The question always comes up in forums, talking to enthusiasts and in countless "How To" posts on YouTube etc - How do you get access? The usual answer is to shoot for a magazine/website and try that way. My answer has always been different: Networking and contacts, if your work is good then you just need to get it seen by the people you want to work with. Find the path that leads to them and you're in.
In an earlier blog post I wrote about photographing the Billy Idol band. I had no direct links to the band or organisation and I wasn't shooting for a publication. However, I was known by Californian photographer Alan Hess (who was an Adobe and Kelby Photoshop instructor and music photographer - he posted one of my photos as "the perfect example of a gig photograph"). Alan had shot the artwork for the rhythm guitarists Gibson Guitar endorsements. This was my way in. I contacted the guitarist, Billy Morrison, and showed him Alan's comment with a small selection of my work. Billy loved it and got me on board for the Glasgow leg of the tour.
The Ray Gun - Steve Stevens trademark guitar effect
Almost two years later and the lead guitarist from Billy Idol's band, Steve Stevens announced a small European tour. The first time he would be performing his most celebrated songs in the UK. You know, Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson and the Top Gun main Theme - yes, that's Grammy Award winner Steve Stevens on guitar. He was also performing tracks from his short lived but monumental album "Atomic Playboys" from the 80's. A rare treat.
Enter Mr Morrison again - a quick note to Billy to ask if he a) remembered me and b) could put me in touch with Steve's management to request access. The next day I received a wonderful email from Steve Stevens lovely wife to invite me to shoot the show and to photograph the Meet & Greets in London. Very cool Mr Morrison. Very cool.
So there's the lesson on "contacts" Where there's a link in don't be afraid to use it. Now on to Networking. During my stint as tour photographer for Vega the month before we hit a small venue in London called the 100 Club. A great little place which had hosted Metallica, Foo Fighters, various Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I spent a great afternoon quite drunk (it was my birthday) and in the brilliant company of Phil the sound engineer. Phil had a great story to tell. In fact, Phil had a hundred great stories to tell from his time with some of the biggest bands of the 80's and 90's and even had a fantastic little anecdote about astronaut Neil Armstrong which ended in the line "am I driving too fast for you Neil?" but I digress...
Steve and Franky Perez on vocals.
On to the day of the Stevens show. I hit London very early, checked in to the hotel and had a few hours to spare until after sound-check. Walking past the venue on my way for an early lunch I spotted Phil! He was sound engineer for this tour! He called me in, gave me a tour of the place and invited me to watch sound check and went on to tell me even more out of this world stories.
Not only was it a huge pleasure to shoot Steve and his band but, through luck, goodwill and meeting genuinely good people I was able to see a run-through of Steve's greatest hits in an audience of only four people. I took no photos for this upon Steve's request and simply relished the music.
Seen this pose somewhere before: The Rebel Yell solo.
Thank you to Steve, Josie, Billy and Phil.