Windhand and Balaclava at Slim's

I've been trying not to use a flash when I shoot bands, mostly because I don't want to get on the band's nerves, but partly because I think most band shots work better with ambient light. But when shooting at Slim's, where the stage is small and dimly lit, sometimes that doesn't work out.

Windhand, a solid female-fronted '70s-style doom band from Richmond, were awesome last Saturday night. But singer Dorthia Cottrell performed in the audience rather than on the stage, which basically meant she was in the dark the whole time. Still, I kind of like the trippiness of the shots I got.

And these guys were loud. This was one of the few shows where I actually wore earplugs. As a result, the audio is blown out here, but you can still get an idea of what they sound like.


Windhand from Mann's World on Vimeo.

I feel bad because I really and truly thought Balaclava was called BACLAVA. Luckily the band (who are also from Richmond) laughed when I told them, and said that's a common mistake. They were a lot faster and thrashier than Windhand.  See more photos. 

During the show I noticed that I knew almost NO ONE at the show. Turns out the rather considerable crowd had traveled from Richmond to see two bands that they probably get to see on a regular basis. That's dedication. I'm sorry Raleigh missed such an awesome show, and I wonder if there's any band here that would inspire so many people to drive to another state to see them.


Balaclava from Mann's World on Vimeo.