Way back in April, and before the summer had really kicked off I headed down to Basing House in Shoreditch, London to photograph the Canadian electro outfit Azari & III.

At the time I asked some people if they were interested in going, no one was.

I myself was more concerned about navigating Shoreditch at night, and on arrival to the venue, the indecent amount of smoke and red lighting available to shoot with.

Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to see them, I’d been listening up for a few days beforehand and getting into the spirit of things. But I can’t tell you how disheartening it is to get to a gig and have it full of smoke and red light. It was the same for James Blake (although his gig was just plain pitch black). It makes your heart sink, and all you can think about is the need to get decent shots coupled with the fact that its going to be nigh on impossible. Relaxing, dancing and enjoying yourself go out the window.

Thankfully though, Azari & III have been quite massive this summer, and I’ve been able to see them play at loads of brilliant venues and festivals – not a red light or whiff of smoke about them.