This month’s website interview is with Tony Winfield, renowned blues photographer and a mainstay of the blues circuit. His photos are all over The Mustangs’ website and you can find out more about him by visiting his website at www.bluespics.co.uk.

1) Hi Tony, what first drew you to the blues?

Hi, thanks for inviting me to do this. I’ve grown up listening to the Blues without realising it. I was a child during the British Blues invasion when bands like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Animals were getting into the charts with their covers of songs from American Blues artists, and in later years I liked Soul, Motown and Hard Rock unaware that that they were different progressions of the Blues genre.
My first conscious introduction to the Blues was over 15 years ago when I went to see a band at one of my local venues. The band was called Mr Siegal and they had a young guy named Ian Berry on Guitar/Vocals, it was a fantastic night and I was totally hooked from then on. Later Ian Berry became know as Ian Siegal.

2) So how did you go from listening to it, to photographing it?

I had a background of industrial photography. Many years ago, part of the department that I managed for a telecommunications company was involved with the design process of printed circuit boards and that involved photographing artworks onto huge sheets of film and processing them to an accuracy of fractions of a millimetre so I had a fair amount of experience in the technical aspects of photography but very little from creative side of things.

I bought a digital camera with the intention of using it when we were out and about sight-seeing. I happened to take it along with me to Butlins Rock and Blues festival one year and took some snaps of the bands. One of the bands asked for copies of the pictures which they forwarded to Blues Matters magazine for them to use with the festival review. A few weeks later Darren Howells the editor asked me if I would like to contribute regularly to the magazine so now my partner Sue and I work together as a team covering gigs and festivals and producing the reviews and photographs.

3) What makes a good concert photographer?

The biggest challenge in concert photography is the lack of light. Unlike press photographers the majority of concert photographers don’t use flash as it’s distracting for the artists and the audience so it’s all about working with the available stage lighting and trying to capture an expression or action that is going to portray the atmosphere to anyone viewing the picture. A good photograph as far as I am concerned is one that captures the artist’s personality and uses the available light to the best advantage.

4) How hard is it to concentrate on the job in hand and not get caught up in the show?

I’m a Blues fan. I love the music and I’d go to see the show regardless of whether or not I was taking photos so I enjoy myself just as much as the rest of the audience. At some gigs where the lighting is particularly good or the band are very active then I’ll get carried away and take more shots than I could possibly ever use and afterward I’ll regret not concentrating more on just enjoying the show.

5) When did you first come across The Mustangs and what were your impressions?

We first saw The Mustangs on the Blues Matters stage at the Colne festival in 2006 and we became instant fans. We see lots of bands but the things that make an impression on us are great musicians that are doing something different to the rest and The Mustangs ticked all the boxes for us.

6) How do you think they fit into the modern blues circuit?

There are many bands on the British circuit who see the whole Blues genre from a narrow perspective, particularly when it comes to Blues / Rock, there seems to be lots of influence from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan for instance. The Mustangs and a few other bands that are prepared to add some originallity to the mix and recognise that the perceived boundaries should be broken down are like a breath of fresh air.
The Mustangs in particular appeal to traditionalists, rock fans and a cross section of all age groups because they’ve got the balance right with their music and live performance.

7) You must have seen 100s of acts over the years - what makes a good live act?

Stage presence and interaction with the audience. If an act looks like they are enjoying themselves on stage and they are good at what they are doing then they take the crowd along with them and everyone has a great time. There are some acts that are categorised as “Legends” that whilst being technically excellent just go through the motions on stage and have a prima donna attititude towards the fans. They to me aren’t a good live act.

8) What are some of the concert highlights you've seen over the years?

Seeing Tom Waits in Edinburgh earlier this year has got to be my biggest highlight, I’ve been a fan of his for many years and bought every album and it’s something that I really didn’t think that I would get to do during my lifetime. Unfortunately cameras were banned from the venue so I didn’t get a single shot.
I saw Rory Gallagher shortly before he died so in hindsight I was really glad that I managed to get to the gig but again I wish that I’d taken my camera.

Other artists that we’ve seen include Eric Clapton, Walter Trout, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Van Morrison, Nina Simone, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, B.B. King, Steve Earle, Maggie Bell, Jimmy Vaughan, Chuck Berry and many more that I just can’t remember off the top of my head but I’m sure that I’ll be kicking myself later for missing them off the list.

9) Who can recommend from the current crop of blues and blues rock acts?

Oh dear, another question where I’m bound to miss people out. The Blues festival scene in the UK doesn’t tend to be very experimental with the main stage artists but the ones that are a “must see” that spring to mind are Ian Siegal, The Stumble, Sean Webster, The Nimmo Brothers and Earl Thomas.
There are also some excellent artists that can be found at the smaller festivals and in the fringe venues. Ones that I would recommend looking out for are Son Henry, Dave Arcari, Roadhouse, Funkydory, Olly Alcock, Keith Christmas, Cullin Blues, Slimline Papas, Blues On Tap, Big Blind, oh yes, The Mustangs of course.

There are also some good young artists breaking on to the scene, some that come to mind are Dani Wilde, Oli Brown, Krissy Matthews, Beth Rowley, Sam Wilkinson and a terrific band that we saw on the Orkney Islands called Bad Taste.

10) Do you have any favourite acts to snap, and why? Favourite venues to snap in?

There are no acts that are particular favourites to snap but the more animated performers tend to be the best to photograph. I haven’t got a favourite venue either but the ones that have good stage lighting and easy access to the front of the stage are the best from a photography point of view, however I do get a certain amount of satisfaction when I get a good picture in a badly lit venue. From a Blues fan point of view I prefer the smaller festivals like Orkney and Linton because there is such a great friendly atmosphere and they are prepared to showcase some of the lesser know talent.

11) Do you have any burning ambitions left with your concert photography? Any acts you'd love to shoot?

I have many regrets that I didn’t manage to shoot particular acts like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and of course a live photograph of Robert Johnson would have been absolutely priceless.
As for ambition, like many photographers it’s to get the iconic shot of a particular band for instance in the case of The Mustangs I’d love to get a technically perfect shot of Adam in mid air when he does the jump at the end of certain songs.

12) Finally, our traditional last question - what's your favourite Mustangs song?

So you saved the difficult question until last. I could name several favourite songs from “Split Decision” alone then on “Nothing Stays The Same” I’m torn between the title track and ‘Looking Down The Well’ so I will say ‘Nothing Stays The Same’ but ask me again next week and I may give a different answer.

Thanks Tony!