The last time I saw Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, they were supporting The Flaming Lips on their Canadian tour. This time around, however, they headlined at local Brisbane live music venue The Zoo. Supporting them were local indie acts Magic Spells and Dune Rats.

The Zoo sees it’s fair share of live music leaning heavily towards the indie scene. For any local Calgarians that remember, were you to combine Dickens and The Night Gallery, you’d end up with something resembling The Zoo.

Despite relatively dim lighting, I managed to grab some decent frames during the three acts. Which leads me to two suggestions:

1. If you’re a club owner and want to see your venue portrayed in good light (pun intended), have a look at your current lighting. Review online and print photos from your venue. Compare with others. Are the images generally dark and somewhat lacklustre?  Perhaps there are simple ways to improve stage lighting while still maintaining a certain vibe.

2. If you’re a band and want to stand out above the rest, have a look at the available stage lighting at load-in. Generally, if all you have to work with are static cans, adjust mic stand placement so your members are under lights most of the time. Additionally, see if lights can adjust to meet your stage plot. Nothing leads to fewer photos than a front man standing in the dark.

Enjoy the photos. More to come in due time!