Highlight: Discovering neon lights can make orange juice tastier.
Lowlight: Eating off slate tiles!
Fill in: The second night of this illustrious affair was held at 8 Northumberland Avenue, and the conference rooms were decked out with neon blue lighting and as a result I picked up what I thought was some glamourous fluorescent pinky, tangerine cocktail and was thinking what an exotic concoction taste it had when I heard the waitress offering the same drink to a passing MD as plain orange juice. Who says looks don't matter. Further more I was surprised to see tender steak and crispy chips, salty scented cod, mushy peas and a cheese soufflé with pomegranate seeds and walnuts being offered to me on 3 inch square slates. I'm sure it is probably the height of food couture in the best circles but I couldn't help feeling I was eating of the best B&Q has to offer in it's bathroom flooring and when I attempted to scrape the lump of peas up with a particularly unruly fat chip the whole lot slid onto the floor. In my defence it is hard to grapple with posh vol-au-vants when you haves two heavy digital SLRs hanging off your neck.
Tonights entertainment:
Classical female musicians that looked like they had just done a burlesque turn at the Venice Carnival swept the stage that had been transformed into a Tron-like interpretation of a Greek Temple. This was followed up by two acoustic acts, the innovative Ukranian pianist Valentina Lisitsa, and Venetian Violin Virtuoso Leonadas Kavakos. (Actually he is from Greece but I want to use three words in a row that begin V). Both acts went entirely over my philistine head but I look forward to hearing them again with a more educated ear when my life flashes before my eyes. Finally Natalie Duncan graced the stage walking in on four inch high heels, tinkling away on the ivories, and singing her heart out lustily - all of which I would love to be able to do, have tried to do at various headstrong moments in my life and with disastrous results - and this is all at discrete events mind you and Natalie did all three at the same time with scintillating elegance. Some people just have it and others take photos of them.
Tech spec:. I had to ensure the shutter was opened up enough to get the front projection of the Greek Temple but fast enough to freeze the swirling outfits and movements of the musicians. During the acoustic turns I was reduced to ducking between the crowds and clicking when the music got a bit more enthusiastic. The nature of the events means the artists do not move much and the small stage limits the lighting rig, but the technical team at these events more than make up for lack of space with innovative and creative lighting which means you are constantly metering as every act and song is lit differently. (No room for auto exposure here; the lights glaring straight into camera means manual only for spot on exposures)
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