On a grey afternoon in December there was an assembly on the loft of a fire station in the Scandinavian capitol Copenhagen. It could very well have been a secret lodge, but it wasn't. It was a cult that met to do a quite different ritual than they were used to.
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Klaus & Servants as their fans have never seen them before |
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Klaus & Servants is world known in Denmark. For centuries their music has been played on the radio and they've been one of the top band to call if you had a company Christmas party, a product presentation, a big wedding or other celebration where you wanted a mixed crowd of young and old singing, dancing and having a great time. That's what they do, often dressed in happy green suits (sometimes even gold) and though it's not considered as cultural as playing Hamlet on the Royal Theater, the crowd is having a great time. And what more can anyone having a party ask for?
On this grey Sunday a sixties déjà vu was in the air; everyone dressed in the sixties fashion a la John and Paul (The Beatles) and bringing their VOX guitar amplifiers, ekko machines and other of crown jewels all professional musicians seem to have hidden deep in their bedroom closet.
The photographical assignment given was something new; but in a way that would not cut off the traditional fans.
What for some might seem hard to notice is actually very simple and straightforward for the photographer: If people are them self, then you always hit the right tone, no matter the dress and location. The same goes for portraits: You can take on a character or identity, but if you’re true to your self it will be strong, personal and credible.
We don't have a script for such a photo shoot. We have agreed the dress, the place and the time frame. The rest is a matter of what possibilities it all offers and what ideas the chemistry might bring about. And as could as well have been a photo session on a loft in the sixties it's not difficult to fall into character. In a way it's more a reunion with the sixties than a new concept.
Fan mails confirmed that we hadn't gone off the rails. One wrote: "Those images are GREAT, and the way you are lined up. I like it and I'm using the cover as the background on my computer screen."
In any case, it also helps that they can actually play guitar. You can listen to their album at iTunes
Klaus with an old friend
Atmosphere photo of a classic ekko machine. It works the way that a short piec of tape recycles again and again; as can be seen in the shot below:
An image for the single "Diamond."
March 2, 2010
