From wild Black Flag shows in the 80s to Brody King launching himself off the Sound & Fury stage, photographers are pivotal to capturing moments and the energy of what brings Hardcore and punk to life.
Those who regularly attend hardcore shows will know part of the excitement is the pure chaos and carnage which means people keep coming back over and over again.
And for many people there first introduction on what to expect is from these iconic live photos which we have seen for decades. Nowadays there are such a plethora of talented photographers who document our wonderful scene.
One such photographer who is stamping their mark on the UK scene and showcasing some of the bands coming out of the East Midlands and northern hardcore scene is Ze Holm.
Despite only being behind the lens for less than a year, Ze has already mustered up a huge portfolio and is gaining a reputation for their work across the UK. And having been on the scene for a shorter amount of time in comparison to some other photographers, they have already developed a signature style.
Ze tells Just An Insight about how the journey started for them, they said: “How I got into shooting shows is I went on a mini-UK tour with Kraanium and Stitched doing social media stuff.
“I was just taking pictures and videos on my phone, and I really enjoyed it. So, I decided to invest in a proper camera. Furthermore, all my friends are in bands, promoters or hard moshers (I was too anxious at the time to mosh) and they give so much to the ukhc scene. I wanted to give to the scene too as it means so much to me and has helped me in so many ways.
“As someone who is not musically talented being in a band was not an option. I’ve always enjoyed taking photos, so I thought why not start doing it for my scene.”
They continued: “The first show I shot I was Donfest on the 3rd of August 2024 with Negative Frame and False Reality headlining. I have been shooting shows for just over seven months now.”
Since this time Ze has been going to shows consistently and showcasing an output and turnaround which has highlighted some of the best shows in the East Midlands and further north of the country.
It is by attending this sheer volume of shows it has helped them develop this signature style which is now instantly recognisable in their work. And it was through trial and error which has helped them settle on a visual they really enjoy creating.
Ze continued: “I just fucked around and found out.
“I know nothing about photography theory, but I somewhat know what I’m doing,” they laughed.
“Style wise I think my signature is my fisheye lens and black and white filter,” they added.
“However, I do mix it up sometimes with other styles like long exposure.”
Even though Ze has only been publishing and documenting shows for a little under a year, they have already hit some big milestones for what they want to do with photography. One of these is being part of Severed Cold Collective, which is a group of other photographers and videographers who are documenting the UK hardcore and metalcore scene.
This also led them to shooting some higher profile shows.
“I would say my proudest [moment so far] would be Guilt Trip/Xile,” they shared with Just An Insight.
“When I started I never imagined I’ll be able to shoot bands that big never mind be booked for it.”
When asked if they have a bucket list band they would love to shoot Ze answered they would love to shoot Peelingflesh, who are coming over to the UK in November with All Shall Perish. So for people who like Ze’s work this could be on the cards in the future.
With Ze being relatively new to the photography game, we asked them what advice they would give to anyone who wanted to get involved in shooting shows.
They said: “Don’t be shy.
“Always respect the bands, promoters and venue rules. Always hit up the band/promoter/venue before shooting out of professional respect most of the time they will say yes. Build a portfolio and you’ll get there.”
Just An Insight 
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