Photos and So Much More From Rock the Shores 2015

The Rock the Shores 2015 festival returned to the green green grass of West Shore Parks & Rec fields this weekend. Naturally, the smoking hot festival weather returned, too…that’s JUST what happens for Rock the Shores.

I spent the better part of 10+ hours at the music festival through the weekend and had the opportunity to join photografriends in the photo pit to take some shots of the bands, the artists, the crowd, the people that are Rock the Shores. I will add more to this photo gallery as I go through the better part of (cough) 1,200 photos. Yes, if I’m one thing — it’s snap happy.

On Saturday, the festival was packed with upwards of 10,000 people! I attended with my 13-year old son, his friend and his mom. We brought blankets, water bottles (empty for safety requirements), some snacks and a hat. Forgot the sunscreen, argh. Had some on already, so it’d have to do. Oh, I had my camera with 3 lenses, that ended up weighing-in like bricks by 11pm that night.

Wow, it was so hot, we were treated to an immediate sweat pouring down your back or — whatever nether-regions that you tend to sweat. After shooting 54.40, went to fill my water-bottle…only to find two huge line-ups for water taps. 25-30 min line-ups, that felt like a lifetime when you were shriveling up in the sun by the minute. Finally! Water bottles filled, a cider in hand and a walk through the water-mister and I was a born-again festival-goer. Time to shoot Victoria band, Current Swell!

It went like that, shoot a band — you get the first three songs — then take a break to sit and have a drink, a snack, enjoy the people-watching…and then back to the photo-pit for the next spectacle. Pure bliss.

The music was amazing, of the bands I was there for, your favourites could’ve been Current Swell, an incredible Victoria band that has a following that is only growing, 54.40, The Sheepdogs, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s or Grammy Award winning Black Keys on Saturday — all delivered solid shows with a wall of sound that kept you on your feet for most of the show. Until the beating sun forced you to sit for a tic, anyway heheh. I regrettably missed Scott Helman, but may have turned to jerky if I’d been there any longer on Saturday. I heard his show was amazing and his 19-year old self thrilled the early crowd that came out on Saturday.

After a refreshing swim in Matheson Lake on Sunday, I returned for some more photos and tunes from the last two bands, TV on the Radio and the legendary Jane’s Addiction. This was amazing and resulted in uh — a lot — of photos. I’m not going to divulge numbers here…this is what my Ocean 98.5 coworkers make fun of me for. For being a gig-hoarder, hahah. Anyway. It was worth ever last snap to have an opportunity to capture these spectacles up close on stage doing their art — entertaining a crowd with guitars, keyboards, microphones and antics. And the music that fills your soul.

If the music fills your soul, the people fill your senses. The summer music festival is one of those rare beasts that brings out everyone — The new music-goers, the long-in-the-tooth, the toddlers with sound isolating earmuffs on, the nursing babes, the babes, hula-hoopers, hippies, moms, dads, grandma’s…you imagine the person, they are all together. For one happy reason. Music. Music in the sunshine.

Now my soul and I need a day off..in the shade.

Mel Z – 10am – 2pm, Middays on Ocean 98.5