Max Doyle: Drums

Overview

Drums are the world's oldest musical instrument, though they are constantly underappreciated. Their full awesomeness is only realised when they're laying down the rhythm for other instruments, and they're not allowed at band practice because you can't restrain their sonic power without using those lame pads. Your average stage set-up banishes the drums to the back corners of the stage and — being an instrument that requires hard physical work — they're usually teamed with the largest, hairiest, sweatiest member of the band.

Sydney-based multi-creative Max Doyle is bringing drums out of the back corners of the stage in his latest project, aptly titled 'Drums'. Being a musician himself — Doyle fronts local drone-pop band Songs when he's not shooting Vogue covers, publishing Doingbird, making films or coaching girls' soccer — he's paying his dues to the ubiquitous percussion tool by documenting how a drum kit survives the thrashings and dripping man sweat of a gig. The drums kits in the photographs were taken while Doyle was on tour with Songs last year, each picture snapped moments before the band performed. The opening night of the exhibition also featured solo work by local drummers Nick Norton, Alex Gilles and Susie Patten, who kept partial nudity and excessive sweating to a gallery-friendly minimum.

Image: The Workers Club Melb, Max Doyle, 2009