Kotiteollisuus

Hard band to photograph for sure... They don't do a lot of different things on-stage, so one has to discover unique angles and other things like that to get unique pictures - you cannot rely on capturing "the moments", because there aren't that many - especially if Tuomas Holopainen is not with them :)

The two first pictures are appropriate for a Finnish band, sauna-like feeling to them ;). I like the first one the most (of the whole set).

I see where you're going with number three, but to me, the overexposure of the red color channel is rather distracting. Hint: shooting raw would help :)

In the foruth picture, it looks like that guy is blowing a bubblegum ball :).

Looks like it was hard to photograph this gig... Bar gigs are, I'd guess. You should visit Lutakko some time, I'll get you in the front (press pit)...

I'll have to agree with Kalle. I like #1 one the best, very nice. The location of that light in the 4th one is definitely distracting.

A monopod might have helped the third shot. (no EXIF, so can't tell what the shutterspeed was)
Don't know the band, or their music, but I think I prefer the expression on the 2nd shot over the first... There is quite a bit of flare though.
On the last one, the light is distracting once it's pointed out, as is the cable (?) running across the guitar players face.

That's a start. Once you manage to shoot a heavy band in full crowded rocking and rolling bar, you'll be smiling like an happy idiot when you have space and time that press pit provides.

First two images have most in them. I like the expression on Hynynen's face on 2nd, but unfortunately flare (or could that be some metal heads arm or head?) is on a way making the photo not so perfect.

I'm a huge fan of tight intense crops, so I wish there was some brutal howl or growl that could be captured on Kotiteollisuus gigs. If you have time and patience, take a spot, lock the focus (or focus manually on the microphone) and wait for the moment.

Small bars can be quite the battle to make one self in to spot to even try to get a decent photo, I know that. This is my weekly plyground:
http://www.myrakleftos.fi/sample/_NJL9404.jpg

Few tips for crowded places with no press pit: Be there early, don't save your knees, keep right handed guitar player on your right to include instrument properly on image.

René Damkot wrote:
Don't know the band, or their music

Here's their home page (English version): http://www.kotiteollisuus.com/eng/index.htm
And yes, the address is correct ;). They just have a twisted sense of humor.
Unfortunately, no music there to listen to.

Their style is Heavy (but not that much Metal), and they're rather static on-stage.
Here's one live performance from them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cJEbCjE0UQ
The music is rather lyric-driven, so to really get the point you'd need to understand Finnish.

By the way, the forum software forces images into a 900x900 box (I could adjust that, but I'm not sure if I want to), and the browser does the down-sizing, so posting pictures larger than that will not be displayed very well (like the pics in this thread)...