Fantômas – May 20, 2001 in Victoriaville, Quebec

Two years after that press shot was salvaged from the destroyed roll of film, Ipecac Recordings called to say they really needed more photos. The only time and place that the whole band would be together for a while was at the Victoriaville Festival de Musique Actuelle, which is about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City and off the beaten path.

I took a train from Toronto to Montreal then a 170 km bus ride to get there.

I hadn't heard of it until then but it's actually quite an incredible festival. Kim Gordon and John Zorn also had shows that weekend.

Based on the previous shoot I didn't think I'd get much time with them but there was literally nothing else to do around the hotel so we made an afternoon of it.
My favourite shot is this first one in front of the entertainment lineup for the week at the hotel lounge.

Mike Patton – May 20, 2001 in Victoriaville, Quebec

Since we were already there for the Fantômas shoot, Patton and I did a solo session because he's in at least 5 bands at any given time (Fantômas, Mr Bungle, Faith No More, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom...) and the label could always use more photos.

There was an abandoned tractor in the vacant lot behind the motel, because why not. My first though was the Mr Bungle t-shirt from the early 90s that just said “There's a tractor in my balls”, so I ran with it.

Even though I'd shot a bunch of his bands in the past, I want to reiterate how incredible it was to work with Patton because he's a genius and I idolized him from high school onward. When I was 18, Mr Bungle was the first interview I ever did. I brought my best friend Frank and we got to watch sound check. Interviewed the band as we ate around a big stainless steel kitchen table in the back of the 86th St Music Hall in Vancouver.

Patton was at the table but didn't participate in the interview because all anyone ever wanted to talk about was Faith No More, which I know would have been the case with me too. Midway through one of the weirdest conversations I’d ever had, the menacing-looking club owner came in and gave me and Frank the international sign for “that food ain't free” (rubbing the thumb and forefingers together in the air).

Then he asked to see our ID and promptly kicked us out of the building for being under 19. Didn't even get to see the show. Anyways, that's how I met Mike Patton.

Also, flip phone.

Money Mark – September 2, 2001 in Los Angeles

Another highlight of 2001 was sitting in on a rehearsal with Money Mark and his band before they headed out on tour. You can see Fredo Ortiz on drums in the wide shot.

He showed me his new Money Mark action figure from Mo' Wax and then set on fire for some reason haha. He also gave me one that I have not set on fire. I recently met up with Mark in El Paso, TX and though it would be funny to bring the action figure. It comes with a tiny microphone but I can’t find it anywhere, so Mark said he’d send me another one. Not sure if he meant the whole thing or just the mic.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy – April 18, 2001 at the Reverb in Toronto

This was my second time seeing The INC at the Reverb and it was even better than the first. Plenty of great photos from that night but this one of Dennis jumping is by far the most captivating. The good thing about using a cheap fisheye is you can get some great lens flare.