i’d had a ticket for radiohead since before christmas and was looking forward to it. however i had a camera on me and they wouldn’t let me in! i tried three entrances and was shown small print on the back of the ticket saying no photography. fortunately dean knew somneone who lived nearby and i raced there in a cab to leave my camera and made it back just as they came on stage. a quick look on flickr shows that hundreds of people got in with cameras – i like this set from hidden shine whose photo this is. i guess i was unlucky and/or stupid for taking a camera. what s the problem with a camera? all i want is a memory or two and something to put on the blog…
anyway they played for 2 hours in victoria park with the sun going down. magical. they played most of in rainbows plus lots of the old classics – everything in its right place into idioteque was a sweet moment.
did you try and take your nice ‘professional’ DSLR? that was probably the problem.
Jonny – I never have a problem when I tuck my small digital camera in with me – looking to buy another one as the one I have sucks at taking night pictures – and I think the cost for pocket digitals that work for night photography is starting to go down in price.
I tend to leave my camera at home when going to gigs unless I know for sure the venue allows them, or I know the artists. It’s a shame that venues/artists don’t tend to have more enlightened attitudes to photography — it’s free publicity after all — but I’d rather lose out on a few good photos than have to work out what to do with my SLR.
Like becky I’m considering getting a new compact that’s good at low light shots to take along to gigs, but I’m holding off at least until I’m next in the US since they’re so much cheaper over there.
Saw them two years ago twice – once in the intimate surroundings of the Empire Ballroom Blackpool and then in Meadowbank Sports Arena Edinburgh – both times camera was no problem – in fact there seemed to be many who were carrying small recording studios with them – couldn’t get tickets this time round – they are legendary – glad you got in . . .
DSLR paranoia. I had been taking photos all over the place. The day I went out with a 1970’s film SLR loaded with black and white film was the first time anyone even batted an eyelid. I have a very artistic shot of some people with some PCSO’s pointing and waving at me – and no doubt pulling out a camera phone to take a shot for posterity.
http://changingworship.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/big-brother/
People take cameras everywhere. Photos frommobile phones and compact digitals abound. What they don’t want is any flattering photos to be taken that could show the artist in a good light. They want blurred shots from dodgy angles. They may as well issue dodgy cameras at the gates.