Au Naturale

Today in PhotoSoc we did some Natural Light Portraits. I'm still not 100% comfortable with taking pictures of people, especially not when I have to give them direction. Laura (pictured) and I spent a lot of the time giggling self-conciously. That said I like the bokeh effect behind her on this, although i'm not sure if its a tad over-exposed... It will be fun to practise with though.

After photosoc was the main event of today, a last minute decision to catch Hope and Social at the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster. Support came from Alex Hulme, a fantastic singer songwriter who uses his loop pedal to full effect! He's a charmer and instantly likeable on-stage where he lets his songs do the talking. And what songs he has. Check out Run Rabbit Run (especially the ending) and All That I Have for a couple of examples.

Having heard nothing of Hope and Social I was looking forward to checking them out. They came out all dressed in matching Blue Hope and Social Blazers which looked awesome. They played a couple of brooding acoustic numbers before launching into some seriously toe tapping tracks. Think a mix of Mumford and Sons, Arcade Fire, the E-Street Band and a touch of Ska. Clever, heartfelt lyrics, real showmanship from frontman Simon and a relaxed attitude from the rest of the band made for an incredibly enjoyable show, matched by the enthusiasm of the crowd who danced madly away to anything with a danceable beat. Check out Fast Train and Boxers Blood

All their music is also available on a Pay-What-You-Want basis which is a super cool idea. If they are in a town near you get down and see them, they're truly fantastic live.

An incredibly enjoyable evening much needed in the current climate of exam stress.