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Here is how I learned how concert photographs do not always require the best lenses or even the best zooms. This is the story of how I became the analogue concert photographer for La Fonoteca Barcelona.

Lafonoteca (which means the music library) is a website by and for music lovers, and Spanish music in particular. Its intention is to do an exercise in historical memory, to rescue musical legacy from oblivion, and promote the current scene, which they consider of great value. LaFonoteca BCN was created with the intention of closing the gap between the different music scenes at the state level.

Taking Madrid and Barcelona as representatives, it establishes a flow to discover emerging bands which in many cases find it difficult to break out of their city.

During the preparations for first concert scheduled for a Friday in October, the organizers of this great project asked if I would be willing to make small photo reports of the individual concerts, and as you know, when offered a project like this you can not say no.

The day chosen for the debut concert was October 21st. The headliners making their premiere were the Barcelona band Double Billet and Madrid’s Betacam. The two pop bands gathered at the Heliogàbal bar of Gracia to prove that pop music has no boundaries and is not entirely undiscovered. What was seen was this! You can listen to the group’s music (which we heard live) through each of their Bandcamp websites!

So, this demonstrated that concert photography need not be digital, with great lenses and even better zooms. Multiple opportunities still occur in alternative events such as my October 21st. You can check out upcoming events at the La Fonoteca Barcelona page.