First day of Ottawa Bluesfest 2010. It’s a blistering mid-summer Tuesday in the capital city. A smog cloud thick as the smoke in a 70s bingo hall hovers over the grounds at Lebreton Flats. No one seems to mind.

There’s a bum frying an egg on the sidewalk.

“There are so many freaks that show up to an Iron Maiden show,” says a young punk in passing. “I’m sure I’m going to be the only one with a Maiden shirt on.”

The kid’s wrong about the shirts, right about the freaks.

Even heat peaking at nearly 40C is not enough to keep away idealists turned government employees who relish the two weeks of the year they get to unbutton the hardest button to button.

Seems inherently wrong for this many men to be wearing flip-flops and polo shirts tucked into cargo shorts (one dude even has a collar sticking out over his Maiden t) at a festival opening with a bill that includes Iron Maiden, Dream Theater and, err, Wayne Brady (who will smack a bitch!).

Under the Blacksheep Music & Comedy Tent, Bluesfest is hosting its first ever comedy show. Whether it’s te jokes or the room temperature – a few degrees cooler than in the sun – the tent is packed.

The Relationship Comedy Show seems an odd, albeit fitting, addition to the festival, almost like rehab after the electric Dream Theater set. The words of lead singer James LaBrie – “Let’s see those fuckin’ hands up Ottawa” – still rattle around the brain like the pea in a spray can as comedian Jim Breuer’s voice chimes in.

“I’ve had swamp ass since I got off the plane,” jokes Breuer, of Half Baked (“Who’s comin’ with me?”) fame, to an applauding crowd. “You guys just came here for the air conditioner,” he ads, taking a shot at the oldest of Canadian isms. “They got air in there, eh?”

Back outside, the sun has started to set and the metal heads have amassed. Black Maiden shirts now rival the ubiquitous three-piece polo-cargo-flip-flop ensembles of earlier.

It’s refreshing.

Just after 9:00 p.m. the band that most of the black clad and, no doubt, rubes have come to see, grace the MBNA stage to a deafening chant of “Maiden, Maiden, Maiden, Maiden!”

“Don’t eat the fuckin’ hot dogs, they’ll kill ya!” declares frontman Bruce Dickinson to the unconfirmed number of 20,000 strong before tearing into a set rife with everything from stage theatrics to shredding old-school guitar solos. “Any of you who are lost and thought you were coming to see a blues band, get a map.”

Meanwhile, at the Subway stage furthest from MBNA, the Kelp Records Review is in full swing. And blues is in abundance. There are at least 10 guys on stage – two drummers, three vocalist, four guitar players and a couple bassists.

Now there are 15.

While the crowd may be sparser than Maiden’s following, it is no less a dedicated audience. And with no black or collared shirts in sight, the review seems a fitting end to a blues fest dominated by heavy metal and comedy on opening day.

RLR

Originally posted on the Martyr Magazine Blog (Canada’s Alternative Press), this is one of the coolest collaborations Captivate has embarked on to date!!

The sound is a little whack in this one, I think some beer got in the microphone that night, but this video will be updated once the audio is evened out properly.  Cheers!

Every so often duty calls upon me to shoot something weird and awesome.  It’s been a minute since I’ve photographed a kinky event, but Cirque Noir pulled it all out for their second installment: Apocalips!  Yes, a post-apocalytic themed night of dancing and always a great chance to use hard lighting.

No post-apocalyptic dress-up fetish party would be complete with Tank Girl themed burlesque show.  TANK GIRL!

Observe how Tank & Jet strap Water & Power Co. to a giant X and beat his ass (in the name of art).  Sublime.

More shots after the jump!

That’s all folks!  Massive shouts to Mercury Lounge, Sunny Daze, Rockalilly Burlesque, @ALL_CAPS, Cirque Noir, Wellfedartist, Lance Baptiste & the DJ’s/VJ’s, Meredith Lyman (makeup artist extraordinaire!) and everyone else who made it a memorable party.

DJ Young Mase of D12 (live on tour) – Captivatethem.ca

D12 and Obie Trice’s tour DJ Young Mase hyping up a crowd!

Shot and edited by Alexander Vlad. Created using the Canon EOS 7D HDSLR system.

©2010 Alexander Vlad | Captivate Creative Studios

The Creepshow – Interview/Concert – Captivatethem.ca from Alexander Vlad.

Shot & Cut by Alexander Vlad
Interview by Remi L Roy

Live footage of The Creepshow from Maverick’s (Ottawa). A big thanks to Future Skin for hosting the interview.

Created on the Canon EOS 7D with 17-40 f4L & 70-200 f4L.

Tunes used with permission from artists.

©2009/2010 Alexander Vlad | Captivatethem.ca

Captivatethem.ca presents: UMMtv Ep 1 – LMFAO from Alexander Vlad on Vimeo.

Shot & cut by Alexander Vlad on the Canon EOS 5Dmk2 and 7D dslr systems. Additional camerawork by Greg Bamber & Pistol Pete. Interview and treatment by Remi L Roy.

All music produced & performed by LMFAO.

©2009 Alexander Vlad | Captivate Creative Studios

It’s been a while since I’ve taken on fashion with a hand-held strobe, so the images had more motion and less clarity than I would usually like.  I think I was also under the influence of guitar thrashing as I seemed to have the whole “rock show” mindset about the gig.  The colourful ambience still draws my favour though, so I’ll share ‘em with the net!

The vibe at the show was amazing, with Hamid Rebel presiding over the party, rocking out on his electric guitar.  Hamid has started to become a constant, performing at several events I regularly shoot at, and crossing paths with a multi-talent like himself is always a great experience.

I’ll update with an image gallery when the video is complete.  Enjoy!

Iconoclast – Nothing But Hell (music video dailies 1) from Alexander Vlad on Vimeo.

Here is a quick 1:14 of some of my favourite clips from our first day shooting the music video for Nothing But Hell from our favourite hard rock band, Iconoclast!

Shot on location at Ritual Nightclub, Ottawa’s premier nightspot by Alexander Vlad using the Canon EOS 7D.

There will be more dailies to come as we shoot and edit the narrative/story line and start to develop a treatment for the project.

All music used with permission from artist.

©2009 Captivate Creative Studios | Captivatethem.ca

Captivate Creative Studios – R.A. The Rugged Man Interview from Alexander Vlad on Vimeo.

Kapacity Entertainment & Ritual Nightclub bring you an exclusive interview with hip-hop legend RA the Rugged Man at Ottawa’s newest menswear boutique, Reap & Sew.

Interview by Remi L Roy. Shot on Canon 7D & edited by Alexander Vlad. Arrangement by Paul Kennedy.

Music used with permission from R.A. The Rugged Man.

Our full image gallery and event feature will be up shortly.  Anybody who did not attend the parties, but still wants to blow me kisses, you can send them to the usual email.  Well…fine, maybe one photo.