Into The Mind of The Minds…
To Begin With … Everything is my latest article about The Minds of 99. I paraphrased the movie Almost Famous: “What do I love about The Minds of 99? To begin with…Everything”. I am not quite sure what to add to that, except to say that it turned out to be just a taster of the finale of 2 x nights I spent with The Minds of 99 band+crew at Vega in Copenhagen on Dec 29 and 30. Two final nights of their tour at the wonderful Vega venue.
Two nights, but why? You might ask this, but I could have done 10 nights of these show in a row, easy. For me, there is nothing like time and access that enables me to make the work I want to make. For starters, there are 5 members of the band, I could do 5 nights focusing on just one individual band member each night. Then a night from the stage, one from the pit, one from front-of-house and so on and so on. Yup, I could do 10 in a row easy and hope to do a whole tour with Minds at some point. I worship Neal Preston’s book and to make work like that, you need to be embedded with a band that you love, a band that trusts you and gives you access. I don’t want to just make good pictures, I need to constantly improve and make truly memorable long lasting pictures. Give me 10 in a row, no worries, give me 20.
And give me 20 nights, because I am first and foremost a big fan of their music. This makes me want to make every picture the best picture I have ever made. I also know every single song by heart and as such I almost feel the pictures take themselves, as if I was playing an instrument and muscle memory knows exactly what to do. The 80s New Romantic edge to some of the Minds songs also totally hits home and makes me about 10 years old again with Duran Duran posters on the wall, being Hungry Like the Wolf for some kind of way into the magic world of music. Well, 10 year old me, I found a way!
Minds‘ as they’re often called, are also called Denmark’s best live band. I am biased but agree totally and the 4 events I have covered for them in 2018 hammered home this point. The total dedication to their craft is inspiring, to giving the fans a truly never-to-forget life experience at 100% energy level every time, to surrounding themselves with an incredible crew, sound, light, management, stage etc. means that every detail has been considered, everything happens to blow away the crowd and to do it that little bit better every time.
That means the devoted crowd responds, blows the roof off and blows the band away as well. This was one of the loudest crowds I have ever heard. If I remember correctly, they measured the audience clapping and cheering at 112db at front-of-house. 112db is louder than the show itself and this was in-between songs, no music playing at all! Minds’ fans are really awesome and loud!
This blog post is a mess, I know. Because I am not a writer, just a pro music photographer since 2012 and a mad Minds of 99 fan that cannot make sense of what just happened, but is thirsty for much much more. My plan is to become the best music photographer in the world. Insane, and arrogant, I know, but hey, gotta have a plan! And make huge blog posts with messy writing.
Photography, briefly: All the pictures were made with Fujifilm X-T2 & X-T3 cameras, one camera on each shoulder, one with the 35mm F1.4 lens and the other with the 16mm F1.4. I had extra batteries and the 50mm F2 in my pocket as navigating the narrow passage ways on stage in between gear meant there was no way to carry my shoulder bag with extra lenses. It was very freeing, I totally love shooting like that, 2 cameras, 2 primes, keep it simple, focus on the action. A more detailed blog post about photographing these events is coming up.
The gallery of 50 pictures (a lot, I know, but because, well, I can!) is a blend of pictures from both nights. I have so many pictures from these nights I could do another 50 and 50 and 50. Or maybe I have something else up my sleeve. Wait and see!
Crank it up to 112db and enjoy!
The Minds of 99 just before the show at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Getting ears installed! Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR
Niels and Jacob of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR
Niels Brandt of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Asger Wissing of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
Anders Folke Larsen of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Jacob Bech of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Louis Clausen of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
Niels Brandt of The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF50mmF2 R WR
One of my missions is always to get some shots of everyone in the frame! The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Check out the view! The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
Niels sings a solo acoustic version of Hurtige Hænder while the rest of the band gets a breather. The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF35mmF1.4 R
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF50mmF2 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF50mmF2 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF50mmF2 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF8-16mmF2.8 R LM WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T3, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
The Minds of 99 at Vega, Copenhagen, 2018, by Flemming Bo Jensen. Fujifilm X-T2, XF16mmF1.4 R WR
