Rock photographer charts recent NZ music history in book of live images
Austrian-born, American-raised, now Palmerston North-based, photographer Alexander Hallag has taken a few photos of New Zealand musicians in his time
Some 200 of them have made it to the pages of his impressive pictorial book Shhh ... the music is Talking.
It wasn't the going to gigs all over the country that was the hard part of assembling the collection. That was fun. Less so was culling the 200 from 50,000 to 60,0000 images over five years.
"It's one of the most torturous tasks I have put myself through."
"I wanted my heart in it but I couldn't go for images that I just liked. There have been a lot of great memories photographing these bands. But you can't just go for memory because if I did, that the book would be a good five times thicker.
"I wanted it to be a visual song -- to have its highs, its ups and downs ... I want the viewer to put in the notes, to put in the melody of what they think it might be."
Hallag is a former station manager of Radio Control at Massey University. He got his start in photography taking photos as a teenager for a fanzine in Seattle during the grunge era before heading to New York then, eventually, the bright lights of Palmy.
Here's Hallag telling the story behind three of the photos in his high-volume volume.
Lorde's second live show ever at Mighty Mighty Wellington, 2013
We didn't know how big she was going to be. Part of what struck me with this was the show sold out in 45 seconds. So I wanted to know why. What is the draw that is going to make Mighty sell out in 45 seconds? That is unheard of and it was very special because you could see her in that moment right before the transition where she is still finding her feet on stage . You could see within that performance that something big - at least in New Zealand - was going to happen.
Musically it was fresh and it was kind of neat too because Ella, when she came on, she had that shyness and there was an innocent quality to it. It was shot with the black and white I love it because it was the contrast of what she was getting into - from nothing to the light.
Chris Knox playing with Rackets at Real Groovy Records, Record Store Day, 2013
Chris Knox. Photo / Alexander Hallag
I love Chris. After [he had a stroke and] as a fan I was heartbroken because I never had the chance to see this guy. Actually I think I saw him once in New York but never had a chance to document him. I heard [band] Rackets had approached him to do some stuff with them and thought "Wow that would be great" and it just happened I was at Record Store Day and I saw Chris there.
I asked him "Are you going to do anything today and he replied "You never know" and boom! He's on stage. Oh my God. Chris is playing. Camera! Take a photo!
And it's a very happy joyful moment because I am seeing Chris on the stage and it's my dream to photograph him - not even thinking about the book - but just what he has gone through to get back up on stage is so magic.
It's a testimony that you can overcome anything. It's one of my favourites in the book. It's a reminder that if you are having a crap day - he got back up on stage, get over it.
Ladi6, free show in Palmerston North Square 2015
Ladi6. Photo / Alexander Hallag
I've photographed her a couple of times and that one in so many ways spoke of who, at least in my view, who Lady is. I have photographed her before where she is wearing sunglasses and while she was always present I wasn't capturing her. So I was trying to capture her as Ladi6 and her personally too. And I think I got it.
Lowdown
Who: Alexander Hallag, photographer What: His book of live music photographs Shhh... The Music Is Talking Info:www.themusicistalking.com/store released early December
