Mild Panic is a new publication showcasing the best of the best live music photography in Australia.

Given how many talented shutterbugs we have in this country, it seems a little odd that something like Mild Panic didn’t already happen ages ago. But, it has happened now, and it’s been published in an edition of 100, which means it’s a collectible thing you can put on your coffee table or eBay if you want. We had a chat with Mild Panic‘s editor, Paul Liddle.

Paul, what is Mild Panic?

Jason, Mild Panic is a photo journal documenting the live music experience in Australia through the eyes of some really talented photographers. It’s our ode to the venues and bands that have provided this country with its grassroots music culture.

Who are you doing it with?

Who aren’t I doing it with!

My sister.

No. I am definitely not.

Stay away from Maria. She is not for you.

Copy that. My mate Clay Ciolac and I have been talking about it for years. He’s an incredible designer, so I knew if I could get the photographers around it he’d be able to make it look swish. I spoke to my business partner Jeremy Hancock and pitched him the idea, and we’ve always been involved in the live music space through our production company HOWL, so he said, ‘Why doesn’t HOWL publish this thing?’ So, after that phone call, we just hit go and went hard at it.

Who’s in it?

Some of my favourite photographers. They’re all so passionate about live music, and we’ve been bumping into each other in mosh pits for years; I just hit as many up as I could. These twelve all submitted work and I’m so damn grateful. Dani Hansen, Dougal Gorman, Four Minutes To Midnight, Grit Van, James Adams, Maclay Heriot, Mclean Stephenson, Pat O’Hara, Pat Stevenson, Ruby Boland, Tim Adams, and Tom Wilkinson.

When did the project get started and how long did it take to get-r-done? 

Talking to so many other photographers, it became pretty apparent that everyone was sick of just posting their hard work on Instagram and then leaving it at that. So, it was also an exercise in actually printing everyone’s work. We decided to make a run at it at the start of March when we heard The Lansdowne might be closing the band room. We gave ourselves a deadline to have it done before the last gig but we—and the rest of Sydney—got lucky when the Oxford Art crew took over the lease. So, yeah, long story short it took us just under three months.

What are the specs?

Ummm… It’s A4, 174 pages, with 150 gsm of that thick boy photo paper inside… Is that what you meant by specs? It’s my first time.

Yes. That is what I meant. I heard you had some help locating a good printer. Who helped you with that and is it true what they say about him?

Yeah, I called this guy called Yayson Brombie in a bit of a panic because our original printer had decided to shit the bed, so when I spoke to Yayson—on the phone—he just whipped out the extensive list of printers he keeps tattooed down the length of his humungous phallus and gave me the person to call. Really saved us.

The No. 1 in the title suggests there are more Mild Panic‘s to come. How far away is Number 2 and when will you squeeze that out?

Yeah, definitely planning to do more. We’re going to focus on a different music venue each issue, so we’ll put it to the contributors and see where we want to cover next. We’re trying to create something that will cement our experiences and the experiences of so many punters in history, and we have so many great music venues to choose from.

Any plans to go international? Mild Panic Goes to Denmark would be good.

Nothing planned for international just yet, but we’ve been talking about some Mild Panic Goes On Tour With…. editions and potentially creating some cool books documenting bands on tour. A bunch of our contributors—like Dougal—are on tour now having a hell time in Europe, so that could definitely be a fun way to tell more music stories and help photographers get their work printed.

Did I forget to ask you anything?

Yeah, I can ask it: ‘Hey Paul when’s the party?’
‘Cheers, Paul, glad you asked. We’re going to throw a launch party at the Lansdowne on Thursday, June 9th at—

I can take it from here. Wait. Where is the party, Paul?

The Lansdowne main bar. Open to the public, we’re just going to play some music, drink some beers, and have a good ol’ knee-slapper of a time.

That sounds rad to the power of heaps sick. Would you like to thank anyone before we wrap this up?

Yes. I’d like to thank everyone that contributed and worked on this first installment of Mild Panic. It wouldn’t have happened without all their hard work and willingness to take a risk.

Excellent. Goodbye, Paul.

Goodbye, Crom.

mild-panic.com