Jam out the post-gig blues with Robert Barrett’s sweat-soaked gig photography

In West Midlands-based photographer Robert Barrett’s work, you’re at the gig of a lifetime. It doesn’t matter who it is, whether it’s the chillaxed Mac DeMarco, the riotousness of Turnstile or Confidence Man, or the carnival act of genres that is Blur. You’re inside the sweat, tears and sometimes blood of the mosh pit. It’s hard to make gig photography look good from inside the crowd, bashing off shoulders and getting whipped by sweat-soaked hair, but Robert pulls it off.

Using digital and analogue editing processes, Robert attempts to capture three key parts; images of the artist, atmospheric shots such as close ups and stage details and the audience. “I look for artists that have a strong stage presence or an interesting live show to capture vibrant images. I enjoy seeking these artists out, especially those that are up and coming,” says Robert. “Photographing indoor gigs can be difficult due to time constriction of three songs per artist and challenging lighting, but there is nothing better than overcoming these and knowing you have the perfect shot the moment it’s taken.”

The key that unlocks the workflow is editing. Robert uses Lightroom and Photoshop to enhance colours and the gig’s energy, bringing out the raw vibe that people remember so fondly in those post-gig blues. Robert has always been motivated by the work ethic and creative drivers of artists such as Prince – he would have been Robert’s dream subject. Accessing music via fanmade materials makes a lot of sense for his work, it’s essentially depictions and documents of our beloved musical icons through the appreciative lens of fans and their experiences.

Robert’s sharp photography has as much to do with his presence in the crowd as it does with his love for music, rendering it through lomographic aesthetics and being in the right place at the right time, capturing singers doing headstands or indie-pop band Stealing Sheep donned in clownish cowboy suits. No need for Fomo, because you’re right there in the room.