It's not all of my job, but a large part of my job is to take photos at gig. I went to Uni to study digital journalism and after years of blogging and shooting for free, slaving away in Tesco part time, freelancing and hustling I finally landed a full time editorial role. Under salary, under contract. Related to music no less.

I really lucked out. I more or less turned my love for writing and shooting into my career.

You know what's luckier than that? I'm not jaded about it. At least not yet.

Not so long ago I got some last minute accreditation to cover one of my favourite bands of all time, Thrice, in London. Total madness. My job lets me travel to the capital to shoot one of my favourite bands in the world.

I take it very seriously, incredibly professionally but...I was still as excited as I was when this wasn't my job. This is my job but it doesn't feel like work. This still feels like a total joy. An absolute thrill. Very occasionally it's an effort to remember to focus all my attention on shooting and not sing my little ginger heart out.

In my experience as a music photographer I've seen a lot of photographers just take photos, turn on their heels and leave. The music doesn't seem to excite them anymore. Hearing more than those 3 songs you get to shoot (thanks for that Springsteen you vain fuck.) is a chore for them.

And I get it. Lots of bands are garbage, and sometimes you gotta shoot them to pay the bills, but the idea of being able to shoot amazing shows like this and not really caring...that boggles my mind.

I guess maybe I'm still a romantic and idealistic teenager at heart. I love music. It means the world to me. The music of bands like Thrice in particular. I constantly have to pinch myself that I get to use my passion for photography to document not only my passion for this music, but the passion the artists and their fans have for it too.

This is the best. And I am beyond thankful, I actually don't have the words, to all my friends bands who let me learn by shooting them (Banshee, Swallows, Guerrilla Radio & Fronterier in particular), to all the PRs who gave me a pass and everyone who's ever given me any feedback on my work. Because of all of you, I get to do this for my job.

You're the best. Except for Thrice. Because they're the best of the best. But you're all still pretty good.