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Ben

@ben_the_cat_guy

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Human of varied talents
Proudly Anti-AI
Photography account: @benwilloughby.photography

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Had an absolutely amazing time at the @hollywoodvampires meet and greet the other day in Scarborough!

Getting to meet @alicecooper @joeperryofficial @johnnydepp @disvicious1 was absolutely incredible and if any of them see this and remember what I was saying they’ll know why it means so much to me as well.

And thank you for making my very awkward self feel so comfortable and welcome too!

Also saw @glen_sobel hanging around the busses when I was waiting backstage but I was too scared to say anything.

Also a huge thanks to all the staff (most of whom I’ve forgotten the names of) and @theaaronperry for keeping everything organised.

5.7.23

📷 @cerealkyler

That day was literally a dream come true.

#hollywoodvampires #hollywoodvampiresvip #music #livemusic #alicecooper #joeperry #johnnydepp #tommyhenriksen #glensobel taken in Scarborough Open Air Theatre by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 years ago

So amazing to finally meet the legendary @sirnickomcbrain on Thursday at his incredible drum shop @nickosdrumone.

Thanks to all the staff for putting the afternoon on and to Nicko himself for spending his time with us, it’s honestly incredible to have an experience like this and not have to spend a fortune to attend!

#nickomcbrain #nickomcbrainsdrumone #nickomcbraindrums #ironmaiden #drum #drummer #drummers taken in Nicko McBrain's Drum One by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 years ago

I still can’t get over the fact I met @brianrobertjones from @paramore

#paramore #brianrobertjones #manchester #paramoremanchester taken in AO Arena by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 years ago

What a show!
Even with the horrendous audio issues at the start causing a show restart and more audio issues throughout @twotw_official in concert was incredible.
Huge props to the cast, musicians and crew for keeping it all together. Especially as it looked like they were having stage monitoring issues too.

Lots of issues with the venue, some bad enough to need to follow up, but at least I had lots of legroom due to booking behind the accessible seats. taken in York Barbican by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 days ago

I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve been wanting to see @heathersmusical for but life has always got in the way. But tonight, tonight was incredible.
Was it the best show to see not long after a very emotional funeral? Maybe not but that’s just how life worked out.
@ellouisedelooze as Heather Chandler was genuinely insane, like genuinely, if I hadn’t known before hand I wouldn’t have known.
I’ve never been 100% sure why but I’ve always found Heather McNamara to be one of my favourite characters, no matter the production or actor and @louhenry Heather Mac is no different.
Huge, huge, HUGE, thank you to all the cast, crew, musicians and everyone else for putting on such a good show and an extra special thanks to those who came out the stage door and did what they could to make time for everyone, even though people were acting like complete twats and swarming the stage door.

Oh what I would give to get to photograph this show.

#heathersthemusical #heathersmusical #heathers taken in Darlington Hippodrome by @ben_the_cat_guy

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21 days ago

@flatmoonband before their set at Origin festival at @pealiesbarn Pictured with @romytaylorr to announce her support slot and to promote their forthcoming MONSTER MASH Halloween gig.

12/09/2026

100% human captured and edited, certified AI-free.

Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D mark IV
24-70 f/2.8 L II
70-200 f/2.8 L is iii
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #flatmoon #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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a month ago

I thought it would be nice to a have a little look back at @pealiesbarn does OzzFest!

31/10/2025

100% human captured and edited, certified AI-free.

Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D mark IV
24-70 f/2.8 L II
70-200 f/2.8 L is iii
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #ozzfest #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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2 months ago

Continuing on my look back at past shoots, @highfademusic playing @pealiesbarn

30/07/2025

100% human-captured and edited, certified AI-free.

Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D mark IV
24-70 f/2.8 L II
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #highfade #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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2 months ago

What a show!
It’s one of those musicals that’s been on my list to see for a very long time now, and it just so happened to tour only half an hour from where I live.
We all know I’m bad at words (why else would I be a photographer?) but it was honestly such a good show with an incredible and very lovely cast, great choreo and whatever adaptations they’ve had to do to make it work on the small and shallow hippodrome stage are almost unnoticeable (other than the feeling that I was literally within reach of the cast at some points and with my arm length I literally was, even in the second row).
I honestly think the show is made by the ensemble and the typewriting bits in the background the subtle acting and reactions were everything the show needs.
Certainly the kind of show where I never quite know where to look, I could watch multiple times and see something new each time.
Also always great to see @bethhwoodcock again (4th time now, all different shows I think, well bat twice but different tours), not a stalker I promise (I have too much experience with them myself) just coincidentally in really good shows I’ve wanted to see.

Also was it just me or was there a weed scent effect during the scenes with lit joints or is that just the general scent of Darlington infiltrating the theatre?

Of course I had to get some cheeky curtain call clips and photos, just on my iPhone 11 which is very much on its deathbed, so please ignore the bad quality.

A final big thank-you to the cast for being so lovely, so nice to meet so many of you :)

#musicaltheatre #9to5themusical #dollyparton taken in Darlington Hippodrome by @ben_the_cat_guy

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2 months ago

What better way to start posting on this account than to have a look back at when I got to capture @flatmoonband on one of my first times shooting at @pealiesbarn

30/07/2025

100% human-captured and edited, certified AI-free.

Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D mark IV
24-70 f/2.8 L II
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #flatmoon #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 months ago

And finally to end off the @pealiesbarn X @beckviewstudios event we have @shindig__band with an incredibly lively set.

12/07/2026

Shot on:
Canon eos 5D mark iv
24-70 f/2.8 L ii
70-200 f/2.8 L is iii
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #pealiesbarn #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 months ago

@bethpilling_and_thebootleggers continuing the @pealiesbarn X @beckviewstudios gig.

12/07/2026

Shooting this one was a bit of a special one for me, just over 3 years ago, right when I was starting to look into photography properly after years of wanting to, before I’d even decided I’d want to do music photography. I’d happened to see @nalgobayband at the Pealies barn re-opening day and had a bit of a chat to them after the gig, a few months later, out of the blue they invited me to their special invite only gig in Scarborough, within the invite they mentioned that Beth would be the support act describing her as “shes ace” and as if by chance it fell on the only day that month I was free, the next day I was travelling down to Birmingham and working the day before.
@bethpillingsolo was incredible as their support act, but hearing her again, all these years later with a full band behind was an experience I’m glad I didn’t miss especially as it ended up being such a full circle moment for me.

Shot on:
Canon eos 5D mark iv
24-70 f/2.8 L ii
70-200 f/2.8 L is iii
Editing @dxolabs

#livemusicphotography #pealiesbarn #photography #musicphotographer #musicphotography taken in East Cowton by @ben_the_cat_guy

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3 months ago