One of the things I enjoy most about the whole music biz schtick is the people I meet along the way. Not just the so-called rock stars; label reps, tour managers, promoters, stage crews, promo people, merchandise watchdogs, other journalists…. I’ve met plenty of each and I’m proud to call many of them my friends.
One such specimen is Australian sound engineer Matt West, who has worked for the likes of Testament, Motörhead, and several non-metal artists; a gentleman whom I met by chance and turned out to be quite a nice guy largely due to his warped sense of humour and love of metal. Turns out we also share a love of photography, and Matt has taken a big step by releasing a book of 200 shots compiled from his travels around the world.
Gotta say, I’m impressed.
Following is an overview of the book by Matt and the official press release for the book, entitled Moments:
Matt: “Moments is a collection of images with minimal information: only a title and location accompanying each shot. My desire is to leave the interpretation up to you. A random sequence of apparently unconnected photos, moving from one country to the next, through the randomness of the images you are invited to make your own connections. The dialogue of this book is both personal and internal.
There are to be no band or celebrity shots here. These are moments that caught my eye while wandering foreign lands. A collection of images from around the world taken while on the road, mostly away from the crowds and the flashing lights.
This is a book for when you have a few quiet moments of your own to drift away. It’s easy reading and easy viewing. I hope you will find something that inspires your imagination.”
Matt West is from Perth, Western Australia, and has been a sound engineer since 1995. Moving to London in ’98 he has spent the following 14 years touring with bands such as Motörhead, Snoop Dogg, The Cure, Eminem, Phoenix, Testament, Kele, CSS and many more.
Over the years Matt’s side interest in photography became a passion. The nomadic touring lifestyle gave him an opportunity to glimpses of the world through the eyes of a welcomed visitor and, over an extended period, he travelled to many, varied parts of the globe.
Now living in Perth again, and still touring, Matt has chosen to bring his varied collection of images to the public. In this, his first publication, we are taken to hundreds of different locations in over 40 countries across 5 continents where we are given a glimpse of the unceasing movement experienced by those who travel in the live music business.
Go to www.mwviz.com for book details. Check Matt’s official Moments Facebook page here for updates.
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