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, and their reunion years earlier in 2012 was already a huge deal to me—I went to their third show back at The Glass House in Pomona, 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 for the venue, getting to capture 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 same energy that made Refused legendary. This tour marked a new chapter for the band, as it was their first tour after 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, and it kicked off the set on a high note, which I filmed and later posted here.

After shooting this photo, I published it in my book Break Free, and not long after, Dennis reached out online asking for a copy. Later, when he returned to The Observatory with his band INVSN, I brought him a print of this very shot. Full-circle moments like this are 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