we all LOVED it!

The inspired booking of the night was to invite CC Smugglers along as special guests. This UK band is on the way up towards greater things and, as previously stated, they impressed the Sark Folk Festival crowd in the summer. In fact their set on Saturday was one of those that most other bands on a bill wouldn't want to follow. This band is really good live!

But of course it was Buffallo Huddleston's night and they more than justified their headlining status. They revelled in the attention with a familiar set of songs from 'Sunrise'.

So all the ingredients were in place and the dish was served. We gorged ourselves and went back for seconds.

Live music lives, and I'm a happy man.

Maybe I'll also kid myself that I had something to do with it too ;-)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICTURES OF CC SMUGGLERS

It was a Saturday of fun and emotion for me...

My short-list of photoshoots included:

1: Photograph Round 5 of the Motocross Championship.
2: Photograph the Charybdis wreath laying service at sea.
3: Photograph Round 9 of the Sand Racing Championship.

I love photographing Motorsport and you will see that my box was ticked by the weekends Moto-X & Sandracing.

But my most rewarding shoot of the weekend only took around an hour but the memories will last me a lifetime.

I had the privilege of spending a few moments in the company of the five surviving seamen from HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne when they attended a 'Service at Sea' with a wreath laying from the RNLB Daniel L Gibson. These ninety year old gentlemen experienced the horror of being torpedoed then finding themselves clinging to life-rafts and debris not knowing if they would ever be rescued. Many of their comrades didn't survive.

None of us can imagine what this was like but these men have carried that trauma with them all their lives. The emotion was evident as they shared their moments of remembrance.

The survivors families who were aboard the Travel Trident were equaly touched by the heartfelt tribute. I find it impossible to put into words how I felt watching these ageing sailors recalling the memories from so long ago.

However one single short sentence that I was told after the ceremony sums up what happened that night - simply and with great honesty...

'There wasn't a single atheist amongst us on that night'

May we never forget that our opportunities to have fun and enjoy our lives are owed to the many who gave their lives and suffered hardship for our freedom.
VIEW A SMALL GALLERY FEATURING PICTURES OF THE SERVICE AT SEA

I've now added a new picture gallery with the first edit of the Moto-X Championship here:

VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS GALLERY

Alderney was as hectic as usual!

Three days of Motorsport is always going to be fun... and it was :-)

I find the weekend turns out to be quite a 'work-out' due to the mileage that I walk - always carrying a hefty kit bag. I must weigh it properly next year as I don't know the fully packed weight. What I do know is Aurigny refused to let me take the back-pack on board as hand luggage with a comment that it was 'WAY over weight!' Added to the back-pack is a Peli case full of additional lenses... oh, and a change of underwear! I don't travel light :-)

When this heavy kit is combined with walking to the events... up Fort Tourgis hill (twice)... the visit to Alderney is my best work-out of the year! And I haven't included the evening trips (again up the steep hills) into the town for a bite to eat and a few beers at 'mission head-quarters' The 'Campania'.

So it is no wonder that I need a few days rest after the annual visit to Alderney (if only that was possible).

No, it is straight to work when I return to the office. I have to edit a few hundred pics.

I'm working through them in the order that they were taken. So it is the Fort Corblet Sprint that is first online. Check the pics out here:
VIEW PICS OF THE FORT CORBLETS SPRINT

The Powerboat teams were not only competing for the title of 'World Champion' in Guernsey last week. They also had one of the most prestigious Trophies up to grab too.

The Guernsey Gold Cup is only offered to the highest level of competition and it is to the credit of the UIM Class 3A & 3B World Championship that it was considered 'worthy' of this rare honour.

It was only after the action began that we could gauge if the level of racing was good enough to award this Golden Trophy.

By the end of Race-3 the question had been answered and we were in no doubt that the standard of competition was properly World Class.

The exclusive Guernsey Gold Cup was presented at a Gala evening at the OGH Hotel. The winning team was 'YKNOT' driven by Jeremy Gibson with navigator Rob Dyke.

Take a look at the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF THE UIM WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP GALA EVENING

You might have noticed that my Blogs are getting shorter.

Some may think this is a good thing!

It's not that I don't have anything to say... it's just that I don't have the time!

I've just finished photographing three amazing UIM World Powerboat Championship races together with the associated Decorated Boat Parade and the Gala Trophy evening at the OGH Hotel.

These photo-shoots were intense and busy. The number of pics taken amount to hundreds. The time to select and edit them takes hours.

That leaves little time to talk. Normal service will return soon?

But maybe not! I'm off to Alderney for four days to shoot three full-on Motorsport Events and yet more pictures. The days simply aren't long enough... but it's great fun :-)

Pictures of the UIM Class 3A & 3B World Powerboat Championship and the Decorated Boat Parade are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF UIM WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP & BOAT PARADE

I've enjoyed another fantastic morning photographing the UIM Class 3A & 3B World Offshore Powerboat Championship.

Having been spoilt yesterday by having a helicopter at my disposal it was no step-down to have a 39 foot cruiser to speed me around the course for Race-2.

Next week is going to be one MASSIVE come-down I think. So I had better enjoy it whilst it is so good :-)

I've made another quick edit of todays pics and the Race-2 gallery is now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE SECOND UIM WORLD OFFSHORE POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

The last few days have felt like I've been holding onto the tail of a Rocket and being dragged along at an unstoppable pace! Hence my choice of this pic for the blog. Do you think it looks a bit like a rocket taking off?

I have logged only about twelve hours sleep in the last seventy-two as I juggle my photographic work between the Commercial and Elevated shoots and the fun that is photographing the UIM Class 3A & 3B World Offshore Championship 2014 being organised by the Guernsey Powerboat Association.

The Rocket ship feeling isn't too far from the truth as I spent the first race of the championship actually airborne! I was asked to capture the Powerboat action from a helicopter and it was a fantastic experience... I think the shots are pretty good too (thank goodness)!

Of course the capture of the pics is just the start to the job. The edit has to follow. You do need to shoot more pics than normal when photographing Powerboat racing (especially when using long lenses - 400mm to 600mm) as it is sometimes hard to time the shot when the boat (or helicopter) you are on is rocking wildly.

The shooting goes something like this.... sky, sea, sea, sky, boat, sky, sea, half a boat, sea... etc, etc.

So the challenge for me after the helicopter shoot was to do a very quick edit of around a thousand pics down to four hundred all in time to get to the Royal Guernsey Yacht Club to run a slide show for the racers during their evening Hog-roast.

I managed to get this sorted as I've done this type of quick edit on many occasions. For several years I have provided a slide show of the days best action for the British Sand Ace Championship and the British National Hillclimbs. Submitting work for publication has also helped me to learn how to work under the pressure of time.

However, it is always the day after that the fatigue sets in as the adrenaline is no longer running high.

But it is worth all the effort. The response to my Powerboat slide show was amazing and it is rewarding enough to be able to support the huge effort that the Guernsey Powerboat Association has put in to bring World Championship Powerboat racing back to Guernsey.

I am now looking ahead to Race two and the whole thing starting again... but this time I wont be in a helicopter... shame, I could definitely get used to that!

My action pics of Race-1 of the UIM Class3A &3B World Powerboat Offshore Championship 2014 are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF RACE-1 OF THE UIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POWERBOATS

I have a feeling that the latest update to my picture Galleries will be the first of many over the next few days!

Why? You might ask. Well the UIM Class 3A & 3B World Powerboat Championships 2014 are being held in Guernsey this week.

The Championship consists of three races and with a World Class entry the action is going to be amazing. Needless to say I will be giving full coverage.... hence my earlier comment.

If you enjoy Powerboat racing and Powerboat racing pics you will have plenty to check-out on this web-site. But, better yet, try and find time to catch at least one of the races which can be watched from the Castle breakwater. You really can't beat being there!

To start the ball rolling (and the weeks action) the Guernsey Powerboat Association held a support race for local boats not taking part in the Worlds.

I was on the water in Richard 'Turk' Vaudin's boat (thanks Turk) and captured the race which enjoyed warm low early evening light which added to the atmosphere of the shots.

Keep an eye on the site for more updates but for now here are the support race pics:
VIEW PICS OF THE UIM WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP SUPPORT RACE

I'm beginning to feel a bit like a Lumberjack.... but it's not OK!

I am currently trying to handle a serious log-jam of work!

This shouldn't be a problem really. I suppose it suggests that I have established a solid client base for my photography as the Elevated and Commercial work rolls in. Then there is the Motorsport & Gig photography as well.

However, I have always been some-one who likes to keep ahead of the game... or at least in touch!

So when I sat at my office desk this morning I wondered if things are going wrong?

A less than complete list of 'To-do's' reads something like this:

Edit eight Elevated Tallpictures shoots taken in Jersey & Guernsey during the last two weeks
Send out the Monthly Accounts
Update Galleries for:
The last two Hillclimbs
The North Beach Twisty Sprint
The Vale Earth Fair
Two Days of Jersey Live Music Festival
The West Show
Gig pics of Top Buzzer
Gig pics of Static Alice
The Tri-Ultimate Challenge

... and that list goes on!

Then add in this weeks big commitment to the World Championship Powerboat Racing Class 3A and 3B.

I think I will be unavailable for a while :-(

I have managed to tick off one from the list. Pics of the first ever North Beach Twisty Sprint are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST NORTH BEACH TWISTY SPRINT

I've just returned from the eleventh Jersey Live Festival of Music. This was the seventh that I have photographed.

This must qualify me as a 'regular' I reckon!

With that being the case it also permits me to make a few comments and comparisons.

So how did 2014 stack up against the last six years?

Well I think it was the busiest yet. The crowd in front of the main stage for the head-liners was packed solid with numbers for Ellie Goulding and John Newman topping the lot.

I guess that means that Jersey Live continues to hit the mark. This is quite a feat when the music scene moves so quickly and must help to secure the festival for years to come.

For me I don't think it hit the high of some previous years. This is more a reflection of my age... I'm definitely 'old school' and favour a rock band over a contemporary chart singer almost any time.... Biffy Clyro, that'll do me nicely!

That isn't to say that there weren't highlights though. The Graveltones, Klaxons, The Selector & Bombay Bicycle Club managed to hit the right spot for me. There was also the new 'PAR 4' area that featured activities and entertainment for youngsters and then bands in the evening. I only heard praise for PAR 4 so it should be back next year.

So well done to Jersey Live 2014. You have kept things up-to-date and innovated to ensure the future. That has to be good for every follower of live music :-)

I've started uploading my pics. First on-line are Ellie Goulding, John Newman and the Earth Wind & Fire Experience:
VIEW PICS OF JERSEY LIVE 2014

The annual Vale Earth Fair music festival is one of my favourite events of the year. It holds the deserved honour of being the longest running festival in the Channel Islands.

That sort of record isn't achieved by luck. Many things have to come together to keep up the momentum. A HUGE amount of hard work has to be put in way before the Vale Castle gates open for the traditional Sunday in August.

I'm pleased to say that the Vale Earth Fair Collective are continuing to find the energy, incentive and enough new helpers to enable the show to go on :-)

As a committed and regular Earth Fair attendee I truly love the ethos behind this genuinely eco-friendly festival and its commitment to support several charities including Bridge 2 Haiti and the long term supported Burma Campaign UK and Free Tibet.

So you will see that I cannot give greater praise for the Vale Earth Fair Collective.

All this would be enough even if the music line-up was just average.

But no, you can always be assured that the hand-picked line-up is high class and often features a band or two that are real 'finds'.

This leads me to my real point of this blog. One of the pleasures of visiting a festival is when you discover a band that wasn't known to you before.

I found just such a band this year and they are called Dead Sea Skulls. I have had their music on replay for more than a day and I love their sound. I've also had the opportunity, thanks to the Vale Earth Fair, to see the band play live which gives a much better idea of the energy they project.

So there we have it. This is why music lovers love festivals... When you see a band live you start to really get what they are about. Check out the Dead Sea Skulls and see if they do it for you.

I'm now off to photograph Jersey Live. This is a regular visit for me and I know that I will return with a few new finds. Love it.

Keep music live, support your local festivals :-)

I've only managed to add a few galleries so far which feature Vale Earth Fair headliners Freestylers, The Mouse Outfit, Attila the Stockbrocker's Barnstormers and of course Dead Sea Skulls:
VIEW PICS OF THE 2014 VALE EARTH FAIR

How to sum up my weekend in just a few words...?

Busy, boozy, bikey and bandy.... yeh, I know that's bad English but hey, it's late and I'm tired!!

I been running around like the proverbial mad photographer for three days and nights solid. My fifty-nine and a half year old body is now feeling the strain.... but it was great fun whilst it lasted :-)

First up it was the first day of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club 2-day Motocross event at Pleinmont. There was a really good turn-out for the racing and some fantastic action to capture. We also had every season of weather in one day... definitely could've done without the heavy rain!

Next it was a twelve hour stint at the 2014 Vale Earth Fair. This time the rain held off - although it did threaten to visit us on a couple of occasions. I spent my time between the several stages and the real ale bar (that's where the boozy bit comes). A night tucked up in my sleeping bag after so much beer was never promising a good nights sleep :-(

Then Bank Holiday Monday I was off to the GMC&CC Hill Climb.

The day began with heavy, heavy rain! I was rather pleased that I had to spend a few hours in the morning submitting pictures for the Guernsey Press.... I missed the worst rain!

All this photography has left a back-log of editing to do (no change there then).

I've made a start but the next couple of days are also going to be pretty busy as I attempt to add my pics to the Gallery before going off to photograph Jersey Live again! More busy, boozy and bandy then!

First additions to hit the web are the 2-day Motocross pics...
VIEW PICS OF THE 2-DAY MOTOCROSS MEETING