I'm really excited to be able to share my set of Kate Miller-Heidke pictures with you. I feel like October is all about the Aussies! Singer Kate Miller-Heidke and guitarist Keir Nuttall hail from Brisbane, which try as I might, I can't quite pronounce properly (Bris-bin) Their albums are classified as alt-pop, but Kate adds her opera-esque voice to give it a twist. The live show is much more stripped down with Keir on acoustic and Kate on tambourine and occasionally keys.
Keir and Kate at the Klein, 2010
The first time I saw Kate Miller-Heidke was in 2010; she opened for Ben Folds at The Klein in Bridgeport. I managed to cover that show for the paper as well. Ben Folds always tours with a wonderful opening act. Over the years, I was introduced to many bands that have become favorites: Fleming and John, Jude, Guster, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Kweller, and Kate. I wasn't familiar with any of her work for that show, but I was quickly won over by her amazing voice and Keir's incredible guitar work. It's just the two of them on stage, but Keir will loop guitar riffs, giving them a much fuller sound.
When I saw Ben Folds Five last month in Central Park, Kate played a very short set, so I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate the show. This time I was able to enjoy the music and shoot the first three songs. While the lighting was a challenge, I worked through it and captured a handful of shots I'm pleased with.
Kate discussing some of the finer points of opera singing.
This was my second "official" photographers pit and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was going to be a challenge. It was so small, my feet were actually hitting the monitors; you can see the other photographer is set up between the monitors in this shot. The stage was literally within arms reach. While I was still able to move around, it was limited, and relied on the other photographers working with you. Thankfully, that wasn't an issue.
The shots above and below are my favorites of their set.
By far, my favorite song of the night was their cover of I'm the Real Slim Shady. I love when bands reinterpret songs. They are currently touring in Europe and have a few shows in Australia in December. If you can, go see them live. They put on quite a show!
You might be wondering why there are so many black and white photographs in this set. I always do my best to salvage color, but this was the most difficult lighting I have come across to date. It was bright blue for the majority of their songs. The above images are unprocessed, straight from the camera. They look like smurfs. There wasn't even a chance to keep these shots in color and it took a lot of work to even make them presentable in black and white. I view every opportunity to shoot a learning experience, so I'm still grateful. I learned a whole lot about post processing this night. I'll definitely put an orange filter in my bag from now on to try to battle the dreaded blue light.
Now as far as the main act is concerned, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. The paper is hoping to run the feature Thanksgiving week. Everyone's all focused on the upcoming election for some reason. In the mean time, I'll do my best to find more shows to cover. As always, I'm closing out with my shoe shot.
To learn more about Kate Miller-Heidke, check out their website here.
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