Photographing Rock The Runway: Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill, JJ Wilde & The Dirty Nil
Walking into ROCK THE RUNWAY is always an unforgettable experience, but this year brought a familiar twist. Rock The Runway moved from the airport to Harris Park, home of the iconic Rock The Park, the venue felt instantly welcoming, even with the slight layout change. As a photographer serving London, Woodstock and Ingersoll areas, there is nothing quite like grabbing your media pass from will call, beating the crowd into the park, and absorbing that serene, still moment before the gates open.
Around me, vendors prepped, volunteers buzzed, and the DJ ( DJ ALPHA ) spun tracks to keep early arrivals entertained. Behind the scenes, the stage crew tidied up the final details of completed soundchecks. Ten minutes before the 5:30PM kickoff, the media pit row started gearing up backstage. Looking past the security barricades, you could feel the raw anticipation radiating from rows of smiling fans. Then, DJ ALPHA cut the music. That was our cue. We walked out into the pit, dialing in exposures, mapping out microphone placements, and prepping for an absolute powerhouse night of live music photography in London, Ontario.
THE DIRTY NIL
Kicking off the night were Hamilton’s/Dundas Ontario’s own rock powerhouses, THE DIRTY NIL. it is surprising I hadn’t crossed paths with them yet considering how often they play around the South-Western Ontario circuit, but they absolutely blew me away.
The second they stepped out on stage, they were killing it! Their energy was relentless, their sound was massive, and the crowd immediately locked in. Watching them go completely nuts on stage made for an incredible first act to photograph. It was the perfect high octane start to the festival. If you get a chance to see these guys live, definitely check them out.
Kevin Vyse | Stage Pass Media | Photographer
Kevin Vyse Photography
Rock The Runway 2026 - Harris Park, London Ontario
JJ WILDE
Once the stage cleared, DJ ALPHA kept ears ringing with good music until it was time fro Kitchener, Ontario’s own rock sensation, JJ WILDE. even though she is a powerhouse artist right from my neck of the woods in South-Western Ontario, I surprisingly hadn’t shot or seen her live yet. That changed instantly.
JJ is a total firecracker on stage. She came out looking incredibly happy and ready to rock, radiating pure, raw energy. With a brilliant rock style, she was dancing, spinning, and singing full-out with her hair flying in the wind. Her voice is absolutely killer, and she pours immense emotion into every lyric, leaning right over the stage edge into the microphone. As a music photographer, she makes your job easy because that level of passion translates beautifully into the camera lens. The entire band was killing it, and I was doing everything I could to freeze every ounce of that emotion in my frames. JJ WILDE is a must see act!
Kevin Vyse | Stage Pass Media | Photographer
Kevin Vyse Photography
Rock The Runway 2026 - Harris Park, London Ontario
CYPRESS HILL
As JJ Wilde wrapped up her set, the sun dipped, the sky darkened, and the stage lights truly started to take effect, changing the whole vibe of the imagery. It was perfect timing because things were about to get “ Insane in the membrane. “ The legendary, LA-based hip-hop crew CYPRESS HILL stepped onto the stage, and I have to be completely honest, I will NEVER forget the smell of Harris Park that night. Dr. Greenthumb was definitely handing out samples!
This was a massive, full circle moment for me. Growing up as a teenager skateboarding and snowboarding non-stop, Cypress Hill was a permanent fixture on my music roster. Standing there in the media pit all these years later, photographing them live, was completely mind blowing. They put on an absolute masterclass, never missing a beat. I actually had to stop shooting for a second just to take it all in, before remembering I only had a three-song limit and needed to get back to work!
Their professionalism was unmatched. At one point, a fight broke out in the crowd. They immediately stopped the show and made sure everyone was okay, letting the crowd know that negativity isn’t what they are about. Once things cooled down, they kicked right back into it without missing a step.
Kevin Vyse | Stage Pass Media | Photographer
Kevin Vyse Photography
Rock The Runway 2026 - Harris Park, London Ontario
LIMP BIZKIT
With the sun fully down, the entire atmosphere at Harris Park changed. The crowd was buzzing with an energy higher than it had been all night long, and the massive stage lights were beaming straight out over the London Ontario night sky. Suddenly, everything went completely dark. The stage fell silent, but the crowd erupted. Then, the classic Limp Bizkit entry track blasted through the speakers “ Bitch ass Mother F…. “ line, and the park went completely wild. From right behind me at the barricades, fans were screaming “ I love you Fred!, I love you Wes! “ Everyone was fully amped.
Out from stage left walked guitarist Wes Borland, covered head to toe in all black and his signature black mask. I didn’t know if we were going to get his vibrant shirt and skull mask or the all black look, so I was incredibly pumped to see the black mask outfit live. Instantly, his legendary guitar work kicked in, gripping distortion mixed with heavy delay, creating these haunting, weird echoing noises through the park. The bassist and DJ took their spots, and a few minutes later, Fred Durst strolled out from stage left. In classic Fred fashion, he was wearing a long-haired wig, his white beard, a backwards baseball hat, and he limped out with a brilliant, casual nonchalance. He looked around like he was hilariously lost, looked at the crowd and yelled, “What’s up London!” the crowd went wild.
BOOM- right into it! Wes had a minor connection issue, but his guitar tech was on it immediately and got it sorted out, the band leaned straight into “ MY GENERATION . “ From that second on, the night was almost a blur. As a local concert photographer, shooting a band this legendary is a surreal experience. I was rapidly dialing my exposures forward and backward to keep up with the constantly shifting, intense stage lighting, try to capture every wild movement and iconic pose Fred and Wes are known for. Looking back over my shoulder at a sea of thousands of fans singing every single lyric is a moment I will never forget.
Kevin Vyse | Stage Pass Media | Photographer
Kevin Vyse Photography
Rock The Runway 2026, London, Ontario
