I wasn’t too sure what to expect from Where Angels Suffer. When I first seen that they would be performing in Portland, it sparked some interest. I was able to find some samples of their music and it was actually, really good. With members from the band WASP and the NW’s very own Metal Church in the band, I was looking forward to hearing more and hearing it live.
Just a couple of days prior to the show, I wrote my contact that I had used to obtain the photo pass. I was really surprised to receive an email back stating that they were no longer managing the band, best of luck. I was like WOW, ok, what do I do now? Well, I have learned to be creative and to utilize all tools available. I jumped on Facebook and contacted a person who has been promoting the band on Facebook, explained the situation and she put me in contact with Stre Howland, the drummer for W.A.S...Stre got me all squared away and I was good to go once again.
The night of the show was a long one. There was four other bands performing before W.A.S., all the bands performance were good, it seemed to be a little too much for one evening though. Just two opening acts would have been better IMHO. But, that why I’m not a promoter and just a photog.
When it was finally time for W.A.S to hit the stage, it seemed the crowd had dwindled down to about 120 people or so. Not as many people as I thought would be there.
The band came out rocking, almost too loud for the small area that they were playing. The sound was very 80’s hard rock…strong rhythm section, strong vocals and the guitars doing what they do best, shredding! Randy Piper and Chris Holmes make a great team together. It was cool to see them exchange guitar licks back and forth.
The band came out rocking, almost too loud for the small area that they were playing. The sound was very 80’s hard rock…strong rhythm section, strong vocals and the guitars doing what they do best, shredding! Randy Piper and Chris Holmes make a great team together. It was cool to see them exchange guitar licks back and forth.
As a photographer, it was a challenge capturing decent photos. The lighting was awesome but, because of the table arrangement in the venue, the crowd was crammed into a very small area in front of the stage. Would have been much better if some of the tables were eliminated or at least, moved out of the way. The crowd would have been able to spread out a little bit more. There was also a film crew there capturing video of the performance. There were several occasions where someone with a video camera stepped into my frame. They really weren’t too respectful of other professionals trying to accomplish the same thing.
And because of that, I decided to end my evening short. I made a mental note though. The next time I happen across this film crew, put the camera away and just enjoy the show. It’s not worth the frustration.
Not sure what is next for W.A.S., will there be more to come? From what I heard, I hope so.And because of that, I decided to end my evening short. I made a mental note though. The next time I happen across this film crew, put the camera away and just enjoy the show. It’s not worth the frustration.
Where Angels Suffer - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR 1.8.2011
