My bad ass metal friend, Chris was able to hook me up and grant me access to shoot Sabaton and Nightwish at the Agora Theatre in downtown Cleveland. I've never actually shot in their theatre, since it's reserved for bigger touring acts and not too many shows get green lit for that area and are most often shown on their Ballroom stage. The theatre is currently getting remodeled and I was very impressed with the new additions the venue is upgrading. I heard it's competing to be the best venue in Cleveland. I too, think it's holding up.
SABATON (Falun, Sweden)
Delain, Sabaton, and Nightwish opened a sold out crowd at the Agora Friday night. Sadly, I missed Delain's performance as I was having trouble getting pit access, but able to make it for Sabaton.
Never heard of Sabaton too much, but as soon as their lead singer came out with his signature shades and semi-shaven hair cut, I immediately recognized the dude. A metal band straight out of Sweden, their lyrics are mostly about military and historical wars (preferably WWII).
I'll put it out there right. Sabaton brought it that evening. The most crowd pleasing and energetic band I've photographed. Hands down! I really enjoy the segment where the lead singer brought two little girls from the crowd on stage and let them become part of the band through one of their songs.
NIGHTWISH (Kitee, Finland)
The melodic metal group out of Finland also didn't disappoint either. Their flashy light show really added atmosphere to the night, along with their grotesque props on stage. I'm glad I did my research, because I decided to look up some recent tour performance videos on Youtube. So if flashy strobes disturbed you, this may be a tough show to watch. Just to be warned.
Check out some of my favorite shots of their show.
Photographer's Notes:
Camera:
Nikon D600 (Updated)
Lens:
Nikon 24-70 f/2.8
Overall, I was impressed with the show and the whole venue. I would like to thank Larry of the Agora for granting me the press pass to shoot these bands. This show was definitely a memorable experience for me. I think the next time, I will bring along a small stand to stand on. The stage was up to my chest and I didn't anticipate standing on my tippy toes for most of the show.