Flicking the V

I've often wondered why band's tour managers insist on 'first three, no flash', especially when the stage lights are strobing and fans in the crowd directly behind us are happily flashing away with their cameras. One suggestion is 'because they can', meaning that it's just an exercise in control and power.
Lady GaGa at V this weekend had an even stranger set of instructions. We were allowed into the pit for three songs, no flash (so far, so normal) - but could only shoot the first ninety seconds of each song. So we'd snap away for ninety seconds, then get a tap on the shoulder and have to stand there like lemons for the rest of the song, before shooting the first ninety seconds of the next! I could've understood if something happened after ninety seconds, like pirotechnics or something they didn't want photographed (like when Lady GaGa exposed her crotch getting off a motorbike at a previous gig) but there wasn't. As far as I could see there was no reason for us to stop after ninety seconds of each song except control-freakery. Combine this with the low light, harsh back-lighting and huge amounts of smoke and we were hard pushed to get anything at all let alone something good.
The Killers were even more restrictive. Only three photographers were allowed to shoot their headline slot, and even they were only allowed to shoot from the back of the stage. And despite being the official photographer for the festival, I wasn't one of the three granted the privilege of snapping Brandon Flower's arse. I was, however, allowed to shoot from the disabled platform, in order to get some nice crowd shots and wide views of the stage, and I was told that there would be some explosive light-show in the last two songs - which meant I had to stand there for the entire set. I'm not a Killers fan, so that's an hour and a half of my life I'm never getting back!



The Noisettes were a new discovery for me, and since coming back from V I've already bought the album. Shame she got so much lipstick on her teeth, as she's a gorgeous woman, but it gave her a slightly scary look.
Scoop of the weekend was Amy Winehouse's surprise appearance onstage with The Specials. I was hastily whisked into the pit to get some publicity shots for the festival. The result of this was that all the other snappers presumed I had prior knowledge of it and that I had the 'inside track' of gossip at the festival. When Oasis pulled out of playing on Sunday, and Snow Patrol were promoted to headliners, photographers were told that we could snap them at the beginning of their set AND the encore. This started speculation that there might be another surprise guest-appearance, notably Noel Gallagher. The more I was asked, and the more I said I didn't know, the more people thought I was bluffing - to the point that I even started to wonder.Of course, there was no surprise guest, but Snow Patrol did play a couple of Oasis songs, and looked so genuinely chuffed to be headlining, that it made for a rousingly emotional ending.