I’m now being represented by Music Pictures.com, based in Germany. You can click Fergilicious and her bandmates above to check it out, although I still have a lot of uploading to do. There’s also a permanent link to the site in the right sidebar, so you can browse for all kinds of music photography and live concert photography.
Lighting on this one was tough – very low and super saturated color. Of course, that makes it tougher, but more…atmospheric, right? At least that’s how I console myself with tough lighting conditions.
I’m especially fond of this one for some reason – I like the highlight in the glasses, and the flag reflection with the stripes in his jacket. Plus it’s dark and moody compared to some of the super bright shots I get of bands.
I was bemoaning with a media comrade the common misconception that being a music photographer is oh-so-glamorous. So let’s walk through a day of shooting, as there are several lessons to be learned in getting through a shoot.
I emailed the venue two days before the show (after not reaching them by phone) to let them know I was shooting promos of Devildriver at 6pm on show day, and asked them if I could come early to scope the place out and set up lights, so I could whip through the 15 minute photo shoot with the band. I also let them know I had never shot there before and to let me know if there were any special procedures or entrances I needed to utilize.
LESSON: If you are shooting in a venue or location and you need to set up, try to arrange early arrival. These bands are VERY busy, and you will be lucky to get 15 minutes of shooting time. And trust me, that ain’t much time when you are trying to wrangle 3-6 strangers into a pose where they all look good at once. Also, by asking the club about procedures, you are showing you respect their rules and don’t want to be a pain in the ass.
I emailed my media contact the day of the show to confirm shooting promos for Devildriver
at 6pm at the venue. Typically, you get no response on that short of notice as they are busy people. Fortunately, she had already provided me with the road manager’s name and number to contact to round up the band when I was ready.
LESSON: Always get the road manager’s contact info if possible. I don’t care who gave you permission to shoot, they control the band’s schedule. God himself could set up a shoot or photo pass, but if the road manager says “no,” then you are not shooting.
About 3-4 miles from the venue I called the road manager to make sure we were on schedule and make sure I could get in the venue as doors had not opened. Left message with road manager’s voice mail.
LESSON: Road managers rarely answer the phone, but hopefully screen calls.
Fortunately, I had the venue phone number. Called them and told them I was coming and confirmed I was booked for promo shoot. They asked what I looked like so they could watch out for me. I informed them I was a “fat middle-aged woman with a shitload of camera gear. I so do not look rock and roll, but then neither does Annie Leibovitz.”
LESSON: Have the venue number as well. Self-effacing jokes can be effective with staff.
I arrived at the venue one hour before scheduled shoot, and the stage door was wide open. I gathered up my gear, and as I was entering the side door, the road manager came out. It was apparent the staff had passed on my little joke as he sort of laughed and said, “you must be my photographer!” and shook my hand. He told me he was glad I was early, as the band now had an interview at the time I was supposed to shoot and wanted to bump up our photos to 5:45pm. “No problem!” I told him, and thanked him for help with promos.
LESSON: Be there early to also adapt to any scheduling changes. Thank road manager profusely, which, along with self effacing jokes, now has him firmly on your side.
I dragged my lights in and sure enough, there were no outlets within reach. But that was okay, because I brought my power pack like a good Girl Scout and that would save me. So I thought.
LESSON: Prepare for no electric. Make sure to have a Plan B.
Despite testing said power pack before leaving, for some reason I was getting no juice to my light. Nada. I played with it and realized I was going to have to come up with Plan B. I nonchalantly laughed along with the South Park episode the staff were all watching to hide the panic rising in me. Must. Act. Calm. I looked around and there on the post near me was an outlet. Cord reached it. I was saved.
Or so I thought.
A Cruddy XXXMas at the Ritz, Detroit, Dec. 23. My dreams about Santa will never be the same again…
Crud
Dirty Danielle grabs a pre Xmas package from Vin E. Those Crud kids are so naughty.
Since Barack Obama’s nomination and subsequent election as the first African-American president of the United States, we have been bombarded with commentary about how he has broken racial barriers, winning traditionally “red” states and southern states. But political superstar that he is, Obama would likely have his hands full winning over a crowd of beer-guzzling, good ol’ boys into metal and hard rock.
For Lajon Witherspoon, it’s all in a days work, and has been for years as the frontman for Sevendust. Witherspoon is one of only a few African-American vocalists in heavy metal, yet has garnered such respect he was named #35 on Hit Parader’s list of 100 Best Rock Vocalists of All Time in 2008.
And when you see Sevendust live, you can see he’s earned his place. He may be short in stature, but he thrashed his muscular frame around the stage, Keith Morris-esque dreads whipping around him as the band covered songs from their full discography, going back as far as “Denial” from 1999’s Home, to “Inside” from their current release, Chapter IIV: Hope and Sorrow.
You’d expect Witherspoon to be a total badass, but he showed the Detroit crowd a bit of a different side that night. At one point, he called out to a couple of soldiers in the crowd still in camouflages, and as they were hoisted over the crowd to the pit, Witherspoon stopped security from booting them out, and took one of the soldiers on stage to thank him for his service. To roaring applause, as you can imagine.
If that won’t win over a rough crowd of metalheads and biker types I don’t know what will.
Then as the set resumed, a drumstick had been thrown in the audience. I watched as two men both had a deathgrip on it, struggling to rip it from each other, neither giving it up. They seemed on the verge of blows, but Witherspoon quickly put an end to that. It’s one thing to have a pit, but he’s not having any fights at their shows — he called to them to stop and handed the men a second drumstick, ending the brewing fight and inspiring the men to hug each other to the crowd’s applause.
Who knew he could be such a sensitive guy and ambassador of peace and goodwill?
The Emerald Theater was sold out for this show supporting Black Label Society, and as I looked up from the front row into the balconies in that old theater, I could see about every face in there, and I only saw one that was African-American. But I didn’t see any that weren’t rocking out.
I can’t see Obama as a rock star, but for Lajon Witherspoon, who knows…maybe he has a promising future in politics and diplomacy, should he ever get tired of rock and roll.
But given the show Sevendust put on in Detroit, I can’t see that happening anytime soon. And thank god for that.
