My obsession with music started way before I ever picked up a camera. Shows, music, and the punk scene were all I had.
I grew up in a small town in southeast Germany where there wasn’t much to do besides get sh*tfaced or get into fights with boneheads. Music was my way out, my excuse to travel to shows, to see something bigger than my hometown. Early on, I learned that if you want something, you just have to do it yourself. No one’s gonna hand it to you.
Luckily, getting around in Europe was cheap. Jump on a train, and a few hours later, you’re in a different country at a show. When I got my first point-and-shoot, I started taking photos — mostly street images, just for myself — and eventually started shooting shows.
This photography thing is my way of paying respects to the scene that’s given me a home my whole life. Like everyone else in this world, I’ve been to thousands of shows, and taking photos is just how I contribute. I don’t do this for likes, fame, or worse, money.
How has photography become an extension of the ideas and beliefs you carry?
You can do whatever the fuck you want — there are no rules in this game.
You don’t need art school, a fancy degree, or anyone’s permission to create. If you want to make art, just make it. That freedom has always spoken to me. Anyone can be an artist if they have the drive to create. You don’t need some institution or industry telling you what’s “right” or “real” art.
That’s what I love about photography. It’s just me, my camera, and whatever the hell I feel like shooting.
As I’ve moved into taking photos at shows, not much has changed. I’m still up front having the best time possible. Being in the middle of the chaos is where it’s at, even if my gear takes a few hits.
Most of the time, I don’t even look through the viewfinder when I shoot. The music, the performance, the crowd – that’s what matters. If I miss a shot, I miss a shot. Who cares? That’s not why I’m there.
Hopefully, my work speaks for itself. I try to capture energy – pure, explosive energy – and pack as much of it as I can into a single frame. My goal is for someone to look at my photo and feel like they were at the show, even if they’re halfway across the world.
Inspiration is everywhere. I go to galleries and check out all kinds of art, but honestly, I get just as much inspiration from people and how they live their lives. If you really pay attention, the world is full of unique characters. We’re all just figuring it out as we go, and I try to keep my mind and my eyes open.
Over time, I’ve realized how much these photos mean to people. For the crowd, they’re not at the show for me, they’re there for the music: the chaos, the energy. But when they see a photo of themselves stage diving, caught mid-air, or losing their sh*t in the pit, it’s like reliving that moment all over again. It’s not just a picture… It’s that feeling, frozen in time.
For the artists, I think they appreciate that I really catch what they’re doing. I’m not just some photographer standing on the sidelines — I’m in it, part of it. A lot of the people I shoot are my friends, and they trust me to capture the grit, energy, and rawness of their shows. No matter how small the venue or how DIY the setup is, I want the images to feel larger than life, because that’s what these moments are. The size of the room doesn’t matter — what matters is the energy within it.
I’m always honored when bands use my photos; flyers, records, magazines, whatever. It’s not something I expect, but it’s a reminder that what I’m doing actually resonates. That’s what makes it worthwhile.
Too many people take this concert photography sh*t way too seriously, and in the process, they kill the artist in themselves. I work on stuff when I feel like it, that’s how I take care of my creative soul. At the end of the day, I’m just another person with a camera trying to have fun with it.
– Joe Altmann.
