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How much is a photo pass to a gig worth?
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Answer: Nothing.
I applied for a photo pass for the Beyoncé concert in Hamar, Norway, yesterday, and was a little surprised to get one. But I got in my car, drove 6 hours to get there, and checked in when I arrived. Received my photo pass, got instructions, and was shocked to learn that Beyoncé's management would only allow 30 seconds of photography during the first song, and nothing more, and thought to myself "I drove six hours for 30 seconds??".
I was told to be ready 15 minutes before the show started, and meet up in the press area to be guided in for the shoot. I went for a little walk to get the blood flowing again, after having spent the last 6-7 hours behind the wheel.
I arrived at the press area as instructed, and got my equipment ready. The PR manager from Sony BMG approached me, and suggested that I equip one of my cameras with a "long" lens. I took her suggestion and switched the wide angle for the tele lens, when she approached me again. She looked at my photo pass, then looked up at me, and told me: "I'm sorry, but you won't be able to shoot at the concert". I thought she was joking, so I started laughing with her, only to realize that I was the only one laughing. She was dead serious.
I told her that I had a photo pass, and was told when I arrived that everything was in order, and that the PR manager for the venue had explained the rules set by the arrogant and incompetent management in NYC. She then told me that Beyoncé's management in NYC had instructed Sony BMG Norway to get all photographers to sign photo contracts. First you shoot for 30 seconds, then you get your camera yanked out of your hands by a member of Beyoncé's mob squad so they can approve your photos, and delete the ones they deem unapropriate. No thanks. Luckily, all journalists and photographers in Norway stand united, and refuse to sign any contracts put forth by artists, their labels or management. When Sony informed Beyoncé's management on this, they responded by saying "Ok, no contracts, but then we'll only allow 8 photographers to shoot at the concert, and those 8 must be from the 8 biggest news papers in Norway".
Sony accepted these terms, but didn't think it was a good idea to share this news with the photographers or the venue. So, Sony knew about the photo restrictions the day before the concert, at a time where I could still have cancelled the trip, and be fine with the rejection. It still took 24 hours before Sony decided that it was probably a good idea to inform the venue, and the gig's PR manager. That was 3 pm on Friday. At that time I had only been driving for two hours, so I could easily have turned around and returned home. But the venue never thought about informing the media, until 10 minutes before the gig was about to start, and we were all lined up to go in.
Half an hour after the concert started, Sony's PR manager came up to me and gave me a free ticket for the show, and told me there was nothing else she could do. I took the ticket, watched Beyoncé do a couple of numbers, then I got in my car and drove home, empty-handed.
The PR managers for both the gig and for Sony BMG Norway insisted that they would not let this go, and would continue to find a way to make their incompetence up to me. I won't hold my breath though.
What is the problem with musicians today? Are they really THAT arrogant and narrow-minded? Or is their management the only ones at fault?
Posted at 7:57AM, 5 May 2007 PDT
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the problem started in the UK, the photographers were allowed to shoot the first three songs but apparently they weren't happy with the shots that were published so backwardly decided to cut it to 30 seconds.
It's not worth bothering with artists like Beyonce they're management and Pr think that they are above the rest of mankind, it happens more often with female stars I believe, I was shooting be your own pet, I signed a contract for it which stated I couldnt stand within 12 feet of her, now the first row of the audience at the venue would be about 3 feet from her so it's like wtf?!
I got an amazing shot which the lead singer's dad even emailed me about and thanked me, and i'm at a gig getting chucked out because the band are pointing at me saying ive had too many songs. It's immense paranoia and completely stupid.
I rarely travel more than a couple of hours for a festival let alone 6 hours, that is dedication but the amount of times ive turned up to my local venue and not been on the list i dont trust travelling much further for 3 songs.
Stu
Posted 62 months ago.
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wow.. well. if you did shoot this, and they deleted most of your photos, you can always use photo recovery software to get all of the photos back. lol.
but thats insane. they should have let you know the specifics beforehand.
Posted 62 months ago.
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@Stuart
I guess Beyoncé's management had a smiliar rule like the 12 ft rule you described, because the photographers that were permitted to shoot had to stand BEHIND the crowd, so when the crowd raised their hands when she came on stage they had to hold their cameras, with 400 mm lenses, over their head and shoot blindfolded.
When they returned to the press room after the shoot everyone were laughing, calling the whole gig the biggest farce they had ever witnessed.
Posted 62 months ago.
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That sucks, hardcore. I would have been unhappy. 30 seconds? Wha? Sometimes, I swear, [I am not saying ALL but] big bands and musicians aren't worth it for worthy not popular/not well known Photographers.
I'm sorry you were forced to deal with this.
Posted 62 months ago.
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Pix Gremlin [deleted] says:
Dude, I feel for you. Sony BMG's pr team sucks (yes, I said it!!) and big acts can be palavar and half. There was an interesting forum I was trying to find for you for another photographer that had the same problem in Australia last month for the Beyonce gig and he had the same beef and half!! Will try and get that link and post it up!
Posted 62 months ago.
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Stuart -- interesting about BYOP. I've shot them before in a smaller club and shot the whole show with no issues at all. I'll likely be shooting them again opening for the Arctic Monkeys next week, so it'll be interesting to see what the deal is.
Posted 62 months ago.
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I had hastle from one of BYOP's "people" when I shot them at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes in London a couple of years ago.
It was way over the top for a band of their standard.
Posted 62 months ago.
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Wasn't allowed to shoot the arctic monkeys on the nme tour last year either, shot all the other bands but not them even though for the first 5 dates or so on the tour all the photographers had been allowed to. It's just bands/pr/management getting too big for their boots.
Yeah after I'd had 3 songs, the whole band were pointing at me going "get him out, get him out" I honestly couldn't tell I'd had 3 songs they were about 20 seconds each!
They'd had a lot of press and stuff but it's really not needed I was shooting and reviewing it for a local webzine and I was the only "press" there so it just seemed so over the top for a less than 500 capacity venue and it was a matinee performance!
They ended up walking off after half an hour cos the crowd started making comments about how attractive the lead singer is and i'm putting that nicely.
Anyway a bit off the point but I think it goes to show there are some major issues with this kind of thing and as photographers as stated in the opening post we should stand united when we are treated poorly.
Originally posted 62 months ago.
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Stuart Leech edited this topic 62 months ago.
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A the recent Australian Gospel Music Festival we had no restrictions.. (except "don't get in the way of the steady-cam guy")
loved it.. some of my best shots came in the last 30secs of a set!
Posted 62 months ago.
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This was done the same way in Sweden, where you got 30 seconds on the first song, standing beside the mixing table (ei, faaaaaar away from the scene). What are they afraid of? Good picture? I mean, come on ...
Posted 62 months ago.
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That's insane!
I'm soooo sorry you had to go through that, I would probably be near tears if that happened to me.
I've, thankfully, never had to deal with that sort of situation...and I hope I never do.
x
Posted 62 months ago.
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Fotografo David [deleted] says:
Wow---- this is sad. I have all the respect in the world for you, your hard work and I am sorry a pro like you had to get this treatment.
I shoot bands here in NYC but I never ever want to shoot a "big" show.
Considering that artists like Nine Inch Nails and The Beastie Boys give fans cameras to record the show why would they bother with press when they can control all the images (NIN did not allow personal cameras) and not pay anyone.....
I wish you better times in the future and kudos to you and your supporters.
David 6of7
Posted 62 months ago.
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The arrogance seems limitless, I'm speechless.
Posted 62 months ago.
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... and the fans with their compact cameras where shooting during the entire Beyonce gig I guess.
Posted 62 months ago.
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"I was shooting be your own pet, I signed a contract for it which stated I couldnt stand within 12 feet of her, now the first row of the audience at the venue would be about 3 feet from her so it's like wtf?!"
I won't have anything to do with BYOP after my first encounter with them. Their attitude stinks, so I'd rather stave them of the oxygen of publicity however I can.
You may say someone else will get the shots then, but they will also have to put up with BYOP. Fair play to 'em!
Posted 62 months ago.
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I don't think i'd shoot them again, and if the contract had been a rights grab i'd have also not have done it but the press woman said it was an old copy as well so it probably wasn't worth the paper it was written on.
Posted 62 months ago.
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damn 30 seconds! that is nuts, and i hate the 3 song rule. especially when most bands think its cool to play in darkness for the first song. hey carrie i just shot the arctic monkeys on friday and although it says 3 songs be ready because they will kick you out after 2. totally screwed with my lens routine.
and as for BYOP , the singer introduced their song 'blow yor mind' and of course some guy yelled out "blow...(you can fill in the blanks), which lead to a rant at the audience and an early storm off. its too bad because i actually dig them.
Posted 62 months ago.
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it's funny how these bands that get big off of blog press and hype kick out photographers who are shooting for the same type of media who got them in those giant venues in the first place.
Posted 62 months ago.
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I think the reason bands do this is to feel like they have some sort of control over what's going on... God knows Clear Channel tells them what type of underwear to wear, songs to write and what color eyes they should have to tour the south.
Why do you people shoot these terrible bands, is the money really that good or are you just hard up for images?
Originally posted 62 months ago.
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calbee_ edited this topic 62 months ago.
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I'm still surprised about the BYOP issues...is this a recent thing? There were no problems at all when I shot them last Sept.
Calbee -- it's easy for you to ask why people shoot these bands, but the reality of it is, you don't know what's going to happen until you get there, so it's a little unfair to be snarky about it.
I've always taken all these stories into consideration, but also with a grain of salt. It's different in every city/country and even different promoters, and I've had very different experiences than other people, and vice versa. If a band is a pain in the ass, don't shoot them again...lesson learned, move on. :)
Originally posted 62 months ago.
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Carrie Musgrave | Livebabylive.com edited this topic 62 months ago.
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Wow, unbelievable! But it's Beyonce, so I'm not THAT surprised...
I say ignore these types who are more concerned with maintaining an image and pushing people around than, God forbid, actually concentrating on MUSIC.
So to turn this around, who are some of your favorite bands to shoot?
Posted 62 months ago.
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I was surprised too when I found out about the BYOP thing. I just shot them a week ago and I didn't have any problem at all. Nobody yelled, nobody complained.
Posted 62 months ago.
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I think there's some legal retribution if you have in writing that they'll allow you to shoot Beyonce (or any band) and then when you showed up, they didn't allow you to shoot at all. You had time and expenses invested in getting to the event and you were damaged from making money on your photos of the event because they didn't honor their end of the deal.
Posted 61 months ago.
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I shot BYOP in April last year, maybe they've given it up seeing as they've not really made it and now they want the press. They're pretty great live but the album just doesn't live up to it.
Posted 61 months ago.
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Thanks to everyone for your response and encouragement. I wish all photographers would boycott artists who pull stunts like this, but I doubt that will ever happen, although I think that's the only thing that would have some sort of impact on these hot shots.
@Phil Peterson
I'm looking into that, but I don't expect much to come from it. Today I received a package from Sony, with 6 CD's and the Bob Dylan 65 Tour Deluxe Edition DVD. The value of this package probably covers my expenses, but not my time and loss of income. Their PR director said she would contact me again, and she seems genuinly embarrassed by what happened, as she should.
@MHelminski
One band stands out from the rest. W.A.S.P. was an absolute joy to shoot, except for some really horrific lighting at times, and the fact that we only got to shoot two songs. Deep Purple and Public Enemy was also a lot of fun.
Originally posted 61 months ago.
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Alexander Zetlitz edited this topic 61 months ago.
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Calbee -- it's easy for you to ask why people shoot these bands, but the reality of it is, you don't know what's going to happen until you get there, so it's a little unfair to be snarky about it.
-What's being snarky, if they don't want you to shoot them, don't. Honestly I'm surpised Clear Channel just doesn't do all of it and start there own media service and lock everyone out.
Posted 61 months ago.
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"Why do you people shoot these terrible bands, is the money really that good or are you just hard up for images?"
Not everyone gets to choose who or what to shoot, and not everyone chooses what to shoot based on the music. Some people even love shooting at gigs so much that they don't care who's playing. And yes, some people shoot anything, just because they're strapped for cash.
Originally posted 61 months ago.
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Alexander Zetlitz edited this topic 61 months ago.
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Ah but Calbee,
If Clear Channel try that her in the States they would face a Anti-Trust Investigation from the FCC. beside Clear Channel has change the name of there Booking and Tour Section to Live Nation and its operated under a separate company sort of like how Lockheed own Martin and Grumman.
Posted 61 months ago.
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Update: shot BYOP tonight with no issues at all...in fact, I enjoyed shooting them much more than the Arctic Monkeys (damn strobing bas#$@ds!).
Posted 61 months ago.
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A few days after the infamous Beyoncé fiasco I received a package from Sony BMG Norway. In it I found a collection of DVD's and CD's valued at somewhere in the neighbourhood of $200. They really seem genuinly sorry about what happened, and so they should.
Since my attempt to shoot Beyoncé I have now also been rejected by Ozzy and Justin Timberlake, as both have put a ban on all photography during their respective European tours. This just underlines the comments and suggestions from a lot of photographers to try to only shoot local, unknown or smaller lesser known artists, which is where I will be putting most of my effort and attention henceforth.
Posted 60 months ago.
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Well that's some good Bob Dylan, so at least you got that. what were the 6 cds?
Posted 60 months ago.
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I'm shocked and scared that it might happen to me in the future, 30 seconds just isnt good enough surely if you give a photog 3 songs then they are way more likely to get a good shot right?!
These controlling PR's drive me nuts, surely it's better to have more good shots of your artist flying around the papers aposed to the papers having to resort to using a compact cam picture from the crowd?
We are just doing a job, not every press photographer is out to do the dirty on a artist!
Posted 60 months ago.
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I'm not that surprised. I have had issues with the PR/management (Sony BMG actually) in the past. It's rarely the tour manager or the artists themselves who choose these rules. And i do believe it is just for the pleasure of feeling in control sometimes.
Some other times, it is due to agreements with mewspapers etc.. to keep other people to publish before them.
I feel for you man. Even for beyonce i wouldn't drive 6 hours, but i can imagine the feeling.
Posted 60 months ago.
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