Musician Ted Dwane discusses his extraordinary time at the New Orleans Mardi Gras, alongside an exclusive gallery of his photographs
Each American city has an identity. New York is the city that never sleeps; LA is Hollywood; Chicago has wind; San Francisco has Silicon Valley billionaires. And New Orleans? New Orleans has the music. Music runs through its foundations, defying clichés in its ubiquity. It floats from windows, reverberates from front porches and, once a year during the annual Mardi Gras parade, it marches down the street in an explosive celebration of musicality, community and passion.
"Music runs through the foundations of New Orleans, defying clichés in its ubiquity"
This year, as part of the preparations for Loulou’s week of Mardi Gras celebrations, Mumford and Sons’ Ted Dwane went to explore the city where the carnival first began. He met and played with many of the greats, paraded alongside the North Side Skeletons and took a number of beautiful photographs, capturing his time there and the people who he met. Today, to coincide with the opening night of Loulou’s Mardi Gras, co-hosted with AnOther Magazine to celebrate the launch of the A/W14 issue starring Kate Moss, Dwane sat down to discuss his extraordinary experience in New Orleans, alongside an exclusive gallery of the images he took during the festivities.
Ted Dwane on… New Orleans
"I’ve been to New Orleans a couple of times and have always loved the music and the spirit of the city. It seems those guys have perfected the art of having a great time. Just as we Brits may know a thing or two about darts and professional level drinking which is the distillation of generations of committed devotees, in Louisiana there is a spirit handed down through the ages which is very much alive. After you've been there a short while and you've taken a few wrong turns away from Bourbon Street, you find a town so consumed by its love for music. Being a musician I have felt the warmth that players extend to one another. This same sense of inclusiveness extends throughout the city of New Orleans. If you are there to have a good time and enjoy music and celebrate life then you'll be swept up in it, and it’s real. It's not for show."
Ted Dwane on… choosing to shoot in black and white
"I love photography for its ability to shine a light on a moment of human experience so that we can study it. I was less interested in the spectacle of costumes and floats and interested more by the individual momentary experiences being had. I feel the monochrome images help fade the spectacle and bring the intended subject to the fore."
"Leroy Jones and his band showd us what Mardi Gras was truly all about – friendship, respect and losing it to really, really good music" — Ted Dwane
Ted Dwane on… the spirit of Mardi Gras
"It's something you really have to see for yourself. Our day started at 5am in the cold rain of first light. We walked to the Treme district and were gathered outside a church when we heard the approach of the North Side Skeletons, a skull and bones gang who've been tasked with continuing the tradition of waking the city and warning people away from violence. They carry an incredibly tangible atmosphere of foreboding. The approaching sound of their percussive song is mesmerising and as they draw closer, the intensity of their message grows. It is sinister and dark and completely compelling. It served as a reminder that whilst Mardi Gras is definitely a party, there are also many wonderful traditions being upheld. Meeting Leroy Jones and some of his band mates at his home was a standout moment. Being so warmly welcomed to drink and eat with those amazing players and then marching with their parade from Bywater into the centre of town. Those guys showed us what Mardi Gras was truly all about. Friendship, respect and losing it to really, really good music."
Ted Dwane on… bringing Mardi Gras to London
"Finding the players to bring over to London was perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the trip. It took us to parts of the city we would have otherwise overlooked and it gave us a reason to engage with the musicians and the music on an even deeper level. Don Vappie and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux are just two of the legendary musicians who so graciously agreed to be part of this thing. But I’m excited about everyone."
Mardi Gras at Loulou's runs until September 19. Click here for all the details about the AnOther Magazine A/W14 launch party at Loulou's.
