I want to go where the action is,
I want to fly through the urban blight.
I want to live like a shadow in the dark
and only move at night...
I get asked fairly often what kind of photography I shoot. The funny thing is I've never considered myself much of either a photographer or a writer, but more a documenter. I try to capture a moment, a feeling, what's going on, generally in punk and underground music, although the scope of stuff I obsessively document has definitely expanded far beyond punk music over the years to cover zines, pinball, classic arcade games, and other types of music and events. So when people ask that question about my photos, I usually say "In the pit photography." And really, that's what it is. I'm down there front and center as a music fan, not to take pictures, my camera just comes along for the ride. And I've broken quite a few cameras at shows, had them doused with beer, seen them go flying out of my hands from a fist or elbow of someone dancing by and probably have taken more than my share of bruises getting up to where I wanna be, where the action is...
A couple of these shots I think I've run before (maybe the 2nd and 4th ones), I just found the first one today, it's from a show in the early '90s at Rkcndy. I love the chaos and energy of the circle or slam pit, old school style, with people laughing, raging, and yet all rocking out together.
ps- Check out the dude's Joy Division tat in the first picture, that's awesome!
