Having now self-published three books, I know first hand the challenges at perfecting a hard cover, coffee table book. Clocking in at 450 pages – more than double anything we’ve put together here – I can only begin to imagine the task Kane Hibberd had in front of him when he was putting together his MAMMOTH photo book Kanye Lens vs Soundwave: Volume One; from the sheer amount of photos he had to go through as Soundwave’s official photographer, to deciding what to put in the book, and then actually going about laying it all out (and don’t get me started on photo credits…)!
With that many variables at play, it comes a little surprise that Kane kept things simple from a layout point of view. There are occasional glimpses into the life of the band through some quotes scattered throughout, but for the most part, he lets the photos speak for themselves. Sometimes with multiple photos on the page, other times with just the one, looking beautiful spread out over one or even two pages.
While the core design is quite simple, I have to say I’m a huge fan of the book’s logo and the design you’ll find in the book’s introduction. It’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing, and one that I would have liked to have seen more of. But with 450 pages in front of you, it’s going to be hard enough to get through the pages as it is!
It’s a bit of a double edged sword in that sense: Kane could have easily made two volumes out of the amount of content he crammed into the book. But at the same time, with the very nature of Soundwave being what it is, it makes sense for the book to be bigger, heavier and more rock and roll than the rest. And talk about value for money!
For anyone who has the attended Soundwave, you’ve probably seen Kane wandering around – he’s the bearded one (specific much?) – and the photos he has taken do truly capture the essence of the rock and roll festival that is Soundwave. As someone who has lost count of the amount of Soundwave Festivals he has thrown his long hair around at, his coffee table book – a labour of love for Kane if there ever was one – is a great treat for any fan of the festival to enjoy.
With 2000 limited edition copies available, your best bet to secure yourself a copy is to head here, or, come along to the Sydney book launch this Thursday night at the Newtown Social Club and meet the man himself!
