Rosie Risdale
Hi my name is Rosie! I am a Midlands born, Bristol based photographer, writer and interviewer who has been an active member of the music scene since I was 17. I seek to capture the tiny moments of a gig, the human connection that we can find in venues all across the world, I live for gigs with power and meaning, that speaks for the people. In my personal work, I focus on exploring memory, intimacy and social connection through from my own life experiences and those talk to around me.
Following the release of his new album, Del Water Gap stunned Bristol’s O2 Academy with cinematic performance
With white drapes cradling the stage and a quiet energy slowly rising around the O2 academy, Samuel Holden Jaffe, aka Del Water Gap sauntered onto the stage, his band encased by a multi coloured haze shining through onto the audience, lighting up their anticipatory faces.
Holden Jaffe has a quiet confidence, he knows his space, the people who inhabit it. No doubt having gained more confidence after supporting Niall Horan on his recent tour, the artist instantly hits his audience with a newer fan favourite ‘Small Town Joan Of Arc,’ an upbeat nostalgic track detailing a “hypothetical” lover who bypasses the mundanity of small town life with their out-of-reach magnetism.
The song is certainly a standout on the new album ‘Chasing The Chimera,’ a classic love story which both exhilarates and exhausts the speaker, his “Joan of Arc” standing out biblically in comparison to the other inhabitants of the town. It certainly got the crowd moving, its upbeat nature being the perfect beginning for a hefty nineteen song setlist which undeniably ebbs and flows.
Standout newer songs like ‘How To Live,’ a song which will surely feature at the end of a coming of age movie with its synthy cinematic nature, seamlessly tied in with older hits like ‘High Tops’ and ‘Better Than I Know Myself.’
Halfway through, Holden Jaffe truly opened up. His stage presence before almost seemed closed off, wrapping his coat around himself like a hug, which oddly worked, as if a butterfly was escaping its cocoon at last. Whether or not that was intentional, it allowed the stories of the songs to hit even harder.
With the stage set up and the hot and cold attitude of the performer, it did feel surreal and artistic, heightened by the random addition of the singer starting to sew during new song ‘Damn‘ which had the crowd pointing and laughing. The piece of fabric was then thrown into the crowd into the grasp of an ecstatic punter.
It is rare for an artist to focus so intently on the visuals, especially for his biggest UK headline tour, however, it looked like no corners were cut. From a photographer’s perspective, it was an absolute joy to shoot, with a large dreamy white sheet fitting to the stage and flood lights shining up, causing stage and artist to glow ethereally.
Holden Jaffe also had a neat handheld projector shining onto his band, his fanbase beyond the pit and his own face, curating an intimate conversation between all of the venue’s inhabitants. Despite the show being unrightfully empty (the curse of a Wednesday night) it didn’t feel like that; the effect of the projector and the singer’s interactions with the crowd created a cosy microcosm which mirrors the fantastical universe found within his new album.
If I’m being completely honest, I would have been even happier watching this incredibly curated show with more songs from my favourite of his 5 albums ‘Del Water Gap,’ with its chirpier tracks to get the crowd moving. However, that is not to say I did not enjoy seeing his new album live, his fresh ideas and artistry showing through his onstage theatrics.
I came to the show knowing what his last song would be, his breakout hit and cult classic ‘Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat,’ one of my most listened to songs of the last five years and one I truly believe will withstand the test of time. A true indicator of his influences, its wonderful melodic guitar riff makes me want to play it over and over again, and seeing it live was the cherry on top of a masterclass of a performance, pushing and pulling the audience, keeping them on their toes.
Photography by Rosie Risdale