A Wilhelm Scream were a bloody nightmare to photograph. In a good way.

It’s a long, long time since I’ve seen a band put as much energy into a gig as AWS did on Wednesday in Derby. Right from the word go, the entire band threw themselves into this gig at full pelt, and it was awesome to watch.

Everyone was moving around the stage at a ridiculous speed, which made it very hard to get any decent images. I got there in the end though, and saw a very enjoyable set along the way. Over the past few months I’ve seen a few bands that I’ve wanted to see for a long time, and each time I’ve been worried that they might not live up to expectations. While bigger bands like the Offspring certainly weren’t disappointing, there’s something extra special about a great band giving their all and obviously enjoying themselves in a small, sweaty venue, up-close-and-personal.

So, while it seems any gig is enough to keep me happy at the moment, this one really was pretty damn good.