American Idols @ US Airways Center

Maybe I'm the only person in America who doesn't watch American Idol... but I suspect not. Regardless, I wasn't exactly "thrilled" about shooting this show, but I knew it would be at least a decently produced show.





It was sort of funny how 'precise' everything was. Before I even got to the arena I had an email detailing every aspect of the show and what I, and the others, would and wouldn't be allowed to do. Then, when we met the press contact, she had even more details for us... down to who would come out, in what order, and where they would be standing, and for how long. It really felt machine-like. I don't mean that in a bad way... well, no, I do. It IS a machine. Watching American Idol is like seeing what happens behind the curtain inside a pop music manufacturing lab. Or like watching the process of mechanically separating the gross parts of a chicken to make McNuggets. However... machines can be put to good use. Just look at the McNugget machine! And more recently, that doll that wets it's own panties. And right along those lines, the American Idol machine CAN be a good and useful thing, in that it churns out exactly what the people want, and it hard codes the importance of being entertaining and performing to a crowd.







I got to photograph the last three songs of the night. Which, for me, started with two songs by the current American Idol, Lee DeWyze, performing a few covers with a back up band. We were allowed to watch a couple songs from the side of the stage before we started shooting, and I have to say, while the guy CAN sing... I really can't imagine the word "Idol" applied to his name in any real musical arena. I'm not trying to slag him off, I'm sure he has a great personality. But to me, being introduced to him for the first time... he looked like a very normal, if thick, guy... who can manage to stay in tune, whilst singing other people's songs. And not to sound like a crotchety old man here... but what is the point of singing a cover if you're going to slaughter the original melody (which is what people attach to) and turn it into another terrible "Rock meets R&B" shit sandwich?







Ok. I'll get off my horse and put away my extendable index finger now. From a performance aspect, yes, the show was great. But that is by design. Instead of a pile of 'artists' on stage, it was more like a legion of handpicked 'experts'... pruned for their very specific and singular talents. There were no flubs. No bad notes. No mistakes from the singers, the band, or the lighting crew. Everyone was standing perfectly on their marks for maximum fan ingestion. And if it seemed preplanned, that's because it was. We were actually told up front who would stand where, and when they would approach the front of the stage, and how long they would be there. But, that's better than being let down right? (I never did make it off that horse did I?)





Well, really, what CAN I say? It was like photographing a TV show. So in that regard it was perfect. The lighting was ample, and interesting. I'm very happy with the shots I got. There were seven photographers and two videographers, and there was even plenty of room to shoot. No one could really complain. I would say, on a personal/technical note... I do wish I had a second camera again. My back-up broke, so I've been shooting solely on my 5D MkII. I really would have liked to have a 7D, for example, last night. I changed lenses a few times prematurely, and I wish I could have just swapped cameras. It would make my life so much easier... and more perfect.

The Eagles @ US Airways Center

That magical sheen of being a concert photographer starts to wear thin when it seems like every big band that comes to town insists on placing you at the back of an arena to take photos to promote them. I can't really "complain"... but it gets boring, and I think "what is the point?"... these pictures end up sterile and uninteresting. They are made exponentially worse when the band is lit solely by spot light. Spot lights are so bright, that to be able to have decent exposure the camera is cranked way up... losing any of the interesting ambient glow from the gelled lights on stage, and any color they provide... and so harsh and unforgiving to the appearance of skin and hair, you have to wonder why the older acts prefer it??





All that nonsense aside... I was at the US Airways Center to photograph The Eagles. Meeting up with the bevy of other photogs, we started marching down to the floor around 7:45pm. We were shown to the sound board and given our orders... "Don't move farther forward than the sound board, don't get in anyone's way, and you can shoot the first four songs." At first, everyone was impressed by the fact that we had four songs worth to shoot... and once the show started... (at 8:40!!)... it was apparent that the Eagles were at least trying to give us SOME time with the cool lights they brought.





The first two songs were all white hot spot lights, the first being an a-capella four-part harmony driven song, which served as a nice way to introduce the band. The third song brought a bit of warm colors on front of stage, and some cool blue ambiance at the back of the set up. (I'm at a complete loss for song titles... as it turns out, most of the first songs were from the new record.) By the fourth song the band had some, if I'm honest, very cheesy artwork projected on the screen behind them, while Joe Walsh took on lead vocal duties. It wasn't very "interesting", but it at least brought some more color to the stage.





I find myself being overly critical of big bands lately. I think it's because I expect more out of them. I expect more thought to be put into the SHOW. I'm positive some of the people on the floor that night paid very decent money to see this band play. Why not wow them with more than just a catalog of old tricks and new songs they aren't into? When I shot the Muse show recently, I was amazed at the stage set up... there was no one in the arena that that left unimpressed. Granted, the Eagles can't, with a straight face, ascend from large LED-screened pillars in the ceiling with lasers and strobes all around them... but they could do more. Am I wrong?

Muse @ US Airways Center

I almost didn't get to shoot this concert, and now I'm even more glad that I did. I have been a Muse fan for a little while now, they still strike me as a "more straight-forward rock version of Radiohead", but I don't say that as an insult. Last time Muse was in town I asked to photograph them and the New Times passed on even reviewing the concert... and this time around they are playing US Airways Center and I'm fighting to be able to photograph it, what happened?





While on the floor waiting to shoot, I met the owner of Luckyman Concerts, and talked to him briefly about Muse and the AZ concert market. He recalled the last few times they played AZ and the smaller venues he booked them in.... but suddenly, they've blown up. The only thing either of us could contribute that to was their inclusion on the Twilight soundtracks. So many more people have discovered Muse through Twilight than radio nowadays I'd guess.





Regardless of how they got here, they are here... and they put on a MASSIVE show! When the photogs were escorted down we were told we'd be shooting from the sound board, which always sounds like a death sentence to us... but then we were told that the stage setup was huge, and we wouldn't want to miss it. When I first saw the stage set up, I was impressed by it's size, but I still wanted to be closer to it. It looked like three skyscrapers were sitting on the stage... with a scrim over the front of them mimicking the look of windows. When the show started, all the lights went down and ghostly images of people walking up stairs were projected on the buildings. As the first song, "Uprising", kicked in, the scrims fell and the three brits were revealed to be towering over the crowd, 20-feet up in the center of the large columns... which were now lit up by LEDs... with the band's faces projected on them, along with lots of other colorful video.





It was a very cool thing to start with, then it just kept getting cooler. By the third song, the respective platforms that each band member was on had lowered to the stage, and lasers from all sides of the stage covered every angle of the arena. I can't express how much I like lasers in concert. It sounds so cheesy, but when you see them in person, you can appreciate how bizarre and different they are... and Muse used them to the fullest. The lasers were strobing, fanning, and beaming all over the place. It made for some great photos.





Sound wise, again... excellent! The start of the "Uprising" was a keyboard, played off-stage by a touring fourth member of the band... and then followed by vocals, drums, and a crazy fuzzed-out bass. It sounded so full even without the guitar, but when Matt strummed the first piercing notes that doubled the vocal line "Come on!", it really woke everyone up! Matt plays all custom guitars, each very unique sounding and looking... and some are even crazy modified. A few of them have a Zvex Fuzz Factory pedals built in to the body, and others have Kaoss pads installed for modulation effects at the touch of a finger. This would have been one of those things I would have loved to see up close. Because I am a nerd.





All in all, it was an amazing show! However, I still would have loved to be closer to the stage. Even with a 400mm lense, it's still hard to get those ultra dramatic angles... and with all the cool lighting everywhere on stage, I can only imagine what could have been.

George Strait and Reba @ US Airways Center

I wasn't sure if I'd be posting this blog... I got a rider from Reba and Strait's people saying they need to personally approve all photos before they are used. Luckily, the New Times took care of that for me and my photos were approved. Yay! Really, I just like to post blog's to keep my body of work moving... it reminds me of what I've done, or prompts me to do more. Moving on...





This show was in the round... er... in the 'square'... which made things interesting. Especially since the photogs were positioned behind the band. All the equipment was facing the other direction, and most peoples backs were to us. The stage did not rotate, and neither were we allowed to wonder very far around it. The night opened with Lee Ann Womack. Not knowing what to expect, and only having 2 songs to shoot, I put my 17-40mm on my 5D MkII, and my 100-400mm on my 20D. Lee Ann took the stage and basically did laps around the outside. Her first 2 songs went quick and I was only able to snap a couple 'keepable' photos.





Reba was up next, and our press contact had warned us we would be shooting from the sound board for her set. This is something that surprises a lot of people when I tell them about this sort of restriction... and while I can almost understand the reasoning behind it... it is always to the detriment of the photos. While being that far away CAN hide a few wrinkles... photographers have very powerful lenses and can overcome the distance. What long lenses CAN'T overcome is the dull mediocrity of a boring photo. When your subject is so far away, there are no angles to change, you get what you get. Also, at concerts, lights are high up in the air, and when a photographer is close to the subject, those lights can be placed into the frame, adding some drama to photo. (See the 2 photos below for a comparison)





When George Strait took the stage, we photogs were placed back at the same position we were in for Lee Ann Womack. George had a microphone stand placed in the corner of the stage facing us, so I knew I'd be able to get some nice shots.





George walked on stage to a roar of applause, he was handed an acoustic guitar, and he made his way around the stage over to our position. He had a big smile on his face from the beginning. He was very relaxed and put on an amazing show. Most of the people in the arena were up from their seats and dancing in the aisles. I managed to get a number of photos I was happy with, and when we were ushered out, I felt content.



I don't want this post to sound like I'm complaining about photo restrictions... I just thought I'd share my reasoning from behind the camera. I get paid either way... but I like taking nice photos.

Green Day @ US Airways Center

I was not one of those kids (melodramatic fools) in the 90's who bought the Dookie album. I actually used to tease my friends who listened to it. It wasn't until later that I got into Green Day's music. Actually, I've still never bought an album, but I've borrowed and copied albums, and am pretty familiar with their work. I still find it amazing how they managed to survive the 90's, while a lot of their contemporaries couldn't. Playing US Airways Center really proves just how well they've survived it. They've managed to stay relevant to old listeners while even nabbing the young kids attention while they're at it. They've grown into a sort of American convention, the foremost easy-to-swallow punk band.

While I still enjoy the older songs and respect the band, they've sort of alienated me with "American Idiot". I understand there is a killing to be made in Bush-bashing, and a lot of people share their feelings... but one thing I can't stand is the flagrant use of politics in music. That's really the one thing that puts me off Green Day. But I'm not so shallow that I won't enjoy their other music, I just choose not to listen to those songs. And for the 2 songs I got to hear live, I had a great time.

I just barely got this gig... my editor at the New Times wanted to shoot this show pretty badly, but luckily for me, had a last minute plan change. The show was great! Sure, other writers have given them flack for their 'predictable' performance... running into the crowd, letting people strum their guitars, yelling the city name, getting a girl up on stage and letting her kiss Billie on the mouth... but you know, for people who aren't tired and crusty old veterans of rock concerts, these are the things that make those fan's life. These kinds of shows are epic, even from the back row. The girl I saw get plucked from the front and centre of the pit and brought on stage hugged, kissed, and got to talk to Billie Joe on stage AT THE CONCERT, in front of all her friends, in front of 20,000 people, in front of a mess of photographers, then Billie made her stage dive into the crowd. That girl will never forget this concert. Plus, it cost Green Day nothing to do it. I think more bands need to think about the fans more when they plan their shows. Maybe THIS is why Green Day are still kicking? Hmm hmm...

From the photog point of view... it was a pretty easy shoot. The lights were good... not all of the screens were on while we were shooting, which would have made the pics a little cooler... but the second song "Know Your Enemy" was extended into a 10 minute or so jam/audience participation song. So we got to take our time shooting. Again I had my trusty and brilliant Canon 5D MkII, my 20D old standby, and I swapped my 17-40mm f4 and a 100-400mm between the both. I got a wide spectrum of range, and I think, got some pretty great shots. This was a big show. Definitely a pic or two for the old portfolio.

Green Day's opener for this show was the fantastic Franz Ferdinand from Scotland. This is a band that I keep getting exposed to, and I tend to like them a little more each time. They put on a great a show, and seemed to please the audience.

Their sort of quirky pop alternative sound is appealing to me. It's just slightly different from everyone else, and it's got an air of fun and humor to it. I shot them first at Coachella, and they were great there. I hope they can keep it going!

PS. While waiting for the show to start, Tara Hitchcock (News Channel 3) walked in. She was kind enough to stand for a pic with me and a fellow photo. :)