End of the Year thanks and Happy New Year message!

Happy New Year to All!

Thanks to all the bands I have had the honor of meeting and shooting this past year!

Chandra Russell
Lust Boys
Rock Voodoo
INTERNATIONAL BLINDFOLD
The Stone Travelers
The Vidos
Kicked Off the Farm
Man the Wolf
Grizzly Bones
Troys 'R Us
The Belief Experiment
Nine Inch Nails
Slam Lotus
The Cut Losses
Taryn Brown
Deanna's Lovers
Hamish the "MAC"
Cold Cold Hearts
MG Graveyard
David "Boxcar" Gates
Worms Hate Rain
Danny Orlando
Harry Walker
Harpdog Brown
Randy Clarke
Christine Best
Chris Newton
A Cold City Night
Steve Mathieson

And the benefits or shows I was proud to be a part of:

Heart and Soul Review
A Change of Frequency
I Showcase
Blues Through the Ages

All the best to everyone and looking forward to shooting more in 2014!

The Master is home...

 Ayotte Drums Inc. announced that Ray Ayotte, the man who founded the company 30 years ago, 

has rejoined the company.  

Click on the link to read the story here!

http://store.ayottedrums.com/news/

Over the years I have had the pleasure of sharing a stage, playing music and photographing Ray.  He is one of the nicest people on the planet, genuine and grounded.  As an innovator and musician, his contributions to the music world have been immense.  I always enjoy chatting with him when we see each other and always enjoy either playing with, or just listening to him.  Out of many people I've had the honor of meeting in the music business, I can't say enough great things about Ray.  

I remember asking him to fill in at the Stormy Monday Blues Jam, which my band was the house-band.  His only request was that he use his own drums, which of course was granted without question.  That night, we had quite a few drummers come through, many of them Ray knew.  One in particular was Jerry Adolphe who plays for the band Chilliwack and is a session player.  They both reminisced about Jerry's original Ayotte kit that he got from Ray many, many years before.  It was kind of a reunion of drummers that night. 

I want to wish Ray all the best in his new endeavor, and know that he'll be great in his role with Ayotte Drums once again!

Nine Inch Nails Show

On November 21st I was at the Nine Inch Nails concert in Vancouver.  I had called ahead to Fan Services and inquired on what the camera policy was for the show.  Being in a suite was great and allowed me to shoot a few pics of the band from high above the audience.  It was my first major concert in 8 years for a mainstream band.  Although I enjoy all the big names, I tend to direct my money to smaller shows, supporting local musicians in my community rather than paying big ticket prices.  Being an independant musician, I know how hard it is to build local followings in your own backyard.  That being said, I did enjoy one of my favorite bands.  The light show was beyond great and I don't think any frame could truly capture the spectacle and barrage of lights that filled the arena.  I had fun shooting the show from my perch, and look forward to hopefully doing it again sometime!

Happy Halloween!

It's been a busy month for me with some shoots.  I always enjoy meeting new people and seeing great bands along the way!  I love the music scene and feel honored so many bands appreciate my talents with a camera.  I look forward to shooting more shows and starting some new projects!  But for now, everyone be safe and have a great Halloween!  Here's a pic I shot of Rock Voodoo this month.  Gotta love the skull!!

(click on the pic to see more photos!)

I shot this pic of Presley sitting on his dad's Gretsch snare drum.  He held his hands naturally like he was playing air guitar.  With the help of Colin Hartridge's photoshop expertise, Colin added the famous Gene Simmons bass.  

Presenting, the future "God of Thunder"...

I was thrilled to be asked by Jade and Alex to bring my camera out and snap some pics of their new baby boy. Me and Jade played together in The Kathy Frank Band before I departed earlier this year. Being Jade is a drummer, it's only natural that we would incorporate his new love with his passion for percussion. 

 Introducing the newest addition to "The Blues Family", Presley Brooks Derrett...

On September 19th I was asked by one of my favorite harmonica players, Clayton Brown, if I could bring my camera out and shoot his new band, International Blindfold, at Joe's Apartment in downtown Vancouver, Canada.

Here are International Blindfold...


That same night I also got to photograph a young new band that were also playing

Introducing, The Vidos...

The Stone Travelers

I was fortunate to be invited to shoot The Stone Travelers at the Port Moody Wave Fest on August 31st, 2013.  This was a beautiful outdoor festival featuring 4 acts.  

Here are The Stone Travelers...

Well it's been a busy few months for me.  As some of you know, I stepped down from The Kathy Frank Band at the end of June.  I was at the point of complete burnout and needed to reduce/balance my life.  I found a great replacement for the band in Graham Scott.  Graham is a phenomenal player who just came off of 2 years touring the cruise ship lines playing Jazz.  Graham and Jade are a tight rhythm section and played together backing a duo called Sam & Luke out here on the coast.  So I am confident only good things will continue to flow with my bandmates.  I will miss playing with Terry, Jade and Kathy, but sometimes you have to slow down to get things back on track.  For those who know me, this is a tough thing to do as I tend to dive into projects and give it my all.  

As a result, I've decided to take a step back from playing and/or performing music for at least a while.  I will keep attending shows and work on photography which I have fallen in love with.  Even with that, I tend to do a shoot then work like mad to edit and produce pictures.  This of course causes lack of sleep also and contributes to burnout.  Keeping that in mind, I have reduced the "work" load on that side also, and am just having fun with the camera.  Unlike being in a full time band, photo shoots are short term projects and can manage the stress levels better.  

I want to thank all the people who supported and continue to support my projects.  Your kindness and friendships are truly appreciated.  I hope to see you all at events and shows!  

For now, it's just time to find my balance once again...

Blues Through The Ages Show

Next Blues Through the Ages Show is July 27th at the Columbia Theatre in 

New Westminster, BC.

Tickets are $25 each and will be a great night of music!  Come down and take in the show!  Would love to see you there!

For tickets, contact myself or click on Buy Now!

Next Show May 16th, 2013 at Joe's Apartment!

Come down and join us at Joe's Apartment, Thursday, May 16th when we take the stage and rock the joint with Ghostess and George Nixon!  3 great bands all in one night!  Tickets are $12 at the door!

Next Show is May 4th, 2013

The Columbia Theatre, New Westminster, BC 

On May 4th, we (The Kathy Frank Band) will be helping out The 2nd Annual "Blues for Food" Benefit for SHARE Food Bank.  Event starts at 6pm and we will be onstage at 8:30pm to do a set!  Come down and enjoy the whole night!  

Performers: The Mojo Stars, Mr. Harry Walker, The Kathy Frank Blues Band, The James Shepherd Blues Band, Miss Christine Best, Miss Sibel Thrasher, The Arsen Shomakhov Blues Band and Blues Puppy! Full bar, drink specials, food, 50/50 draw and silent auction. ALL proceeds from tickets sales, 50/50 draw and silent auction going to SHARE Family & Community Services FOOD BANK - Tickets are $20 (NO TAX) and can be purchased from Tony Castilho, Nicki Geerts or at the Columbia

Oh the people I meet..........

I'm constantly amazed at the network of people I have met as a musician and photographer.  I will meet people at shows, have a conversation, enjoy the moment and memory created.  It's when I go home I will sometimes research a persons name, or look for them on social media, to discover they have done this or that.  So many times I have been surprised to find out about peoples achievements, accomplishments, and things they have done in the past (always positive by the way, I never look for negatives in people, negatives are never worth the energy).  I find myself constantly engaged in hearing peoples stories, about their lives, trials and tribulations, about their families, work, passions, where they are from, where they grew up, etc.  

I always find people amazing and intriguing from all walks of life. People are interesting to me, as everyone's story is always worth a listen.  For example, I worked for years with a woman and only knew her as that person.  After a work related road trip with lots of driving involved, I found out that she lived in various parts of the world, had body guards growing up as her dad was a high profile executive, was on the Olympic swim team until a car accident ended that dream, etc.  Another example is when I was growing up, I cut lawns for a retired couple every week.  One day, he was cleaning out his carport shed and I saw a guitar case. I asked to look at it and we started talking about music.  It turns out he was a professional Jazz musician through the 40's and 50's.  I can't recall his name anymore, but at the time, I remember being fascinated with hearing his stories of playing.  

Much of the people I meet never mention a thing about who they are or were, but I am perpetually humbled by them long after our conversations are past.  Thank you all!

Show at the Heritage Grill Friday April 19th, 2013

Well it's Kathy's Birthday on Friday, April 19th and she wants to have a party!  So we have booked the Backroom at the Heritage Grill for an evening of "Beer, Boobs, and Blues"  We are taking donations at the door for Breast Cancer Research.  We will be kicking it off at 8pm with the opening set, then have as many friends come join us and jam the night away in that good old Juke Joint Blues kinda way!  Come down and help us wish Kathy a Happy Birthday!  

Should also note as an added bonus, my good friend Harpdog Brown and his Bloodhounds will be performing in the Show Room at the Front.  A true gentleman and amazing harmonica player, always a great show when he plays!  

Going to be an Amazing Night of Blues!!! See ya there!

Little video from our show at FanClub April 2, 2013

We were invited to play at FanClub in Downtown Vancouver April 2, 2013. This was a presentation by Sound Therapy Radio on CJSF/90.1. We had a great time and as always loved meeting and making new fans! Our next show is April 19th for Kathy's Birthday at the Heritage Grill in New Westminster!

IShowcase Event Pics

Some shots from the IShowcase Event on February 10th, 2013 at the Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Thank you!

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out to The Blues Through the Ages Show!  We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed presenting a collection of blues from the past 100 years.  The feedback has been great and we are in the works planning some additional dates!  Stay tuned and keep checking back for updates!

On the photography side of my life, I had the honour of shooting Chandra Russell's performance at the IShowcase, which is a showcase for local acts in front of Major Record Labels.  I was allowed to shoot all the other acts and had a blast getting some shots!  I was in photography heaven and got to network with so much local talent.  I really do enjoy being behind the camera!

New Show Announcement!

Blues through the Ages - Friday, February 15, 2013 8pm - The Heritage Grill, New Westminster

The Kathy Frank Band is playing an intimate blues show at the Heritage Grill in New Westminster, BC.  The show is a musical journey of the blues for the last 100 years.  We will be playing a selection of songs representing artists through the decades along with some narrative to help guide you along! So come down and be part of a special night with us!  

Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com with a limited number at the door.  Show starts at 8pm and runs approximately 2 hours. 

2013 a New Year!

Well 2013 is off to a start now and with it comes new adventures and opportunities!  I'm looking forward to the up coming year already!  

After a Christmas break, got together with the band and did some writing and threw around some ideas for songs.  We are now starting the writing process as Kathy has been working feverishly on lyrics and has some great ideas!  The plan is to work writing the new album, do some shows and then head into the studio early spring!  Love this part of taking an idea and developing it into a finished product!  Much like an artist staring at a blank canvas, musicians start with something like a lyric and create music for it, then work on it until it becomes a finished song.  Always a great feeling!

Photography wise my work seems to have caught the eye of a few people and I'm now getting asked to attend events and do some shooting which is very exciting for me!  My artistic side is flattered that at least some people like what I do.  I appreciate all the feedback, both good and bad, that I receive on my photos. My main objective this year is to work on getting better shots in low light conditions without a flash.  Not as easy as it sounds!  My greatest challenge whenever I shoot is capturing drummers.  I find that they usually have little to no light on them, and are always moving, which makes it very difficult to capture them in a shot. I have only a few shots I'm happy with of drummers in my portfolio, but hope to increase that number this year!  With each show I do, I learn more about photography and post production.  My hat goes off to the pros who are so creative in the post editing end of things as that is an art form all itself!

My resolution for the coming year are simple ones: Be a strong confident individual, great father, loving partner, and good friend to all!  Work on my passions and indulge my creative side in both music and photography!  Here's to the next 12 months!  Cheers!