On the night of November 20th a few friends and I made the trot down to El Club in Detroit to see one of my personal favorite bands. Rather than applying for a press pass I decided to keep it casual and just take in my most minimal camera setup. Trying to capture the raw essence of a Kikagaku Moyo performance in it’s purest form, as a member of the highly dedicated crowd. The results were raw, gritty, at times wild, and I think quite beautiful. I will definitely be shooting like this more in the future, it reminded me exactly why I love shooting live music in the first place!
Ryu playing his sitar during one of many long and beautiful jams.
Tomo Katsurada (Guitar/Vocals) adding some beautiful textures to the band’s first long jam of the set.
Daoud Popal (guitar) performing with his signature style during Tree Smoke.
Ryu Kurosawa (sitar/keys) clearing his face during one of the mellower songs of the set.
Daoud (guitar) getting low while on his wah wah during Dripping Sun.
Go Kurosawa (drums/guitar/vocals) is one of the founding members of the group and always sets the tone for their beautiful and experimental jams on stage.
Go playing his guitar during a rare performance of one of the bands older songs- Semicircle from their 2014 EP, Forest of Lost Children.
Daoud ending the set on a high note by poring his entire soul into his guitar during a cover of Ananda Shankar’s Streets of Calcutta that Kikagaku Moyo revitalized in their 2014 EP, Forest of Lost Children.
Daoud taking a well deserved breath as the set draws to a close.
I would like to give a huge shoutout to El Club for taking the time to post my work on their social media and to Kikagaku Moyo for once again making the long journey to the United States and providing a night of a lifetime. Kikagaku Moyo will forever be my absolute favorite band and I consider myself lucky to spend a night in their presence. -HH
