BUSH in Zurich

Another day, another concert — this time it was BUSH in Zurich at the legendary Hallenstadion! BUSH are one of the defining British rock bands of the ‘90s, known for hits like Glycerine, Machinehead, and Comedown. Led by frontman Gavin Rossdale, their signature grunge-inspired sound has stood the test of time, and I can confirm they still know how to bring raw energy to the stage.

BUSH are currently on tour with Volbeat (go check out their photos here), and while many in the crowd came primarily for the Danish rockers, the atmosphere was already buzzing when BUSH took the stage. For me, though, this show was particularly special. Not only because I’ve been listening to their music since the early 2000s, but because I had the incredible opportunity to shoot the entire set for the band.

Was I (menty b-adjacent-)nervous? Absolutely.
Excited? A thousand times yes.
Was I able to set that all aside and do my job and deliver? I hope so… But I’ll let you (and the band) be the judge of that 😄.

Shooting the Entire Set: A Photographer’s Treat

Being allowed to photograph the whole set is 100% a sweet treat. It meant I could capture unique moments that are usually missed during the usual “first three songs, no flash” rule. One of those highlights was when Gavin Rossdale decided to take a stroll through the audience and up the stairs to the seating area. While I lost him for a moment and had to go find him in a sea of fans, I caught up with him up in the stands!

Another unforgettable view came from on stage, when the sea of phone lights illuminated the entire arena. Those are the moments you live for as a photographer.

From the Back Row to the Stage

As I shot the show, I couldn’t help but think back to 2011, the first time I saw BUSH live at Komplex 457 in Zurich. Back then, I was all the way in the back, holding up my little point-and-shoot camera, hoping to capture something.

Fast forward to now, standing on that huge stage, photographing one of my favorite bands. It’s emotional, surreal, and one of the biggest highlights of my life for sure. While I did miss Comedown on the setlist, hearing Zen and Machinehead again was amazing, and their cover of Come Together sounded amazing!

To say it in BUSH lyrics: “’Cause I don’t wanna come back down from this cloud” — because honestly, I’m still floating on that cloud.