Misfits
I wanted to share this series from my concert archives for Halloween. Hope you enjoy it.
As a photographer and artist, I had one band left on my short bucket list. On December 3, 2008, I finally saw the Misfits perform at The Valarium in Knoxville, Tennessee, with local artist The American Plague opening.
**Please note that we will add more images for this series as time permits.
I wanted to share this series from my concert archives for Halloween. Hope you enjoy it.
As a photographer and artist, I had one band left on my short bucket list. On December 3, 2008, I finally saw the Misfits perform at The Valarium in Knoxville, Tennessee, with local artist The American Plague opening. The lineup featured original member Jerry Only on bass because of a rift between the brothers, so Doyle wasn’t on this tour. As a bonus, Jerry Only brought Black Flag legend Dez Cadena on guitar and Roko on drums. The Misfits have always mixed punk rock with B-movie horror, focusing on intensity over polish, and they delivered.
The venue wasn’t as crowded as I expected. No photo pit and no three-songs-and-out rule; this meant the floor stayed open the whole show. Even though I could shoot from any angle, I stuck to my usual spots—stage right or center. Ok, I did wander over for a few snaps stage left. After the show, most people had left, but Jerry hung around and talked with the few who stayed. I wasn’t sure if Dez or Robo did the same.
I saw Jerry talking to a couple of young fans. I tried to capture this private moment with my camera, and just then, Jerry looked right at me and made a playful gesture like a B-movie vampire—hissing at the sight of a cross. It was priceless. Unfortunately, my camera jammed, so I missed the shot. That’s why you should always have a backup, a lesson I should’ve learned back in 1998.
Road Stories : Black Stone Cherry, 2009 vs 2011
Carnival of Madness was actually my 2nd attempt at photographing Black Stone Cherry. My first attempt was back in 2009 in Corbin Kentucky at the newly built Corbin Arena
The 2011 Carnival of Madness tour was the last tour I photographed. Health issues played a significant role in my decision to step back after over 20 years in the industry. I attended the tour in Huntington, WV, which felt fitting since I had decided to put down roots in West Virginia two years prior. The Carnival of Madness marked my second attempt at photographing Black Stone Cherry, and I successfully captured it. My first attempt was in 2009 at the newly built Corbin Arena in Corbin, Kentucky, just a 25-minute drive from my home in Williamsburg, KY. Unfortunately, my credentials for that show never materialized. I had coordinated with their record label to set everything up, and Roadrunner Records had always been supportive of my work. Amy, Lily, and Jessica from the label were invaluable; they ensured I was on the list at will call whenever I arrived at a venue.
However, when I arrived in Corbin, I waited over two hours in the will-call area for my credentials to be verified, but the venue staff could not locate the credentials list. This situation was not a reflection of Roadrunner Records, as I had always enjoyed excellent communication with them. It was also unrelated to Black Stone Cherry, their management, or the band itself, as they had no knowledge of my supposed attendance. The issue rested squarely with the Corbin Arena and its staff.
Lost lists and miscommunication among staff at a venue are common occurrences. However, it raises concerns when those working the door allow people to enter without tickets. I experienced something similar at a .38 Special concert I was supposed to photograph the previous year in Corbin. To be fair, 2009 wasn't a great year for the city of Corbin overall.
So, was it worth the wait to finally photograph Black Stone Cherry after two years of dealing with the Corbin situation? My answer is a resounding yes! The show was beyond anything I could have imagined. I had a hard time keeping up with their electrifying performance. After the show, I saw the band members as they headed to a meet-and-greet. I was sitting on the ground, dripping with sweat and breathing heavily into a towel as they walked by. I managed to gather my strength and exclaimed, "Great show." One of the band members replied, "Are you alright?"
As for my final thoughts, I am not bitter or angry about my first attempt to cover a Black Stone Cherry concert. Instead, I am grateful for all the opportunities I've had over the years, whether good or bad. These experiences have become my stories.
Web : www.blackstonecherry.com
Gear : Nikon D200 w/Tokina 20-35mm f/2.8
All images edited with Capture One Pro 20
*Color versions of some of the images can be found in the archives by clicking here. [Archives]
Road Stories: Dude Don't You Need Your Camera
Rockstar Mayhem Festival, Raleigh, North Carolina, August 3, 2010. Though I could just pick many stories from this event, there is one in particular that stands out, and it goes something like this.
Rockstar Mayhem Festival, Raleigh, North Carolina, August 3, 2010. Though I could choose many stories from this event, one in particular stands out, and it goes something like this. First off, it was incredibly hot that day, I mean really hot, around 92 degrees, and the shade offered very little to no comfort, especially when you had so many bodies moving between the two side stages that were right across from each other — the Jagermeister stage and the Silver Star stage. These stages were offset from the main stage and the press lounge, creating one huge mosh pit as the bands performed from one stage to another. 1:00 pm on one stage, 1:25 pm on the other, 1:45 pm back again, back and forth.
In the press pit (side stage) Justin Hagberg of the band 3 Inches of Blood, photo by Brian Cade
Gear: Nikon D200 w/Tokina 20-35mm f/2.8
In the press pit (side stage) Jim LaMarca of the band Chimera, If you look at the bottom left, just above the camera shown in the image, you’d see my skinny ass; photo by Jay Beadnell. owner/photographer at Stageshotz photography, Raleigh, NC , Image used with permission.
I met up with fellow photographers Jay Beadnell, Graham Denzler, and Jim Green, all residents of North Carolina, and our good friend the late Jason Kotas of New York. This was the first time we had met. We all decided months in advance to meet up in one city to photograph Mayhem Fest and hang out. All of us were either shooting for a major publication or an underground rag, which was my comfort zone.
Back and forth, back and forth, across the lot from where the two side stages faced each other. By this point, I had already covered In This Moment, 3 Inches of Blood, Chimera, Shadows Fall, Norma Jean, and Hatebreed on the side stages. On the main stage, there was Lamb of God, Korn, and Rob Zombie—only one band left: Five Finger Death Punch. I really tried to stay hydrated throughout the day. I was drenched in sweat, tired, and actually looking forward to the festival being over.
We were once again sitting in the press lounge, waiting for the event staff to escort us to the main stage one last time. All I remember is everyone talking, everything moving in slow motion. All I could do was melt into my chair at our table and try to get my bearings back into focus. Then I saw everyone standing and leaving the table. I guess it’s time to shoot the last band. I got up and started to follow our group to the main stage when my good friend and fellow photographer Jason Kotas said, “Dude, don’t you need your camera?” I was so tired and out of it that I didn’t realize I had left all my gear on our table in the press lounge.
Back and forth, back and forth, across the lot from where the two side stages faced one another, I had already covered In This Moment, 3 Inches of Blood, Chimera, Shadows Fall, Norma Jean, and Hatebreed on the side stages. There was Lamb of God, Korn and Rob Zombie on the main stage, only one more band to go, Five Finger Death Punch. I tried to stay hydrated throughout the day, but I was drenched in sweat, tired, and looking forward to the festival being over.
We were once again sitting in the press lounge, waiting for the event staff to escort us to the main stage one last time. All I remember at this point is that everybody was talking, everything was moving at half-speed, and all I could do was melt into my chair at our table, trying to get my bearings back into focus. Then I saw everyone standing and leaving the table, I guess it’s time to shoot the last band. I got up and just started to follow our group to the main stage, we were just outside the press lounge when my good friend and fellow photographer Jason Kotas says to me, “Dude don’t you need your camera”, I was so tired and so out of it that I didn’t realize I had left all my gear on our table in the press lounge.
Five Finger Death Punch images by Brian Cade
Web : www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com
*3 Inches of Blood images by Brian Cade, Gear: Nikon D200 w/Tokina 20-35 f/2.8
*Five Finger Death Punch images by Brian Cade, Gear: Nikon D200 w/Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8
*Image of Jim LaMarca (Chimera) by Jay Beadnell of Stageshotz.com used with permission