Kittie Tour 2012 | Blackguard – May 15, 2012

Kittie Tour 2012
Bonded by Blood, The Agonist, Blackguard, & Kittie
May 15th, 2012 @ the Soundstage in Baltimore, MD

A second round of Blackguard! The drive there was atrocious as expected, but this show was well worth it. The crowd was a bit thinner than the one in Springfield, which is surprising, but I would say the show went well. The bands, of course, kicked ass as usual (sadly, we missed Bonded by Blood this time). Paul got my friend, Ethan, and I on the guest list with a photo pass, so again: thanks so much, Paul!! \m/

We hung out a bit after the show with everyone (Ethan had bought them some Fin du Monde and some ‘Irish honey’) before they made their way to New York….as usual, we had fun times and cannot wait for them to come back soon. Good luck to Blackguard on the rest of the tour and I hope they get the rest they deserve before they come back. A big ‘thank you’ to all of them for being so awesome. Check out their sites if you are not (for some odd reason) not familiar with their work: Facebook & Myspace.

With the pictures, I’m very, very proud of how they came out. I would say this so far the best batch of photos from Blackguard that I’ve taken (check out the other ones here). I used my 50mm for most of these, which would explain the detail and the amount of light in a lot of them. Enjoy!

Blackguard is:
Paul Ablaze – Vocal
Terry Roadcase – Rythm Guitar
Étienne Mailloux – Bass & Accoustic Guitar
Justine Ethier – Drums
Gabriel Guardiola [Immortal Guardian] *temp touring member*- Guitar

This is Blackguard’s last tour of the year before they head back to the studio for another album (and for some rest back home!), so make it out to their shows! -G.G. \m/

Kittie Tour 2012 | Blackguard – May 14, 2012

Kittie Tour 2012
Bonded by Blood, The Agonist, Blackguard, & Kittie
May 14th, 2012 @ Empire (formerly Jaxx Night Club) in Springfield, VA

I don’t know if it’s obvious enough, but I’m a huge Blackguard fan (check out the gazillion – ok, more like 3- other Blackguard posts from me). These Canadian dudes are great at what they do; they always put on a great & exciting show; AND, they’re so chill. I don’t think I can say that about most bands that I get to meet, or let alone see live. With that being said, check out their work if you haven’t already: Facebook & Myspace. Also, I’d like to thank Paul for ALWAYS being generous and cool about photo passes. Paul, you’re the man!

Before the show, my buddy Scott and I ended up chilling with Étienne, who then coerced me into a shopping cart and gave me a quick and dangerous tour of the parking lot. This was a really good show in terms of crowd turnout (could have been better, but it was above decent for a Monday night). It was nice to see all the familiar faces there! \m/ With the photos, I did the usual settings, though make sure to check out the next post from the Soundstage show!).

Blackguard is:
Paul Ablaze – Vocal
Terry Roadcase – Rythm Guitar
Kim Gosselin – Lead Guitar & Orchestrations
Etienne Mailloux – Bass & Accoustic Guitar
Justine Ethier – Drums

-G.G \m/

Kittie Tour 2012 | The Agonist – May 15, 2012

Kittie Tour 2012
Bonded by Blood, The Agonist, Blackguard, & Kittie
May 15th, 2012 @ the Soundstage in Baltimore, MD

Hell yeah, a second round of The Agonist in Baltimore, where the crowd was a bit thinner than in Springfield, VA; BUT, the set was still amazing. It’s amazing how bands can keep the stamina show after show…Again, The Agonist played an amazing set; I highly recommend that you check out their Myspace site and their Facebook site to stay up-to-date with their work and shows, etc.

Regarding photography, I actually experimented a bit with my 50mm lens. Most of these photos were taken with these, which I absolutely love and use for almost everything else. I would like to get a bit wider lens in the future, but this certainly works for now! Enjoy…

The Agonist is:
Alissa White-Gluz – Vocals
Danny Marino – Guitar
Chris Kells – Bass
Simon McKay- Drums
Pascal “Paco” Jobin – Guitar

-G.G. \m/

Kittie Tour 2012 | The Agonist – May 14, 2012

Kittie Tour 2012
Bonded by Blood, The Agonist, Blackguard, & Kittie
May 14th, 2012 @ Empire (formerly Jaxx Night Club) in Springfield, VA

Check out The Agonist, an awesome Canadian band that I was not too familiar with before this tour (and mostly through Alissa’s vegan activism through Peta2). Pretty beast set-they definitely know how to put on a show! Check out their Myspace site and Facebook for their music and try to make it out to the show.

Regarding photography, I pretty much did the same settings as usual (but stay tuned for the Soundstage photos, because those are awesome!!).

Alissa White-Gluz

The Agonist is:
Alissa White-Gluz – Vocals
Danny Marino – Guitar
Chris Kells – Bass
Simon McKay- Drums
Pascal “Paco” Jobin – Guitar

-G.G \m/

Alissa White-Gluz

Symphony X Tour 2011 | Symphony X – May 22, 2011

Almost a month later! I know, I know…so sorry. For once I got rather lazy with posting pictures. Check out my other batches from this show (Powerglove and Blackguard!)

Symphony X is by far one of my favorite bands in general (up there with Megadeth and Opeth in my book). This would mark the third (maybe 4th) time I’ve had to pleasure to see them live, and every time it has been amazing. Fortunately, this also marks the first time that I’ve taken professional (can I call them that?) pictures-yay!!! I thank Blackguard for the photo pass for the entire show!! And the guys from Symphony X were absolutely awesome to talk to! (We spoke to Russell, Michael Lepond, and Michael Romeo).

The lighting compared to the rest of the show was great during their set, so fortunately I got some really nice shots here. Let me know what you think! And yes, of course, I used my baby (ahem…Nikon D3000). Also, please note that this was the last night of the tour, and so members from Powerglove (Nick and Bassil) and Terry from Blackguard came onstage to duel with Russell towards the end of the Symphony X set. As you can tell from the pictures….Russell was victorious and holds his sword high

Check out Symphony X’s official website, Facebook page, and Myspace page…though I’d be really surprised if you haven’t given them a listen in the past.

Symphony X is:

Russell Allen – Vocals
Michael Romeo – Guitar
Michael Pinnella – Keyboards
Michael LePond – Bass
Jason Rullo – Drums

I’ve been twenty years awayyyy….from all I ever knew….to return would make my dreams come truuuuue…-G.G \m/

Symphony X Tour 2011 | Powerglove – May 22, 2011

A few photos from the Powerglove set. I didn’t take many considering the lighting was terrible. Anywho, if you haven’t heard of Powerglove: check out their official Facebook page and Myspace page. During this set, my buddies held their glow stick weapons high and….of course…the pink inflatable sword provided

Powerglove is:
Alex Berkson – Guitars
Chris Marchiel – Guitars
Nick Avila – Bass & Vocals
Bassil Silver – Drums

Go, go, Power Rangersss!! (My childhood!:) -G.G. \m/

Symphony X Tour 2011 | Blackguard – May 22, 2011

Blackguard is definitely a band that I photograph a lot-not only because they’re nice enough to give me permission, but because they kick ass!! If you haven’t checked out my other Blackguard galleries, feel free to do so; but most importantly, make sure to check out their Myspace and Facebook pages to check out their music.

This show was unique in that Paul Ablaze (vocalist) could not perform that night, so Nick from Powerglove did the first Blackguard set and then our very own Chris Bane (from an awesome local band called Cab Ride Home-check them out!) did the second set. I remember talking to Kim from Blackguard and he said it was an awkward show in that they’ve never played without Paul from what he can remember. We all agree that Nick and Chris did a pretty damn good job that night, though! Wooo! Unfortunately they played a short set

Random anecdote: when they were on stage about to start their set, Kim joked around gesturing what seemed to me to be indicating that I shouldn’t take pictures (at least not a whole lot) so when I found a break during a set, I had to ask. I was so confused and scared, so I didn’t take many pictures because I had to ask before taking any more! He was messing, though. Gotta love Kim

2nd random anecdote: so after the entire show was over, Étienne and some buddies started an epic sword fight!! MWAHAHAHA!! The (inflatable) swords were provided by Powerglove during their set, of course (you can see all kinds of swords in the Powerglove pictures coming up). If you’d like to see the sword fight pictures, please head over to my Facebook page and look for the album! Oh, and we also had a close-up shot war…..Étienne beat me My friend Ethan and I ended up hanging out a lot with Étienne at the end of the show out back, as usual. He is….uh….special (I say it with lots of love! Hahaha)

Anyway, it seems that Jaxx is still searching for a lighting tech because their lighting was poor (again!) AND some of the pics below look blurry because I was hastily taking pictures for some reason :/ They’re not as crappy as my pictures from Summer Slaughter 2010, but they’re close :/

All in all, I loved the show, but Blackguard always seems to make every show even better with their music and their friendly attitude (and crazy antics from Étienne).

Blackguard is:

Terry Deschenes – Guitars
Paul Ablaze – Vocals
Kim Gosselin – Guitars
Justine Ethier – Drums
Étienne Mailloux – Bass

Next round is on me!…..at the Kamelot show -G.G. \m/

Parkapalooza | All Access – May 6, 2011

Check out All Access, a band hailing from Chantilly, VA that mixes punk, metal, and craziness Listen to their work on their Myspace site and on Facebook. Enjoy!

All Access is:

Jon Leonberger- Guitar and Vocals
Pat Miller- Drums
Danish Tanveer- Guitar and Backing Vocals
Mike Bamford- Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals

PS: This was at Parkapalooza, an annual celebration after the spring semester at George Mason University (Fairfax Campus)!

F*** s*** up! …-G.G. \m/

“An Evening with Amon Amarth” North American Tour | Amon Amarth – May 2, 2011

Can’t get enough of Scandinavian metal! Amon Amarth announced this North American tour, saying they would playing two sets: their new album (Surtur Rising) in its entirety AND classics. Needless to say, the show was SOLD OUT I had been waiting for this show since December! Most of my buddies didn’t get their tickets in time, so I went pretty much by myself. I do have to think a couple of Mason students (Michael & Amy) for giving me a ride to and from the show-otherwise I would have had to pay a fortune for a cab. I had a class on Monday evening (the day of the show) and so I ended up arriving after most people. The line was intimidating; I was so far back. This worried me because Jaxx has no photographers’ gap, so I have to make my way to the front to get a nice picture spot. Fortunately, I found Cristina and Mario, a couple of friends of mine who were nice enough to let me skip all the way to the front. Sorry if you’re reading this and I skipped you! Hopefully the pictures will be worth your wait in line ^.^

The show was AMAZING. I haven’t been to a show so energetic in a while. Check them out at their official site, their Myspace page, and their Facebook page!
The lighting was decent, though the fog machine was going all out :/
Some of the pictures are blurry because of it (fog loves to stick to the inside of the lens). I used my Nikon D3000, of course! Let me know what you think of the pictures-enjoy!

A HUGE THANK YOU TO LIZ CIAVARELLA-BRENNER FROM EARSLPIT PR FOR THE PHOTO PASS AND GETTING ME ON THE GUEST LIST!!!

Amon Amarth is:
Johan Hegg – Vocals
Olavi Mikkonen – Guitars
Johan Söderberg – Guitars
Ted Lundström – Bass
Fredrik Andersson – Drums

A little side note: If you’d like to use my pictures, please let me know. I will send you whichever ones you’d like without the watermark. I’m cool about it as long as I’m notified about it. Otherwise, you’ll have to use these watermarked ones. Thanks!

Show no fear….-G.G. \m/

We Are The Void Tour | Dark Tranquillity- May 12, 2010

Dark Tranquillity are one of my top 10 metal bands, for sure. Hailing from Sweden, these guys create kickass melodic death metal. I highly recommend them, especially these albums: Mind’s I, Projector, The Gallery, Fiction, Character, and their new album (amazing) We Are The Void. I can throw in many praises, but I think their music speaks for itself; my words would do them no justice! I’d also like to thank Niklas Sundin for the photo permission \m/.

Dark Tranquillity is:

Mikael Stanne – Vocals
Niklas Sundin – Guitars
Martin Henriksson – Guitars
Anders Jivarp – Drums
Daniel Antonsson – Bass
Martin Brändström – Keyboards

Camera used: Nikon D3000 (Napoleon)

WHERE DEATH IS MOST ALIVE!! -G.G. \m/

We Are The Void Tour | Mutiny Within-May 12, 2010

One of the biggest tours of 2010 yet, We Are The Void Tour had Apothys, Threat Signal, Mutiny Within, and (obviously) Dark Tranquility kick ass here in Springfield, Virginia. Mutiny Within hail from both New Jersey and England-check these guys out on Myspace. Heavy metal with clean vocals and cool melodies…and they were a Children of Bodom cover band wayyy before they got big. These guys will be touring extensively this year with HUGE names like Nevermore, Soilwork, and Epica. WOW.

Mutiny Within is:

Chris- Vocals
Chad- Drums
Dan- Guitars
Drew- Keyboards
AJ- Bass
Brandon- Guitars
*Bill was the drummer during this tour. MW has just recently replaced him with Chad.

Camera used: Nikon D3000 (Napoleon)

METALLLL!! -G.G \m/

Breaux Vineyards

A quick trip to the Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville/Hillsboro, Virginia. Great place to relax, have a picnic, and of course: try some wine. Check out their stock-they have a great selection of dry and sweet white wines, as well as red wines.

-G.G \m/

Arlington National Cemetery

A brief trip to the Arlington National Cemetery: beautiful place and a peaceful sanctuary for the honored dead. Perfect for this Memorial Day weekend (and bikers were lookin’ cool as always!)

Camera used: Nikon D300 (a.k.a my Napoleon)

-G.G. \m/

Hordes of Chaos Tour | Kreator-May 17,2009

Kreator is by far one of my favorite bands, overall and in the thrash genre of metal. I got into them relatively late compared to most other people: after the release of Violent Revolution. After that, I heard Enemy of God and Hordes of Chaos, and I was in love! I am a HUGE fan of theirs. I admire Mille for putting so much of himself into the music and for keepin’ it true to the music:

“Metal fans don’t need trends or fashion! They created their own universe!There’s no fancy bullshit in this; it’s about the music, the integrity, and the lifestyle!
Until the day we die!” -Miland “Mille” Petrozza

Sami Yli-Sirniö…wow, amazing guitarist! This was the last show of the tour, and so the guys from Exodus came out dressed up as cheerleaders with their t-shirts spelling out HATE (something Mille loves to yell at shows.) Personally, this was also my first Kreator show, the second one almost a year later…enjoy the music and the pictures! Keep thrashin’!!

Kreator is:

Miland “Mille” Petrozza-Vocals, Guitar
Sami Yli-Sirniö-Guitar
Christian “Speesy” Giesler-Bass
Jürgen “Ventor” Reil-Drums, Vocals

Camera used: old Fujifilm S700, wait until you see the pics from the second show….my Nikon D3000′s work -G.G \m/

|| CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL-SIZE ||

Hordes of Chaos Tour | Exodus-May 17, 2009

Exodus!! Pioneer band in thrash metal, hailing from the San Francisco Bay area. What can I say about this band that hasn’t been said before? I remember the Wall of Death during Toxic Waltz and how Rob smeared his sweat all over my face. Front row souvenirs, baby! Check them out if you haven’t already, and for those of you who already have….enjoy the pictures and the awesome music. WOOO!!

Exodus is:

Rob Dukes-Vocals
Gary Holt-Guitar
Lee Altus-Guitar
Jack Gibson-Bass
Tom Hunting-Drums

Camera used: old Fujifilm S700.

THRASH!! -G.G. \m/

|| CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL-SIZE ||

Hordes of Chaos Tour | Belphegor-May 17, 2009

Austrian black metal-plenty said there! Although I can’t agree with their lyrics, I absolutely love Belphegor‘s sound and image. They can put on a great show (I’ve seen them twice!) and Serpenth is really cool to talk to after shows
Check them out if you like black metal, death metal…even bands like Behemoth, Burzum, etc.

Their lineup right now is pretty confusing, but two members are solid:

Helmuth-Vocals, Guitar
Serpenth-Bass

At the show:

Nefastus-Drums
Morluch-Guitar

Once again, I used my Fujifilm S700 camera that I started out my work with. Quality=meh, it speaks nothing about the show. The guys are photogenic, though!!! -G.G \m/

|| CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL-SIZE ||

Hordes of Chaos Tour | Warbringer-May 17, 2009

California’s thrash metal band Warbringer opened up for Kreator with Epicurean (not pictured), Belphegor, and Exodus at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, VA. I’m a HUGE fan of Kreator and Belphegor, so this was a pleasure, especially at a [small] venue that I frequent. This post is only of Warbringer photos; the rest will come soon

Warbringer is:

John Kevill – Vocals
John Laux – Guitar
Adam Carroll – Guitar
Andy Laux – Bass
Nic Ritter – Drums
*John Gensmer of Epicurean played at the show instead of Nic Ritter*

I took these pictures with my old Fujifilm S700 camera (before I got my beloved Nikon D3000) so the quality is not exceptional, but the pictures still look great. Check out all the bands, by the way!

KEEP THRASHIN’! -G.G. \m/

|| CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO VIEW THEM FULL-SIZE ||

The Way of All Flesh Tour | Gojira- May 2,2009

French heavy metal band Gojira played at Jaxx Nightclub on May 2nd, 2009. I am a HUGE fan of these guys; I have almost every CD they’ve put out. Once they come back, rest assured I’ll be going to their show. I also deeply respect them for their interest in environmental issues-as evident in their lyrics and interviews-something I can relate to very much. Actually, they’re pretty active with ocean life preservation and even support the Sea Shepherd organization. If you listen to “A Sight To Behold” off of The Way of All Flesh and various instrumental songs, you can more or less grasp at what their overall message is on that topic. I totally dig them, so check them out!

Gojira is:

Joe Duplantier-Vocals
Christian Andreau-Guitar
Jean-Michel Labadie-Bass
Mario Duplantier-Drums

I took these pictures with my old Fujifilm S700 camera (before my wonderful Nikon), so the pixelage is a bit fuzzy, etc….this site is still under construction, byt the way! -G.G. \m/