DOC K.E. FORD.

These were captured at the Hillcrest Tavern in April 1987; the first gig I shot for Knightshade.  This is the only roll of colour I shot of them.  I didn’t have the gear to shoot colour film, at speed, in low light, so I used the same high-power flash gun which served well for black and white, but resulted in a rather ‘flat’ aesthetic quality in colour.  I suspect that’s why I only have a handful of colour rolls from gigs at indoor venues.  All were shot in addition to monochrome, as back up.  From my perspective, the colour images simply did not have the same visual impact as the monochromes. 

However, this roll is important for historical reasons.  Firstly, it highlights the stunning costume and styling work masterminded by Sue (aka Sioux) Pryor which rendered so well in black and white, as well as colour.  Her work was cutting edge, and her contribution enabled mine significantly, although I did not fully appreciate this until I started scanning and processing my Knightshade negs some thirty years plus after the fact. 

Secondly, these images pay homage to the stage at the Hillcrest Tavern, a venue that held a special place in the Tron before its demise.  The battened roof, par cans, drum riser, carpeting collage, gaffer tape residue and proximity to the punters all made for a functional and memorable performance space.  Curtains hung at both sides, providing somewhere to store cases, paraphernalia, and for performers to hang out in between sets if they didn’t fancy going out front.  All of these images were shot from the curtain at stage left.