HAVE/HOLD through the years. A timeline of a band close to my heart.

More of a love letter though.

In my early twenties, I spent a lot of time snapping away at bands which was great for my boyfriend at the time who played in one. Door spots and, if I was lucky, drink tokens from the members who were driving that night. Before I started dating said band member, I was around for the first inception of this band, formerly known as Quiet The Few. When QTF morphed into HAVE/HOLD, I covered years of their gigs, watched girlfriends and band members come and go, witnessed many a heated band meeting, made multiple film clips, helped book hotels, flights and cars for tours and sat on the side-lines watching each band member mature and change.

HAVE/HOLD were coming up in a time when all-male bands were on the out so I'll always be a little heartbroken that their audience didn't reach as far and wide as it possibly could have in the years prior but them the times! Maybe their sound wasn't for this time anyway. And that's ok. For the people who got to watch them live and love what they heard, that's enough.

For me personally, it always surprised me by how motivated I was to create something new when listening to their music. Coupled with a few spicy drinks, their live shows were not only a good way to pass the time but also somewhat of a muse for me creatively. When we'd listen to the rough cuts of songs, I could pick which song was going to be banger and they would let me run with an idea for a film clip to follow. At their gigs, when I wasn't the only one screaming out every lyric, I would drunkenly take notes on a new creative endeavour that popped to mind.

It's bittersweet to watch the measured slowdown compared to the early days. Looking back on this catalogue, in every band formation, it reminds me of the people I was around during this time, how much I enjoyed being with most of them, how much I loathed being with some. The band were so gung-ho at the beginning and perhaps that was because they were playing music alongside their friends. Alas, how many times can you play to just your girlfriends and the support bands before you call it a day huh?

That being said, these photos aren't only a time capsule for me to gauge how good a time I was having at these gigs based on how many useable photos I ended up with but also a little somethin' for the band to remember what you achieved throughout the years. You played a lot of shows. People paid to see you. People bought your merch. You toured overseas and nationally. You made some great music.

Here's to a little pocket of time where friendships were solid, drinks were cheap(er), responsibilities were few and before life started veering off in different directions for our little group. I ended up marrying the drummer, stopped taking photos of bands (read: preferred to go to bed earlier,) began to focus on creative photography, moved into a warehouse, adopted more dogs and started a floristry business. If I had never gone to a Quiet The Few gig, I would never have ended up where I am now nor would I have met some of the most treasured people I know.

No more late-night red teeth. No more drunken poems (at least not inspired at their shows.)

Farewell HAVE/HOLD, if only for a short time.

2009

Quiet The Few

Line-up: Luke Shields, Ryan Shields, Chris McDuff

NB: I was 21 and pretty sure I used a flash at a gig...eww.

2013

HAVE/HOLD

Line-up: Luke Shields, Ryan Shields, Luke Smith

Date: unknown

Venue: The Old Bar

NOVEMBER

Icy Creek Festival

2014

Line-up: Luke Shields, Ryan Shields, Luke Smith

JANUARY

Venue: The Rev

MARCH

Venue: The Curtin

APRIL

Sydney, Calm Your Blood Tour

Venue: The Curtin

JUNE

Press photos

Recording at Wrangler Studios

JULY

Venue: Workers Club

AUGUST

Sydney

OCTOBER

Press Photos

Video clip: Drunk Letter

(I can't stand to watch this video, I did a shitty job)

NOVEMBER

Venue: The Rev with Old Love

DECEMBER

Venue: Wrangler "Wrangler Christmas Party"

2015

Line-up: Luke Shields, Ryan Shields, Luke Smith

JANUARY

Venue : The Corner Hotel, Richmond

Venue : Reverence Hotel

APRIL

Venue : Reverence Hotel

MAY

Venue: Penny Black

JUNE

JULY

The band records their album King Salt at Black Lodge Studios in Brunswick with Mike Deslandes.

OCTOBER

On top of all the gigs and recording, the band were chosen to be a part of Fest in Gainsville that takes place in October of each year. Held in a little college town in America, the festival sees a bunch of punk/rock/indie/alternative bands gather for three days of partying. Lucky for me, I was also selected as an official photographer for the Fest so got to tag along for "free." Whilst popping in to the States, the band played a couple of giggos in San Fran, and Florida along the way.

SEPTEMBER

King Salt Album Launch - Public Bar

OCTOBER

Line-up: Luke Shields, Ryan Shields, Luke Smith, Liam Davies

Along came Liam, affectionately known as Yam. Yam had been friends with Luke and Ryan (and me!) for years and years before him joining the band and it was a no-brainer. He's incredibly talented and an all-round fun pal to be around.