
I record a lot of concerts and have for many years. I started with a point and shoot camera that took video and it was relatively good for video but lighting was a problem and audio was often quite bad. I’m so impressed with how each new iPhone handles the very load bass of a live concert better and better. The last show I recorded was one of the best I’ve managed and that was Spoon at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC a couple weeks ago.
This show was one I’ve been anticipating for a long time. I absolutely love the last album by Miike Snow entitled “iii”. Overall I was happy with the show, but was a bit disappointed that they didn’t play many tracks from that more recent album (only four) and the lighting was the worst I’ve seen. Apparently it is intentional, as I saw a video of this same tour shot professionally with multiple cameras and it too was way to dark and hard to see the band. The spotlights faced the crowd not the band, and they were often at the back of the stage behind equipment in the dark. Still, the couple songs they did from the new album were really well done in that they played them a little different than the studio recordings which I always enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to find a spot by a support beam which is a large obstruction off to stage left. There, I was able to stand either in front of it or off to the side of this obstruction my hand up at 11 o’clock to get a good shot over the crowed without being any anyone’s way.
Enjoy!