>>32670361. Get there half hour-hour early to set up and plan everything.
2.Get familiar with the bands you'll be shooting ahead of time if you can. Knowing and being familiar with who is performing will help you think of ideas on what photos to take.
3. Include pics of entire band. Don't be the guy that just shoots the frontman.
4. Stage light will fuck with your color shots more than you think. If you shoot b&w you don't have to worry about that too much. Just be cautious.
5. Low light is a bigger issue here than it is for sports photography imho. A basketball court is much better lit than the average stage at a small venue. If you shoot digital, be prepared to use your higher ISOs. If you're shooting film then god help you. Also, make sure to shoot with your wider apertures. I've gotten to the point where I use primes the whole night.
6. BE AWARE OF THE CROWD. If you're shooting a small venue you're not going to have the luxury of a pit to hang out in, so you're getting stuck in the middle of the crowd unless you're one of the mouth breathers that stays at the far ends of the stage all night. Be careful you don't spend too long in one spot blocking anyone's view of the band they paid to come see. Also watch for mosh pits. When the crowd starts to mosh gtfo out. They will not care if you've got a camera on you. The first and last time I ever brought my Leica to a show I got caught in the middle of a mosh pit getting thrown around with everyone else. Not fun.
7.Stay mobile, moving through the crowd throughout the night. It's tempting once you've made it to the front to keep yourself planted there all night, but it doesn't do you any good. Keep moving through the crowd, at least between songs. Just make sure you aren't pushing anyone around to get through.
These are the best tips I've learned after shooting small concert venues for the past couple of years.
