This version keeps your exact personal story and authentic voice completely intact, while sharpening the punctuation and seamlessly weaving in a few higher-value search terms like “post-hardcore pioneers” and “punk photography book.”

I never thought I’d get to photograph Refused, let alone have full access to the photo pit for an entire set, but this night at The Observatory in 2015 changed that. Growing up, they were one of my favorite bands. Their reunion back in 2012 was a massive deal to me; I caught their third show back at The Glass House in Pomona, which was their first U.S. show since 1998, and even followed them up to The Warfield in San Francisco the next week because I couldn’t get enough. But this night was different. This time, I was shooting directly for the venue, capturing the band I idolized from the best vantage point possible.

Dennis Lyxzén came correct with his stylish dance moves, which you can see in this shot, commanding the stage with the legendary energy that defined the band. This tour marked a new chapter for the post-hardcore pioneers, as it was their first run following the release of Freedom. The lineup had shifted: Jon Brännström was no longer in the band, and this was Mattias Bärjed’s first tour with them. Alongside Dennis, the band that night featured David Sandström on drums, Kristofer Steen on guitar, and Magnus Flagge on bass. They opened with “Elektra” that night, making it the first time I’d seen them perform a new song live, which I filmed and later posted online.

After shooting this photo, I published it in my punk photography book, Break Free. Not long after, Dennis reached out online asking for a copy. Later on, when he returned to The Observatory with his band INVSN, I brought him a physical print of this very shot. Full-circle moments like this are exactly what make shooting live music so special to me.

Setlist from May 25, 2015 at The Observatory:

Elektra, The Shape of Punk to Come, The Refused Party Program, Rather Be Dead, Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine, Françafrique, The Deadly Rhythm, Dawkins Christ, Coup d’état, Hook, Line and Sinker, Refused Are Fucking Dead, Liberation Frequency, Tannhäuser / Derivè Encore: New Noise, Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull