Take a photographic tour of the Constantines 2014 reunion

by AUX staff

December 3, 2014

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Photos: Colin Medley
Words: Steve Lambke

Colin Medley is a wonderful photographer. He is also my friend. He travelled with the Constantines frequently this year as we played our first shows since 2010. His is a quiet presence, and he inspires trust. It was hot in Sackville this summer and in this photo essay you’ll see (some of) us wearing shorts, breaking one of the fundamental, if unspoken, rules of our kind of rock and roll: in presentation one’s legs must be covered. So be it; one must get rid of one’s self-consciousness and shame, one must dissolve the ego. This is what I’d like to talk about.

To say it was strange to reenter the band after some years absence is just to say that the experience escapes easy interpretation. One participates in the band, one contributes their musical ideas and abilities (such as they are), but what actually happens is a mystery. This is especially true in rock and roll, where vibe and energy are often more useful as measure than technical mastery or precision. One might try and discuss this group function with a familiar phrase such as “it’s more than the sum of its parts.”

One might talk of the chemistry between the musicians. This names, but in no way explains, the mystery of what can happen when people play music together. Chemistry, along with hard work, commitment, passion, and chance, is absolutely essential and elemental to the process. As an element it cannot be further broken down.

And there is something unavoidably strange about this! While chemistry relies on the particular individuals involved, it transcends, or dissolves, the individual personality: things are communicated that do not source from a human mind, things are accessed beyond unique abilities, in many ways we do not act ourselves. For it to work, one must abandon oneself to it, leave yourself at the door. This is so humbling!

Which is how I’d like to explain my favourite photos here. There is a moment in performing “Shine A Light,” there’s a break three quarters of the way through the song: the keyboard drones loudly, arms are raised. I’m asking that we think of this moment as ritual rather than gimmick (funny to think of how thin that line is!) – a ritual of abandonment.

Between the casual shots, the rehearsals and performance shots, and the portraits of these men that I love dearly and missed much in our years apart, there are a few photos of that moment in this collection. I think Colin saw this moment for what it was, and I don’t know any higher praise to give a photographer. They are powerful photos to me precisely because they are so faceless! I hope they show surrender to the music and the moment.

We were met by so much love on this tour. The depths of our gratitude and surprise cannot be expressed. You raised your arms with us and we all dissolved together.

Tags: Music, Cancon, News, 2014 in review, Constantines

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