tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23215080998614543872024-02-19T11:08:08.057-06:00Ramble OnMike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-62869036894842816612021-01-01T16:03:00.000-06:002021-01-01T16:03:00.096-06:00Into The Great Wide Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bbJM62HwtLqqzTenAJeLyVUpPh46xXb_swh-ekJPkrJY0ytQltuHaXCLZOH9wHfBs_OcR8QEote09sqbAS-SIJcFqol1tqyG_YVjAbon6fbJAplVDHWwMvOHQyZeS0BLKybXFYhTm0s1/s1560/FB_IMG_1609538201842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1560" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bbJM62HwtLqqzTenAJeLyVUpPh46xXb_swh-ekJPkrJY0ytQltuHaXCLZOH9wHfBs_OcR8QEote09sqbAS-SIJcFqol1tqyG_YVjAbon6fbJAplVDHWwMvOHQyZeS0BLKybXFYhTm0s1/w400-h300/FB_IMG_1609538201842.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p> How great was the year we've just closed out? With achievements in science, in technology, in music, in coming together as one world, it's possible that 2020 may go down as one of the most historically great years in mankind.</p><p>Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of problems. A lot of them are of our own making. But you can find those stories all around. There's a good chance you've dealt with, or continue to deal with, some of those problems yourself.</p><p>But what about the other side? </p><p>2020 saw the eradication of a devastating virus when, in August, the World Health Organization declared that the African continent was free from the grip of the wild poliovirus. It wasn't an easy battle, with regional conflicts among other obstacles that had to be overcome, but it's a fight that was finally won.</p><p>With businesses forced to adapt to the changing landscape of employee safety, people around the world have discovered that there are ways to stay both safe and productive. With the support of technology through software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, work carried on, if not "business as usual," then as least with less disruption. It will take some time to see the end result, but the changes that were forced on the business world may just prove that there is a better way forward in the elusive work-life balance.</p><p>The entertainment industry has struggled as a whole this year, with the venues to showcase everything from movies to live concerts to sporting events being closed to public access. But when was the last time, for example, a super-star like Taylor Swift released two albums in the same year? And she wasn't alone. Artists from every genre of music spent their down-time creating new sounds for our consumption. Part of this is because of the negative - no touring means more time for writing and recording. But what a treasure trove we've had, from all corners of the music world. </p><p>In filmed entertainment, the landscape has been moving steadily away from motion pictures and more into the "choose your own adventure" realm of home streaming. That move was accelerated this year, without any doubt. While I hope and believe we'll never fully lose the theatrical experience, giving creators another form of outlet just means more options for the consuming public. Want to watch a two hour film? We have those! Would you rather see a story told over in a longer, serialized format? You can have all you want!</p><p>While I don't think it's any stretch to say we would all be happier if we hadn't needed it, medicine saw a radical advancement in the development of vaccinations. The rest of the world has discovered what scientist have known for decades, or longer: Apply the resources, reduce the bureaucracy while still demanding adherence to safety, and the needed work can get done in 10 months instead of 10 years. </p><p>On another science front, even in the middle of a pandemic that's testing every facet of society, a public/private collaboration returned humans to space from the Florida coast. The combined efforts for NASA and SpaceX launched two astronauts to the International Space Station in May and saw them return safely in August to prove the system worked. Four more astronauts took that ride in November, and that first Crew Dragon - named Endeavour - is scheduled to fly four more in March.</p><p>These are a handful of the highlights that have come out of this challenging year. It's not always easy to see the bigger picture when you're on the ground, in the trenches in a fight that's being waged everywhere. Maybe I'm naïve or just idealistic, but with all the dreary headlines, I think we can all use a new look with fresh eyes and see that humanity is still pushing forward. We can still bring light into the darkest times, if we simply try.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-20570993408589720282020-11-02T15:25:00.000-06:002020-11-02T15:25:13.587-06:00“Daughters Of Darkness” Shines The Light On the Beauty Of Black Metal And Doom Music<p>Massachusetts-based music and art photographer Jeremy Saffer is well known for his incredible work, particularly in the realm of black metal and doom metal music. Now, in a partnership with Rare Bird Books, Saffer is releasing a massive collection of his photo work. Entitled “Daughters of Darkness,” the collection encompasses more than a decade of Saffer’s work, images of stunning, powerful women wearing nothing but the “corpse paint” that’s so familiar to the genres of music Saffer specializes in. </p><p>Most of the photos are shot in start contrasts of deep, midnight-black backgrounds and warm skin tones blended with the ghoulish visages of these painted demonesses. The models range from professionals in front of the camera to professionals on-stage at the microphone. While there are some that have chosen to remain anonymous, there are others like Ash Costello of New Years Day who are very open about their participation. There’s no judgment from me on those deciding either way, as everyone has their own privacy and brands to think about. Even anonymously, participation in this project is a wonderful way of sharing power and energy with others. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi939cih6OJY5JNu_8UeGBmcVqRi9XMnnTdQYnIYvjxr6_J0C343SVoPHPY-C6dtELPBplEDYS5RhOeyPfMrl5PvC4JFNh1P8tqItVH_UHF2fTAemvKd22dwq7JcY04vL3u6ldoQNXKWDHx/s2048/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2048" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi939cih6OJY5JNu_8UeGBmcVqRi9XMnnTdQYnIYvjxr6_J0C343SVoPHPY-C6dtELPBplEDYS5RhOeyPfMrl5PvC4JFNh1P8tqItVH_UHF2fTAemvKd22dwq7JcY04vL3u6ldoQNXKWDHx/w291-h218/01.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p></p><p>That energy is amplified by Saffer’s eye behind the lens. The lighting, the angles, the poses, they all build to a crescendo of power in the final works. More than 250 images are collected in the book, bringing it to over five pounds in heft, so make sure your coffee table is ready for its arrival. A deluxe box-set version contains more than 50 additional images and adds another pound to the weight, so you may also want to consider a kind word to whomever has to bring it to your front door.</p><p>As noted, the only raiment to adorn the women in this book is the corpse make-up and their own ink they’ve had etched into their skin. As such, it should be noted that – although these are art images – discretion of the viewer and/or purchaser should be advised. But once you get past the misapplied “naughty” label that many would want to slap on such a collection, you’re opening yourself up to a new world of blending rage, anger, aggression, and energy of the models with the style and creativity of the photographer, coming together to showcase the passions of both.</p><p>Saffer was inspired by the promotional artwork, album covers, and merchandising of the various black metal genre bands, going back into the 90s and through the modern era. In a foreword written by Dani Filth, vocalist for the band Cradle of Filth – one of Saffer’s inspirations – you’ll find the mindset behind some of the imagery: “[...]the donning of ghoulish makeup has often been likened to a transformative state of mind […].” D. Randall Blythe, frontman for the metal outfit Lamb of God, says in his intorduction: “[…] the nude female body has a beauty and gracefulness of form that the masculine physique cannot ever hope to attain. Add corpse paint, and that idealized version of feminine beauty is brutally disrupted.” It would take a better writer than myself to come up with a better way to characterize this collection than the words of these two.</p><p>The book itself comes in several different formats, ranging in price from $60 to (of course!) $666. The higher-tier versions will also include a compilation album licensed from Season of Mist and including tracks from Abbath, Carpathian Forest, Angren, and Watain, to name a few, all curated by Jeremy Saffer and presented to you in a double-gatefold vinyl set.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5PaA7DE6ob3BhJvWJESPvjQP4FA5uCAmI1WOWCqPoOvXtdETR2v50qqWkeLgcXXaRLMRJ9h6pXe8XLrZ3KamAytciQeWqpxa7M-8TS6cLMlVNC6kjkh-lqnRPhrX4NvUar-4GXo7sKqn/s1588/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="1236" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5PaA7DE6ob3BhJvWJESPvjQP4FA5uCAmI1WOWCqPoOvXtdETR2v50qqWkeLgcXXaRLMRJ9h6pXe8XLrZ3KamAytciQeWqpxa7M-8TS6cLMlVNC6kjkh-lqnRPhrX4NvUar-4GXo7sKqn/w215-h276/02.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><p></p><p>The saddest comment I’ll put in this review is that this collection isn’t for everyone. It should be, but I know that’s a level of openmindedness that’s simply not realistic in the world we live in. But for those who are interested, the book will be available to the world at large on October 30th, and you can get yours reserved and on order though <a href="https://rarebirdlit.com/rare-bird-presents">https://rarebirdlit.com/rare-bird-presents</a> whenever you’re ready.</p><p>Just make sure you’re ready.</p>Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-61712906235540635112020-05-17T14:06:00.002-05:002020-05-24T11:11:15.542-05:00Another Version of the TruthA few years back now, a friend of mine committed to paper, and then to film a phrase that has stuck with me: “Photographs don’t tell true stories any more.”<br />
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I love the sentiment behind this, especially in the context of the film, but I find it both heartbreakingly true and – perhaps naïvely – too narrow-focused to be anything but false. When I shoot photos, I’m trying to capture a moment, a space in time that wasn’t there before, won’t be there again, but was there for that instant. Whether it’s someone on a stage, a crowd at an event, or someone posing for my lens, there is truth in that image. I know that’s not the same for everyone, since there are photographers out there doing creative editing and compositing, but there are just as many that are like myself – just wanting to catch the moments.<br />
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It’s not as easy in the current state of the world we’re in, because there aren’t the same kind of events happening. There are no concerts, no large gatherings, not even groups of friends getting together for evenings of drinks and stories and laughs. I’ve discovered there are other forms of truth though. Truth that’s less about fact and more about spirit.<br />
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As I’m certain many people are doing, I’ve spent a lot of time watching videos online. One of my go-to sources of relaxing entertainment has been Adam Savage’s “Tested” channel on YouTube. Savage, of Mythbusters fame, has continued working in his shop, though on his own instead of with a crew, filming himself working on projects and once a week doing live streams that include answering questions from fans. From that came inspiration for my latest photo concept. During his Q&A session recorded on April 28th (and posted on May 5th), <a href="https://youtu.be/IiqfkYAv3Dw?t=119">Savage was asked about a fictional character he felt connected to</a>. You can watch at the link above as he discusses how he feels about Raymond Chandler’s detective hero Philip Marlowe. While discussing an essay that Chandler wrote in 1944 and published late that year or early 1945, <a href="https://youtu.be/IiqfkYAv3Dw?t=200">Savage quotes Chandler in describing his character</a> thusly:<br />
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“Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor—by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.”<br />
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When I heard this quote, it was like the ringing of a bell to me. While Chandler was describing the character of Marlowe, the first line of this quote resonated with me as a description of my friend, writer and director Chris Kelley. We’ve had discussions about the characters and stories he writes, to a degree exorcising pieces of himself through fiction that would never come out in reality. A person exacting revenge for the transgression of talking on a phone in a movie theatre, or a scheming business mogul whose only reaction to shooting a man in the head is fascination and amusement at the way his hat flies off.<br />
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“Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean.”<br />
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Chris writes these realistic depictions without a real-life point of reference to them, and he does it incredibly well. And I decided I wanted to share this with him. I thought about simply sending him the quote, or making an amusing meme-image and posting that for him to see. But then my brain started turning. Why make a digital facsimile of something rather than make it for real? With the seeds of an idea taking root, I started searching eBay and came a wonderful prop: a 1925 mechanical (of course!) typewriter for an absurdly low price. On an impulse, I hit the purchase button and I was off and running.<br />
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I knew I didn’t want to just put a sheet of paper with the quote printed on it into the machine for an image. The first thing I did was find a font that looked like it would come from a very old-school typewriter. Once I was happy with that look, I took the printed sheets and started testing weathering and aging techniques. I wanted to make it look like a sheet of paper that looked like it could have been in that machine for the entire 75-year period since Chandler first committed the words to page.<br />
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As these things were happening, the idea for the image was crystallizing in my head, and more objects to fill the frame were becoming clearer. I drove three hours round-trip for a bargain on a classic green-shaded banker’s lamp. Once I got it home, I stripped it apart and rebuilt it to add a classic pull-chain to it instead of the push-switch socket it had. I also reached out to Chris himself who – along with his wife, producer, and partner in all things, Victoria – are true connoisseurs of fine libation to get an empty whiskey bottle. <br />
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Once all the pieces were in place, I set up the technical side. The banker’s lamp would add a splash of practical lighting, but I had the chance to use the new Lume Cube lights, with one to accent the page in the typewriter and the second to fill in through the bottle and glass.<br />
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This was a lot of set-up for a photo, and it’s not something I’m used to doing. If you’re still reading this, I appreciate that! I wanted to show a little bit of my process, not just in the physical set-up of the shot, but in the mental behind-the-scenes, too. Below is the final image I created, with editing done in Corel’s Aftershot Pro and Paint Shop Pro (I think I’m the last guy left who does NOT use Adobe’s photo editing software). If all goes to plan, I will have this in a large format print in a week or so that I plan to give to Chris as a gift. I would like to think he may use it as a motivational reminder in his office, but it may end up as kindling in his next gathering of friends! I don’t know (though I doubt the last would come to pass), but I do know it’s been a wonderful exercise in moving from idea to concept to execution to completion.<br />
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Thanks for coming along with me.<br />
<br />Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-66150230347884212352019-09-16T18:58:00.001-05:002019-09-16T19:52:35.087-05:00Love StoryIt’s been a week now since a package arrived for me from the good folks at HP computers. The story starts a little earlier than that, though. I reached out to the company to find out what their policies and requirements are for partnerships, sponsorships, that sort of thing. It was a shot-in-the-dark email, because I’m not one of the “big guns” in the concert photography business. I haven’t amassed a giant following on social media sites, I don’t pay for sponsored content or promote my posts. I’m out there doing something I enjoy, and I’m fortunate at that: I get to go to concerts, lots of concerts, stand a few feet away from giants in every genre of music, and in exchange I throw a few words and some photos out there for the world to consume.<br />
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Aside from the concerts, I do some occasional passion projects. I’ve recently worked to try and document the closing elementary schools here in Quincy, as they were being replaced by the new, state-of-the-art facilities. I do some work with a few charitable groups I have connections with or feel strongly about. And I sometimes do a little work with some of the first responders in the area, because they should have a public image that matches the work they give to the community.<br />
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All of this, added together in one big bundle, caught some attention when I sent my request to HP. I’m not going to share the conversations, for obvious reasons, but within twenty-four hours, I was told that I would be expecting a package from the company. This wasn’t a true sponsorship, because there were no strings attached – no review requirements, no minimum number of mentions of the company, no “spontaneous” shout-outs to the company. This was given freely as a one-off helping hand to give me the chance to keep doing what I’ve grown to love.<br />
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It’s not the first time I’ve been given things that have advanced my work. I wouldn’t have half the successful results I’ve had if it wasn’t for the generosity of friends that have put various equipment into my hands. This is, however, the first time it was someone that didn’t know me personally, who had no personal stake or interest or even reason for being willing to help me. But they did anyway. I’m not ashamed to admit I was on the verge of tears when I got their initial message, and that feeling hasn’t gone away.<br />
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I’ve used HP computers for pretty much most of my adult life. My first notebook computer was a different brand (back about a million years ago), but since then, it’s been all HP. The last one I got was in 2011 or 2012, and it’s been on its last legs for a while. It’s not been portable for some time – a risk of a portable computer and living with felines is their tendency to jump on things, and a few years ago, it got knocked to the floor and hinges on the screen broke. It still worked (and still works) because the wires were intact, but I have to make a frame to hold the screen up. It was, to put it bluntly, incredibly redneck. But it’s been a workhorse for me.
The new system is like moving from a bi-plane to a rocket ship. The photos here show you a bit about it: a powerful workstation in a portable body, convertible to a presentation system or a big tablet, touchscreen, fast solid-state drive, and everything just fast and shiny and did I mention fast? The photos I take are still dependent on the space between my ears, but the equipment that translates what I see in my head to what’s seen on screens everywhere now has taken a drastic leap forward.<br />
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There’s no reason a multi-billion-dollar company would even need to open an email from a freelance photographer and writer like me, and if they do, there’s certainly no reason for it to go any further than the recycle bin on their own computer. For whatever reason (yes, I was given reasons in my communications; again, I’m not going to share private conversations) they have, I’m an incredibly fortunate, and I am well aware of that. Companies like this, they have to get thousands of messages like this every week, if not more, and more frequently. Mine landed in the right place on the right day, and – for those who know me, you know this isn’t a phrase I use lightly – I know I’m blessed to have had it happen. Even this post, I hesitated because I don’t want to be responsible for the company getting flooded with messages.
But there was no way I could go further without sharing this. I won’t take it for granted and I will never be able to say “thank you” enough to fully express exactly what this means to me. I can tell you this much: This system is incredible, and even if it wasn’t for the circumstances that led to it arriving on my doorstep, I’d tell anyone that would listen to put this high on their list if they’re looking for a workhorse to do the sorts of things that I do. As for me? I can’t imagine ever owning a system other than HP ever again. For so many reasons.<br />
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Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-85119736771899276882019-04-24T15:07:00.000-05:002019-04-24T15:19:29.573-05:00Of Wolf And ManA few weeks ago, I was down in St. Louis, <a href="https://www.whig.com/article/20190422/ARTICLE/190429999/1444">covering Wizard World</a>’s annual visit to the Gateway City. It’s a massive gathering of geeks and gamers and cosplayers of every breed under the Dome and in the shadow of the Arch, so without any hesitation, I can say there was one question I was asked the most:<br><br>
“Is that a reference to ‘Doctor Who’?”<br><br>
If you’re not sure what “that” is referring to in the question, you’re likely in the wrong place, or you’re definitely not a ‘Doctor Who’ fan. In this case, the question refers to my chosen moniker emblazoned on my shirt that I wear for self-promotion: Bad Wolf Media.<br><br>
See, back in 2005, those wily Brits did what you do with Doctor Who – they regenerated him after a long break. In this case, the supporting cast included Rose Tyler, a character played amazingly by the charming and stunning Billie Piper. Through the course of the first series of this new incarnation, the phrase “Bad Wolf” would be found, scrawled in graffiti or emblazoned on the walls of the TARDIS itself. To make a long story somewhat less long, The Rose character gets infused with time-twisting powers and it was her all along, going back and leaving this warning message throughout time for the heroes to find.<br><br>
Rose has gone on to become one of the most popular characters in the reborn series and, therefore, is well known among the denizens of gatherings like Wizard World.<br><br>
Now let’s go even further back in time. I’m going to guess a little here, but I would say sometime around 1999 or 2000, I was working with my buddy Adam at an internet service provider down in middle Georgia (does everyone remember ISPs? No? Well…moving on…). We would often talk about widely varied subjects, and one day we were talking about pirates and the traditional “jolly roger” flag. As it turns out (yes, education! Sorry, just stick with it!), there really isn’t such a thing as a standard pirate flag. The “skull and crossbones” that everyone thinks of was used by a few scoundrels of the seas, but we learned that pirate captains generally designed their own standards to fly so everyone knew who was sending them to the bottom. Edward Teach – Blackbeard, if you please – often flew just a solid black flag. Bartholomew Roberts had an image of himself and a representation of Death, each with a hand on an hourglass.<br><br>
With this background in hand, we started talking about what we would use as our own, personal jolly roger if we were to have need of one. I found a great line-art rendering of a snarling wolf, which I modified, taking off the lower jaw and put it over the traditional crossbones to make what you see even now, on this very page. Over the course of nearly two decades, I’ve keep that image with me, from computer to computer to tablets to smartphones. It’s been a part of my digital fingerprint for that long. (Unfortunately, I’ve lost the original art and haven’t been able to find the original artist of the wolf, but I’ll keep looking!)<br><br>
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Okay, everyone sticking with me so far? Now we’re going to leap forward to early 2014. I started to get a little more serious about my photo work, and I needed a name and logo to use. I thought of and scrapped a few dozen ideas along the way before realizing the imagery was staring me in the face the whole time. I had my ‘jolly roger’ that was already so prevalent, I only needed a fitting name to go with it. The name wasn’t born from my love of ‘Doctor Who,’ however. I am a huge fan of the show, but in this case, the name came from the image and the idea behind it – the thought of , 400 years ago, that flag flying over a ship in the warm Caribbean waters. What name would be given? Black Wolf seemed like it would work, but then another thought hit me: I didn’t want to use “productions” in my name because of the company name of a friend, so I opted for “media.” And then visual landed there – three letters, four letters, five letters, Bad Wolf Media. And it was like that light hitting Jake in the Triple Rock Baptist Church, all those years ago (had to get one more iconic reference in there, right?).<br><br>
I’m happy that it’s a name that it seems people are going to remember, for whatever reason. I’ll continue to explain that, no, it’s not taken from the good Doctor’s companion, but I have the utmost respect for the show, the writers, and the actors that put it all together.<br><br>
And I’ll tip my ivy cap to Rose Tyler, for spreading the word about me, back before I even seriously picked up a camera!*<br><br>
<i>*this is a joke, Doctor Who people! Please don’t sue me!</i><br><br>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-9525600349930019542019-04-11T14:48:00.000-05:002019-04-11T15:00:22.969-05:00Shock MeWell, my new year’s resolution to do better on keeping this blog updated has gone right to hell, hasn’t it? If you follow my photo page on <a href="http://www.badwolfmedia.net/facebook">Facebook</a>, hopefully you’ll forgive me when you see I’ve had a pretty fair start to the year already.<br><br>
I was talking with a fellow photog today (via electronic communications, as talking in person is so passé!) about a tough shoot she had. It was with a band in a smaller venue, and the lighting was a challenge. She was looking for some input on her shots because she felt they weren’t up to par. First of all, I’m not sure how I became someone to give advice to anyone else. That’s kind of overwhelming, and also – to me – a touch absurd. You can’t give advice until you figure out what you’re doing, right?<br><br>
The conversation got me thinking about last year. Starting the year off, I’d shot a handful of shows in a row that were amazing artists, but they were shot from the soundboard, with artists that weren’t all that energetic on stage. Still great performers, but from a photography point of view, it was just leaving me feeling deflated. The shots I was getting felt flat, felt forced, felt…similar. It becomes frustrating from a creative side, and left me wondering where the joy had gone.<br><br>
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Then April rolled around. I got word that I was approved to cover the gods of metal themselves, <a href="https://www.whig.com/review/judaspriest">Judas Priest, in Bloomington, IL</a>. That alone was enough to stir the 15-year-old fan boy in me, because this was Rob F’n Halford and crew, the guys I’ve listened to forever. But then, getting to the venue, we were led down to the pit. Oh, the glorious pit, my haven from the world. When Priest hit the stage, it was like an electric current coursing through me. My camera had a mind of its own, shooting, swinging left, right, center, capturing moments happening in blinding light and letting the screaming guitars and thundering drums overwhelm me.<br><br>
It was exactly what I needed.<br><br>
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I’m a rock/metal guy as far as my preferences, but I listen to a little bit of everything. When I’m working, with camera in hand, it doesn’t matter. Pop, country, dance, R&B, punk, alt, it makes no difference at all. If they’ll invite me in, I’ll be there. But even setting aside my musical preferences, from a creative side, I can’t imagine anything better than a rock/metal show, from the pit, to just energize me, to make me feel like, yes, I do still want to be there and keep doing this, because those shots are just THERE, they’re leaping off the screen or the paper and making you part of the action as a viewer.<br><br>
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Judas Priest is still on the same tour this year. I’m hoping to have the chance to cover them again. If I don’t, that’s okay. I’ll have the thoughts from last year. But whoever is there, with eyes pressed to viewfinders, I hope they’re ready. Because that jolt of energy is breathtaking, and it will run right through that lens and into your soul as a photographer.<br><br>Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-92098096185123749462018-12-20T16:12:00.000-06:002018-12-20T16:12:15.092-06:00Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)We’ve got a little more than a week before the year actually ends, but for concert photography, the “no, thanks!” message I got for the last show on my calendar meant I’m done in that particular department for the year. As with so many other outlets, I find myself inclined to putting this particular bow on my year as both a reflection and for looking ahead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly Hansen and Mick Jones of Foreigner - 7/18/18</td></tr>
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For 2018, I covered some truly legendary names in the music business, and a number of them are on the road to say good-bye to the road. Having missed some artists I’ve been a true fan of before they called it a day, I’m thrilled at the list I’ve accounted for this year. Sir Elton John has started his farewell tour, as has metal icons Slayer, and southern rock heavyweights Lynyrd Skynyrd. I didn’t make it to Bob Segar’s final bow in St. Louis, which is probably one that will nag at me going forward, but things happen. I also had to take a pass on the Eagles’ stop in the Gateway City, but whether they’ll be back again is anyone’s guess.<br />
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Next year, both KISS and Ozzy Osborne will be dropping by, both on their own planned curtain-call runs. I’ve seen the former in concert many times, never the latter, but I hope for the chance to stand in front of both with my cameras before they call it a day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyndi Lauper - 8/19/18</td></tr>
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Aside from farewells, there were some other pretty banner names that I was fortunate enough to add to my roster of shows covered. From Taylor Swift and Foo Fighters (twice this year!) to Sir Rod Stewart and Judas Priest. How’s that for an eclectic mix? Foreigner and Styx fall into the iconic-acts category, while Imagine Dragons and Avenged Sevenfold help carry the ball for current artists. <br />
<br />
People always want to discuss “best” this and “greatest” that. I can’t pick anything as a favorite over the others. I’m all over the place in my tastes in music, and the shows I covered reflect that. Along with the Foos, I covered Ghost twice, Lindsey Stirling at a pair of shows, Breaking Benjamin twice, Halestorm got a twofer, and The Struts – oh, The Struts, my newest musical infatuation and the band my friends are almost certainly tired of hearing me talk about already! – let me in to cover them a whopping four times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlaJNUz9L-wqLSPNtwParMZwXmzOskaPojDjzq-YKevFad2hfPlddBdHbW9bvk0ACBd4OLN0n-P_oqcbBTb2CzMpMwkd2uvdsZiY6xonQh51ieeLrJijeh_ThTE7ot2AHChNmIPghaAsI/s1600/128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1561" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlaJNUz9L-wqLSPNtwParMZwXmzOskaPojDjzq-YKevFad2hfPlddBdHbW9bvk0ACBd4OLN0n-P_oqcbBTb2CzMpMwkd2uvdsZiY6xonQh51ieeLrJijeh_ThTE7ot2AHChNmIPghaAsI/s320/128.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindsey Stirling and friends - 12/7/18</td></tr>
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There were shows that were just pure, unadulterated fun. How else can you describe a show with Vanilla Ice, Tone Loc, and Naughty By Nature, to name just a few, all on one stage (at the same time, for the finale!)? And I would tell you all about the Steel Panther show, but as you’ll learn shortly in my review, there’s not a lot I can say about it that will keep this writing at a PG-13 level. But “fun” definitely fits!<br />
<br />
Back to the eclectic thing, in one week this summer, I stood in front of Rob Zombie, Amy Lee and Evanescense with a full orchestra behind them, Grace VanderWaal, and K.Flay. Marilyn Manson and Walk The Moon were part of that same week, along with Joan Jett, who opted not to have her photos taken, but still put on one helluva show. But I also stood in an arena filled with the score of HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones” as composer Ramin Djawadi showed that an orchestra can certainly deliver a rock concert, too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YtBEWDNsPtLm7iTzfU0xaZ7_xCrBvFNEB_Qgvg6KFteCJiuLHbZl_6hwT0wM3fL8AO1TVx0zWR6uw7K7OPeD8tZWjuunDaMaEPdYdhoe1h1GKv4Yge2fd0L72HgFmjrH0MFyZOwI34Av/s1600/117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="1171" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YtBEWDNsPtLm7iTzfU0xaZ7_xCrBvFNEB_Qgvg6KFteCJiuLHbZl_6hwT0wM3fL8AO1TVx0zWR6uw7K7OPeD8tZWjuunDaMaEPdYdhoe1h1GKv4Yge2fd0L72HgFmjrH0MFyZOwI34Av/s320/117.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice Cooper and Nita Strauss of Alice Cooper - 10/20/18</td></tr>
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Names that I grew up with were in front of my lenses, and even now I have to remind myself that it wasn’t just a dream. U2 and Alice Cooper, ZZ Top and Faster Pussycat, Poison, Tesla, Cheap Trick, these are just a few of the acts I was lucky enough to cover. On the country side of the house, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert played just the same venue with just a brief gap between them, but everything was civil. Sugarland and Little Big Town dropped in to SLU for a couple of shows, bringing some of the meteoric names in country along with them, like 2019-Grammy nominee Kacey Musgraves and actress/singer Clare Bowen.<br />
<br />
In a first for me, I covered two different single-day festivals, both from The Point in St. Louis – Pointfest in May, and Wayback Pointfest in September. These shows had tons of talent, from local artists like Guerrilla Theory and The Skagbyrds to names everyone knows, or should know, like Candlebox, Buckcherry, POD, and Alien Ant Farm. With Shinedown, The Offspring, 311, and Alice in Chains at the “big names” on the posters, there was no way I wanted to miss these shows!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAAGpwI25XD1aN4Tq3Nr5QmZ8NNmARcBQdLWyV8vHuIKbwBpdnowQmN8E9XgcGxijluFbGL3sY3A499Royy6kYti5yNyMxHhhuRxkN4iyBizcy5-OdSXMUrzbYy4lOdoL8Ec5IDew0doI/s1600/093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1561" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAAGpwI25XD1aN4Tq3Nr5QmZ8NNmARcBQdLWyV8vHuIKbwBpdnowQmN8E9XgcGxijluFbGL3sY3A499Royy6kYti5yNyMxHhhuRxkN4iyBizcy5-OdSXMUrzbYy4lOdoL8Ec5IDew0doI/s320/093.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alien Ant Farm - 9/3/18</td></tr>
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Along with Slayer’s adieu, I got to round out my collection of the “Big 4” with Anthrax, and one of my favorite new acts, Bad Wolves (yeah, I’m a bit partial, sue me!) took the stage for a killer set. I watched a 6’8” clown bring an audience to laughter and tears when Puddles Pity Party performed everything from Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to Adele’s “Hello.” And I got to be in the room for The Smashing Pumpkins’ return to the stage in St. Louis.<br />
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There are so many great acts and great shows that I’ve seen this year, I’m not going to list more of them. I’ll leave some out and then I’ll feel bad. I’ve put up a “year in review” photo album that can be found and you can see who I’ve seen. But the experiences are beyond words anyway. I don’t know if next year will be able to top this year as far as pure numbers. But with acts like Disturbed, Panic! at the Disco, John Mellencamp, Metallica, Shinedown, Michael Buble, Garth Brooks, and Cher joining the aforementioned Ozzy and KISS tours in my area, I can tell you there’s no shortage of legends standing under spotlights to be found, no matter what kind of music you like. And if those names are enough for you, how the return of the Rolling Stones to the US for a thirteen-city tour, including Chicago? And, just as big for me, the return of The Raven Age opening up shows for Iron Maiden again, which brings me right back to where this all started.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vxe_qENc1YUu1QtBUgxeBQp-VR0dlTHK42HfDNfjIPHgQHmzYaKTEC0PKLCyGPaZIppJILCKAka-foIFTKLs4UCu0emivATLmLEC8NnG5jW56fKewZfda8Ywqqa5QGLwJiMR5h3jaPMP/s1600/121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="1561" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vxe_qENc1YUu1QtBUgxeBQp-VR0dlTHK42HfDNfjIPHgQHmzYaKTEC0PKLCyGPaZIppJILCKAka-foIFTKLs4UCu0emivATLmLEC8NnG5jW56fKewZfda8Ywqqa5QGLwJiMR5h3jaPMP/s320/121.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Elton John - 10/30/18</td></tr>
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See ya in the pits!
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-15701331125015652412018-12-02T11:17:00.000-06:002018-12-02T11:17:34.884-06:00Hit The Lights!I’m going to start with a little bit about the way I shoot photos, all photos, but concerts in particular. After having many (many!) discussions with other photographers, I know I over-shoot. I let my cameras do their thing, shooting as much as ten shots a second in bursts. I do this because when there are performers on stage, lights are changing, people move, they blink, all kinds of things happen. Depending on where I’m located, how many people are on stage, etc, I can shoot anywhere from 3-400 to nearly 1,000 shots during a three-song photo set. Like I said, I know this is a lot, probably too many, but I want as much as possible to whittle down later.<br><br>
And whittle I do. On average, I’ll end up with between 2-5% of what I shoot as “keepers”, stuff I edit and post for public consumption. To save you the math, that means if I shoot 500 photos, I will end up with between 10-25 shots that I’m happy enough to share. Sure, sometimes there’s more, sometime even less, but that’s about normal. And, honestly, that’s really enough. I used to post more, but they would get redundant, and who really wants to sort through three or four dozen nearly-identical repetitive shots?<br><br>
Now, with all that groundwork being laid, with the scene being set for what’s normal, what’s typical, and what I can usually expect when I walk into a show, here’s the meat of my tale today: At the show I was shooting last night (I’m not naming names here!), the opening act had nearly non-existent lighting. I suppose it’s the aesthetic they wanted, but it was basically the type of lighting stage crews use to set up and tear down between scenes during productions when they don’t want the audience seeing anything under the curtain. Here’s a simple cellphone shot from the audience:<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwuOM_yjibxLps33ZvlN1n-Fbr5yG3ruB1BV4f2lzJu8h68e9TVSqoztcteKApUwHLE2WKGM2qLpXls_1pyW-htRMMaVCzCclwcNNsZFyyzx5IKkA6XGpU9Qn_dPF3yAH7H9TW-Bl8IxU/s1600/sa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwuOM_yjibxLps33ZvlN1n-Fbr5yG3ruB1BV4f2lzJu8h68e9TVSqoztcteKApUwHLE2WKGM2qLpXls_1pyW-htRMMaVCzCclwcNNsZFyyzx5IKkA6XGpU9Qn_dPF3yAH7H9TW-Bl8IxU/s320/sa2.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
This isn’t a misrepresentation. Obviously the human eye can see more than a camera sensor, but this is what the whole set looked like. Going to back to where I started this, we were allowed to shoot the first three songs. So, even if I was shooting lightly, you’d expect 150, 200 shots, right?<br><br>
Fourteen.<br><br>
I took exactly fourteen photos during those three songs. And one of those is this one here, which I took because someone on the side-stage was using a small pocket-type flashlight to look through a tour case. Look at how much more light there is over there than on the performers!<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsTppBUR746DFI-lS-rrk_jO45z_nSNvzlXKgdzKj2Fm63NcBGcJRYAfMQhFnf33nx5Z3etF7L4nZVX2WQvD0x1Ss5raEq8LHvM3INi5OirGbohmZIwkQKIQ8e8d2MQkKc5QAtUb8nSi0/s1600/sa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsTppBUR746DFI-lS-rrk_jO45z_nSNvzlXKgdzKj2Fm63NcBGcJRYAfMQhFnf33nx5Z3etF7L4nZVX2WQvD0x1Ss5raEq8LHvM3INi5OirGbohmZIwkQKIQ8e8d2MQkKc5QAtUb8nSi0/s320/sa1.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div>
I’m not a production manager. I’m not a lighting designer. I’m certainly not a publicist. I’m a guy that slings a couple of Canon cameras around and has been incredibly fortunate to have gotten to shoot some of the biggest names in music in an incredibly short time doing concert work. But if you’re reading this and you’re in a band, or you help in any way – promoting them, setting up, friends with them, whatever – please, pass along a little bit of unsolicited advice: if you want promotion, if you want publicity for your shows and you’re going to have photographers come in, please, turn on some lights! At least for the first three songs, or whatever you allow to be shot. It makes for better shots if they’re not all completely coloured lights, too – reds and blues shoot terribly, and you’ll end up with a lot of black and white photos – but even if that’s what you want, at least turn them on.<br><br>
That’s my little miniature rant/story for the day. Thanks for tuning in!<br>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-80637842496661661962018-11-11T20:30:00.000-06:002018-11-11T20:30:05.985-06:00Fade to BlackLast night I ran into a situation that I’ve worried about for a while. A few weeks ago, I got a confirmation from a publicist to go and shoot a show in St. Louis. It’s pretty routine stuff, and I’ve gotten pretty good at making that run. I got to the venue early because there was another big show happening next door, and I didn’t want to worry about fighting for parking.<br><br>
When I got the original e-mail, there was a contact for the tour, but not for the venue’s marketing office, who usually handles the on-site coordination. No big deal, though, because I’ve worked with the place – and the people there – plenty of times. I just fired off a quick text to one of the contacts there to find out if she was handling the show. And that’s when things went awry.<br><br>
I was told I wasn’t on the list for press approval. That was unusual, but not unheard of. Sometimes people forget to pass messages on everywhere they need to be. It happens in all walks of life, all kinds of business, and this one is no exception. So I pulled up the e-mail confirmation I had, having learned some time ago to keep these messages close at hand until my foot was in the door. I had plenty of time, so I sent off an e-mail to the tour contact I had looking to get things straightened out. Since I know not everyone checks their phone every thirty seconds, especially when they’re working on setting up a rock concert, I followed up shortly thereafter with a call. I left a voice mail, then waited.<br><br>
When my phone rang, maybe ten or fifteen minutes later, I figured I was about to have it all sorted out. But I was wrong.<br><br>
It turns out the publicist that sent my approval forgot not only to tell the venue, but anyone else, either. The tour manager had heard nothing about it, and his allotment for media passes had already been used. He was incredibly apologetic, but there was nothing to be done. I hung around chatting with a fellow photographer that was covering the show, but then there was nothing left to do but point the car north and head back to the house, empty-handed.<br><br>
Between the venue contact and my fellow photographer, I’ve been told a lot in the last 24 hours how bad people feel that I got shut out, got short shrift on the show last night. Of course I’m disappointed, but this was just a bump in the road, not the end of the line. There will be other shows – I have a few on the slate for later this week – and there will be other chance to capture this artist. It could be easy to point fingers, to pound on the table, to wail and gnash teeth and to yell and scream and rage. But even if I’d done all of that, I’d still have been in the car heading home. So what’s the point? It’s just one of those things. I’m out a little gas, a little parking money, and a little time I would have spent sitting on the couch instead. So, it’s just another story to tell, to laugh about with friends, and carry on.<br><br>
I’m not naming anyone here, you might notice. I don’t want this to pop up in a few months or a few years and have people start talking about the folks involved. That’s not why I’m writing this. I’m writing it more just because it’s a story, and I like telling stories. And to share that, yes, the curtain dropped early on me last night. But the show will go on, again, and again.
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-69060330874845884892018-06-20T11:13:00.001-05:002018-06-20T11:13:01.938-05:00Stranger In A Strange LandThe two-year anniversary of my first professional concert shoot has come and gone. You can read all about that <a href="http://badwolfmedia.blogspot.com/2016/04/welcome-to-pit.html">over here </a>if you want. In just a little over two years since I was handed that first photo pass, I’ve collected 59 more of them. While I’m sure some of my concert-photography peers are chuckling at the idea of only 60 passes – or the idea of keeping track of them – I’m still pretty happy with my growing collection.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQLJljyIjV9hm_BQUWz07ZV6-uFcu_asHavOkQNpieJAXZzhTCpCUlc1RfP82X3v-keXQWJoRl5MmERGwn8V86d-LGogJZm-iNhWBTkv-6GGF3gYJIgiX4sdBLQ1KzFpW-XVU-8gxt9TQ/s1600/zztop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQLJljyIjV9hm_BQUWz07ZV6-uFcu_asHavOkQNpieJAXZzhTCpCUlc1RfP82X3v-keXQWJoRl5MmERGwn8V86d-LGogJZm-iNhWBTkv-6GGF3gYJIgiX4sdBLQ1KzFpW-XVU-8gxt9TQ/s320/zztop.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top - 2018</td></tr>
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I’ve gotten to see some incredible shows, from the legendary – Iron Maiden, ZZ Top, Metallica, John Fogerty – to the newcomers – The Struts, Ghost, The Regrettes, Kelsea Ballerini – and everything in between. I’ve shot in clubs that hold a few hundred people to stadiums packed with tens of thousands behind my back. I’ve passed superstars in hallways, stood on arena floors while monstrous stage shows were happening, and was inches away from my childhood (and adult) icons playing songs I’ve known my whole life.<br />
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And yet…<br />
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Another friend – Bonnie Burton, an incredible author - wrote a <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/impostor-syndrome-tips-for-feeling-less-like-a-fake/">great piece</a> earlier this year talking about “Imposter Syndrome.” It’s nice to know others feel the same way, but that doesn’t really change the feeling. I’ve explained to others that, every time I step into pit or onto the floor for a concert I’m shooting, there’s a desperation in my head. There’s a part of me – a not-too-quiet part – that’s telling me to not screw it up, or they’re going to realize you scammed your way in here. My goal at every show is to get the shots that are going to show that I belong there, that get me in to the next show, and then the one after that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb_58QhJAwfAuCtULwGpQtEjIMeoDCt0nITmGFuS8tuGpPLi9msOgLLN5eAHYFwitSTOyFTpMC3WwDdUDUHtLfW4v9AGzQL47vgAy2vMWy_tf5_qGk6X57ZjOtrN5F3mmJdkv_1Z2zwSz/s1600/shania.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb_58QhJAwfAuCtULwGpQtEjIMeoDCt0nITmGFuS8tuGpPLi9msOgLLN5eAHYFwitSTOyFTpMC3WwDdUDUHtLfW4v9AGzQL47vgAy2vMWy_tf5_qGk6X57ZjOtrN5F3mmJdkv_1Z2zwSz/s320/shania.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shania Twain - 2018</td></tr>
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So, why am I writing this? Honestly, I have no idea. I have a ton of friends and family that always seem excited to see my shots and hear what adventures I’m off to. In online communities, I get compliments when I share my work, and that’s gratifying. So it’s definitely not me fishing for compliments. Besides all of that above, 1) I don’t think all that many folks read this stuff and 2) taking compliments is one of the hardest things I know how to do – or don’t know how to do, more accurately.<br />
<br />
Really, I started writing this because I’ve not written anything for a while, and I realized the anniversary had passed. Then I started thinking and writing about some of the cool stuff I’ve gotten to do. And then I started feeling like I was being a braggart, which circled right back around to that Imposter Syndrome thing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIll1FhuYycGyz1tuwmOw6xlpEu2PuY26L2VVRWQtBPP-g-N2Mg6Y69zwnLAgp8aLT1nI3YaRGjdqJlHadJklFnS-C6SjGLdR3J2E24EzyInjQ5QkYvBCadvLsBTEv12oro3N0ZlD7-vpg/s1600/struts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIll1FhuYycGyz1tuwmOw6xlpEu2PuY26L2VVRWQtBPP-g-N2Mg6Y69zwnLAgp8aLT1nI3YaRGjdqJlHadJklFnS-C6SjGLdR3J2E24EzyInjQ5QkYvBCadvLsBTEv12oro3N0ZlD7-vpg/s320/struts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Struts - 2018</td></tr>
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I’ve been doing this for two years now, and going really strong for the last fourteen months or so. As of the time I’m writing this, there’s no signs of slowing down, so I guess I can say I’m doing pretty decently at it. Only a few denials have come my way, and I don’t think they’re personal (I’d be far more flattered if those artists knew me enough to turn me down personally!). Just part of the game. I hope any of you that are reading this are still enjoying seeing what I’ve been getting up to, and I hope you enjoy reading about it every now and then, too. That’s definitely something I need to do more of. I’ve not posted here since March, and that’s just about criminal!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3bYSvDFJqBuQIY37TquxxHTrCcTQ7irKtlP0GLV6gTwpVGCeNn3IvHOgOxPpXwT8l1EJn8006nFn0fZ2MBBfFArSoHbeV4AuSc0Q3aCodk11C8Qcf9C6Ts-hOuYwSRv91CjBTUl1L7sM/s1600/ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3bYSvDFJqBuQIY37TquxxHTrCcTQ7irKtlP0GLV6gTwpVGCeNn3IvHOgOxPpXwT8l1EJn8006nFn0fZ2MBBfFArSoHbeV4AuSc0Q3aCodk11C8Qcf9C6Ts-hOuYwSRv91CjBTUl1L7sM/s320/ghost.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardinal Copia of Ghost - 2018</td></tr>
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Thanks for the support. Thanks for reading, thanks for rocking, and keep your fingers crossed that I keep adding to my collection!Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-47682193539516074162018-03-30T09:37:00.000-05:002018-03-30T09:37:55.702-05:00Careless MemoriesIt would seem that 2018 is going to be the year that nostalgia truly rules. <i>Roseanne</i> is back on television, Def Leppard and Journey are playing a summer stadium tour, and a lot of the fashion trends thought dead and buried more than three decades ago are sprouting up again (for better or worse!).<br><br>
But the granddaddy of all nostalgia trips is making the leap from page to screen this week, so that’s what I’m here to talk about. Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel <i>Ready Player One </i>takes place in a dystopian near-future where a true energy crisis has hit the planet, leaving people stranded at home, even for work. The only way to go anywhere is virtually, though a massive online construct called the OASIS. Through this framework, a story unfolds following (of course) the unlikely heroics of the book’s protagonist, a self-described overweight kid who’s greatest relief was when school moved online so that he could get away from real-life bullies. <br><br>
If you don’t know the story by now, with all the coverage of the movie, here’s the nutshell version: An eccentric Steve Jobs-type video game creator, the man that started the OASIS, dies and leaves a message for the whole world. Out there, in his virtual creation, he’s hidden an Easter egg and clues to get to it. Whoever gets there first becomes the owner of the OASIS and, oh yeah, a couple hundred billion dollars to boot. Our protagonist – Wade Watts, because his dad was a fan of Stan Lee-style alliteration – becomes an egg-hunter, or gunter for short, with the dreams of winning this spectacular contest. He does so with the help of a few friends, while battling the evil corporation trying to take control of the OASIS for their own nefarious plans – which are basically focused around putting the whole thing behind a pay-wall and selling ad-space.<br><br>
Okay, all caught up? Up to this point, the book and the film are tracking perfectly. This is the spine of the story, and that spine remains true. But the rest of the skeleton, and the muscles, tendons, organs, and skin that make up the rest of the body of work couldn’t really be much more different.<br><br>
(**Spoilers for both book and movie ahead, but I’ll try to keep them minor**)<br><br>
In the book, the challenges to find the three keys are much more cerebral. That’s not to say smarter, but they involve more sleuthing than their movie counterparts. The first key, for instance, is located in a hidden replica of a <i>Dungeons & Dragons </i>expansion, where the seeker then has to battle a demon king in…an arcade game. In the film, as promised by the very earliest of teaser trailers, the challenge consists of an all-out, no-holds-barred race instead.<br><br>
I’m not going to go point by point and compare and contrast. The gist boils down to this: The book deals more with problem-solving, working things out in your head, piecing puzzles together. The movie has puzzles, too, but they’re more color-by-number visual situations than brain teasers. Basically, finding the Easter egg in the movie requires…finding Easter eggs in movies.<br><br>
There is, and will continue to be, a lot of debate over whether the changes made in the translation from page to screen are any good. Personally, I told a group of friends a few months ago that I was keeping my expectations low because I knew there was no way they could pull it off by staying true to the book. But after I said that, it dawned on me that I was looking at it wrong. Yes, the film took its cues from the book, but it’s a separate beast. It was never going to be a direct adaptation. And if it didn’t work, the book wasn’t going anywhere. If I preferred that, it was always going to be there for me to go back to.<br><br>
The movie doesn’t delve into any deep secrets of the universe, though it tries to be philosophical toward the end. It’s filled with visual spectacle and so many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references, I think it’s destined to be one of the most freeze-framed movies ever. But it’s a Spielberg film targets at younger (not kids, but younger) audiences. You know what you’re going to get going in, and if you have that mindset, you won’t be disappointed. If you go in with a checklist from the book, then you’re setting yourself up for frustration. And I guess if that’s your goal, you won’t be disappointed in that case, either.<br><br>
I do have a few honest complaints about the movie itself, separate from comparing it to the book. Mark Rylance as James Halliday didn’t work for me. I’m confident Rylance did exactly what Speilberg wanted, but the character is supposed to be a Steve Jobs-like character with a social awkwardness that became a recluse later in life. But he had no charisma, just the awkwardness. I can’t fathom how this character would become a household name that people would recognize like Jobs was. I think they just tipped the scales too far in that direction.<br><br>
Similarly, I think Ben Mendelsohn’s villain, Sorrento, was very one-dimensional. He didn’t seem smart enough to be leading a corporate division, because he barely seemed competent enough to use the restroom without someone showing him how the door worked. It felt like a bit of a waste of a talented actor in a bit part that was actually a really important role.<br><br>
T.J. Miller, on the other hand, was really amusing for a guy that never once appeared on screen. He was just voicing a digital thug in the film, but he was such a “gamer dumbass” type that it just worked perfectly. His character was engrossed in his virtual character, so much so that I imagine him to be the type that forgets he doesn’t really look like that when he’s in the real world.<br><br>
On the hero side, the leads all did their jobs well. Nothing groundbreaking, but not really any stumbles, either. There’s a lot of story to be told and, even in nearly two and a half hours, there’s not a lot of time to focus on building the characters. This <i>is</i> one place the book has an advantage over the film. Told in the first person, the book lets us focus on Wade, to get to know him, his thoughts, and his motivations. But if they tried to be that centered in the film, the filmmakers would get crucified for making the other characters secondary. That’s part of the world we live in now.<br><br>
Cline’s original book was a love-letter to all the things Cline loved as a kid, from the video games to the movies to the music to the pizza joints with a few coin-op machines in the back room. The movie is also a love-letter, this time to all the visual spectacle of the summer blockbusters that have come to define movies of a new generation. It’s different from the book, but that’s okay, because of one really big reason, in my estimation. As one of the screenwriters, the movie is still an Ernest Cline love-letter.<br>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-8217782465672074352018-02-28T15:00:00.000-06:002018-06-20T10:50:22.457-05:00Where Have All The Good Times GoneWhen do we stop liking “new” music? I never wanted to be that guy that just keeps listening to the same stuff over and over, but here I am. And I don’t just mean genres, either.<br />
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After listening to a group of younger folks talking about new artists this past weekend, I realized I had no idea who about ¾ of the names were. And the names I did know, I knew for the wrong reasons (usually tabloid headlines). So when does this happen to us?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2o8POF1JE7TinAbyRG2WdQ8iEyYKr6wAhwxmWer11jcUNRzt0CdqYRY7dtlRklqPOMQz6AFdTRu5nQC1mNH0l1WwjQ0SlQXJJTwQUqyX_Aa0pd2ZtiBY8TVY76VD_NeSNiCYDbUV1R6ev/s1600/poison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1561" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2o8POF1JE7TinAbyRG2WdQ8iEyYKr6wAhwxmWer11jcUNRzt0CdqYRY7dtlRklqPOMQz6AFdTRu5nQC1mNH0l1WwjQ0SlQXJJTwQUqyX_Aa0pd2ZtiBY8TVY76VD_NeSNiCYDbUV1R6ev/s320/poison.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CC DeVille of Poison - St. Louis, MO - 2017</td></tr>
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Strangely, there does appear to be an answer. A study published a few years ago found that most people tend to stop going after new music and circle back on “coming of age” favorites when they reach about 33 years old. Men are less likely to listen to newer music than women, but the median age still averages out about the same.<br />
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But what that doesn’t explain, really, is why. Over the last few days, I’ve had the SiriusXM radio streaming at work. Rather than my fall-backs of Hair Nation, Ozzy’s Boneyard, or even Turbo, I put on Octane to see what’s new in the genre I love – hard rock and heavy metal. And none of it was bad, not a one of the songs was something I would point to and say “what the hell is that???” The problem, for me, is that none of them stood out enough to get that far. It all just sounded the same.<br />
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Doing the concert photography thing, I’ve found myself hanging out with photographers generally younger than me (getting into the game late). I get excited when the bands of my youth are coming back to town – Poison and Def Leppard and Judas Priest are all coming through my area, and I hope to be in the pit with them! But when newer bands, bands that excite my fellow shooters – Queens of the Stone Age, MGMT, Muse – come through, I’m looking to shoot those shows because I know they're popular and I want them for my portfolio and to attract people to my work. It’s not that I have any problems with the music, it just doesn’t excite me.<br />
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The flip-side is that I feel the same way about what I see as “legacy” acts coming through – the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chicago. These are bands that are legendary, but they’re before my time. I want to cover the shows for the prestige of having them in my collection, but not for the show itself. (And even committing these words to the electronic ether, I run the risk of it getting back to a publicist and having them say “well, if you don’t really want to be there…” But that’s a chance I’ll take.)<br />
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The thing is, these are all bands that fall into the circle of music I should like. Old and new, these are rock acts. But only some of them are mine. There are a few exceptions. I’ve really gotten to like The Struts, and Ghost from Sweden. A few others are pulling at my attention, we’ll see if they latch on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS0gG6fVyeBW8QtJvwrW0mNkEkgS5F2BwHoC7NQ5W1U70243W1MafJUggmwABs5-2BhRiYFYCqSIe6R47Uz2I4B28A3etKy0pNBNi86vOQXQFMPdGNKli8pEbgbNBegXbLg9HpHtmUQAE/s1600/struts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS0gG6fVyeBW8QtJvwrW0mNkEkgS5F2BwHoC7NQ5W1U70243W1MafJUggmwABs5-2BhRiYFYCqSIe6R47Uz2I4B28A3etKy0pNBNi86vOQXQFMPdGNKli8pEbgbNBegXbLg9HpHtmUQAE/s320/struts.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke Spiller of The Struts - Champaign, IL - 2017</td></tr>
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I don’t know what it is in out sort-of evolved primate brains that, at a certain point, we just say “nope, that’s enough. I like what I like and all this other stuff is just white noise that won’t get through my filters.” I don’t really like having those filters, but it really seems deeply ingrained. I’m trying to break it and shake it, but I just keep coming back to what I know.<br />
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Just my rambling thoughts for a Wednesday afternoon.
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-44014238022977555832017-12-11T13:18:00.002-06:002018-01-12T13:41:46.240-06:00Bad Boys (of Rock & Roll)The big news in the world of rock – and especially rock photography – is what happened over the weekend at the KROQ “Almost Acoustic” show. Saturday night, Queens of the Stone Age lead singer Josh Homme was seen, and caught on video, walking past a photographer in the pit before turning around and kicking the front of her camera, driving it back into her face. I feel certain there was a reason for it, but there was absolutely no excuse. Whatever that reason was is something Mr. Homme, his bandmates, and his fans are going to have to reflect on long and hard before they can figure out where they want to go from here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKMX7q5_wTwLo7PiDVEh10astJ1dd-zZNDUdm0sQ911pulGNgA5P8aZ_Kt6TWyih7HYlhCrC8lbTyUsOtaMe3jj_ZKekB_1duML1THiv9AtUg5b_VgQZ2669FjmLlNI53Gta-QrUdv9ln/s1600/homme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKMX7q5_wTwLo7PiDVEh10astJ1dd-zZNDUdm0sQ911pulGNgA5P8aZ_Kt6TWyih7HYlhCrC8lbTyUsOtaMe3jj_ZKekB_1duML1THiv9AtUg5b_VgQZ2669FjmLlNI53Gta-QrUdv9ln/s320/homme.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age - St. Louis, MO</td></tr>
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The photographer isn’t one I’m familiar with, but I’m starting to learn more about her. Her name is <a href="https://twitter.com/ChelseaLaurenLA" target="_blank">Chelsea Lauren</a>, and her work is pretty damn amazing. She was there working, covering the show, and she continued to do so. Some people have already pointed to that and said “she must not have been hurt that bad if she kept working!” That’s a load of crap, and I hope anyone saying that knows it. She went to the ER after the show, and there are likely to be charges filed through the police department. We’ll be hearing more about this story in the days to come, I have no doubt.<br />
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But there’s a broader story here, a wider topic I’ve seen discussed. “It’s a rock show! Sometimes things get rowdy at rock shows! That’s the chance you take, right?” This is the refrain I’ve seen on a number of pages and comment-sections. The answer is no, this is NOT the chance you take, and – contrary to popular belief – it never has been. Yes, there have always been performers with attitudes, and sometimes they even act belligerently towards the crowds, the very people paying to see them. For some fans, it’s expected. They know this is how “their guy” or “this band” acts on stage. But calling names from behind the microphone is still a far cry from actual physical assault/battery. You hear all the stories of rock star antics from trashing dressing rooms and hotel rooms to walking off stage in the middle of shows. But it’s exceedingly rare that you hear of a performer getting truly physical with anyone, and even less so that it’s a deliberate act.<br />
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In this case, it wasn’t even an audience member. It was a photographer who was there, working, trying to cover the show and give some press to the band, generally in a flattering light. The photo pit isn’t home to paparazzi. This is the realm of people that want “the shot!”, that one amazing photo that the artist will want for posters and t-shirts and album covers and magazine articles. This isn’t tabloids looking for “gotcha” moments or things to make the artists looks like idiots. As a photographer, if you post too many photos like that, you’ll suddenly find yourself on the outside looking in.<br />
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The myth of the “bad boys of rock & roll” has always been more hype than reality. Yeah, things used to be more chaos incarnate, but even then, it wasn’t as bad as legend has it, and they still knew you didn’t cross certain lines, or it would cost you your career. And now, in this insta-view, auto-post, live-streamed society, it’s even more crucial that even the “bad boys” are more reigned in than ever. A stage persona stays on the stage. If a performer truly doesn’t like photographers, they simply don’t let them in to the show. They don’t invite them in and then abuse them.<br />
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This story will be very interesting to follow. I do hope for Ms. Lauren’s health, and I know she’s picked up at least one new fan from it. Unfortunately, the opposite is likely to be the case for Mr. Homme and the rest of Queens of the Stone Age. From the other side of the lens, I can say this won’t affect me at all. This was a freak situation. Whatever the reason behind it – again, reason, not excuse! – it’s not a common occurrence, and it doesn’t worry me in the least.<br />
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If any musicians happen to read this, just keep in mind that the men and women behind those lenses down there in front of you want to be there, and they want to make you look as good as you want to look for them. Let’s make it all work, and do it together, whaddya say?Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-12431984820038662122017-10-17T14:31:00.001-05:002017-10-17T18:56:54.341-05:00Engage the Fear MachineThe textbook definition of a phobia is "an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.”<br />
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To me, the key word there has always been irrational. For someone living in the Midwest, I’ve found fear of sharks to be a bit silly, but I know several people for whom it’s a real thing. For me, the two biggest ones are spiders and heights. There’s nothing to be said to change my mind in either case. I know people keep spiders as pets, and I assume they’re very happy together. And there are people that make great (fantastic, even!) livings walking high steel or not-so-high roofs putting on shingles and whatnot. But both of those ideas are beyond the realm of conceivable to me. <br />
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When I talk about irrational, for me that means that seeing a spider, even a little one, makes my pulse race and my blood pressure spike. There’s no reason for it. I could step on it and end the ‘threat’ in about two seconds. But knowing that logically doesn’t help at all when all those subconscious, animal-based fight-or-flight mechanisms start firing off. The same thing with heights: I get very wobbly standing on something as small as a step-stool. There’s a very low likelihood of injury falling from a height measure in inches, no feet, but the fear still fires up.<br />
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But slap a camera in my hand, point me toward a shot, and tell me “do what you need to and make it happen” and things change. Today at lunch, I was killing time and grabbing some random shots of some fall blooms on some flowers when I caught some movement. I took the camera down and noticed there was a small little spider on one of the petals, obviously protecting his home. No matter how small, my typical reaction would have been to step back and move on, letting him rule that roost. But I had my trusty Canon, and all I could think was “Oh! You’re gonna pose for me??” and I started shooting again.<br />
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I’ve been known to climb five flights of stairs (exercise isn’t a phobia, but it’s something I avoid when possible!) to get to a rooftop, lean out over the edge, and get a shot of a party in the street below. Rather than worrying about who below will end up wearing whatever I’d eaten in the previous 48-hours, I mostly just worry about not dropping my camera….and making sure my lens cap is off.<br />
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I’ve read photojournalists talking about this sort of thing. Seeing the horrors of war through a lens lessens the impact, not because they’re callous and unfeeling, but because it has to. You can’t do that kind of kind of job and not separate yourself from it to a degree. I’m not comparing me taking photos of flowers with spiders on them to the ravages of war, but I think it’s the same concept. The lens, the camera, becomes not just a tool but a filter. It’s not a conscious choice, not for me, anyway (and far be it from me to speak for anyone else!). It’s more that when I lock in on something I want a shot of, I stop worrying about other things. I stop thinking about the spider, or the fall, or the derby jammer that’s falling and the skate coming at my head, or the pyro blast going off a few feet away on stage. I’ve got my camera, I want the shot.<br />
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Everything else will just have to wait.Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-5878245616585386192017-10-04T11:36:00.001-05:002017-10-04T11:40:50.972-05:00Times They Are A Changin'<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">“Where else could you parlay that talent?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">That was a question someone asked me while looking at my concert
photos the other day, after I told them I didn’t do it for a living because no
one really wants to pay for that kind of work. I was flattered by the compliment,
of course, but the answer holds true. I like to consider myself a photographer,
and can even call myself a professional since I have gotten paid on occasion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">The market, however, is saturated with people like me,
though. I saw someone local post on Facebook a few weeks back asking for
recommendations on local photographers that can do indoor and outdoor portrait
photos. I don’t really do portraits because, frankly, I’m terrible at them. (I’ve
done them a few times and I’m lucky I didn’t get hunted with pitchforks.) In
response, I saw at least a dozen names thrown out there, and I only knew one or
two of them. In a town of 40,000 people, that’s a LOT of photography!<br />
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DSLR cameras are getting cheaper all the time, with the lower-end cameras
getting the performance that cost four or five figures just ten years ago.
Cellphone camera technology has gotten to the point that fans shooting photos
from the first dozen rows at concerts are getting shots that some pros can’t
get, especially when access is limited to shooting further back by the artists.<br />
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And artists themselves, they’re finding less and less reason to need
photographers. Magazines and newspapers are dying, even online. When it comes
to music media, even the venerable Rolling Stone magazine has announced that
they’ve put themselves on the market recently. Social media is the new
communications method, and at any given shot, a performer can expect hundreds
or even thousands of images to pop up instantly after – often during! – the shows.
Even radio stations just send their own people and grab cellphone shots to
share! (This isn’t a knock, by the way. I know that’s an industry trying to
figure things out, too, where they have people wearing more hats than ever
before, covering on-air and behind-the-scenes responsibilities!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">So where does that leave me? I’m over 40 now, and I’m just
starting to dip my foot into something that I would love to do for a living,
but it’s a field that’s becoming extinct. My name isn’t Ross Halfin or Todd Owyoung
or Annie Liebovitz. I’m not really getting calls asking me to go to shows (I
have gotten a handful of those from a publicist for smaller, up-and-coming
acts). When I go shoot shows, they’re for myself, and for fun. This might be
shooting myself in the foot if the wrong people read it, but I work freelance
through the local paper because you have to be credentialed through a reputable
source to get in the door. But the deal is I use their name, they run photos
and reviews on occasion, but that’s the exchange. It’s not for-hire work. I
think it’s a fair trade, because it’s gotten me into shows I wouldn’t get any
other way.<br />
<br />
But I’m still subject to photo releases from the band, which means they tell me
where I can shoot, for how long, and what I can (and can’t) do with the photos
afterward. I’ve seen some photographers talking about how they simply refuse to
sign those. I guess I could try that, and then I would imagine I would be told
to have a nice drive home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said,
the bands and artists don’t need me at this stage in the game, so they get to
set the rules.<br />
<br />
Back to the original question: Where can I parlay what I love doing (and what
some people apparently see as me doing well) into a money-making gig? The
answer to that is…I have no idea. A band might call me tomorrow and offer to
take me out as a tour photographer. That would be cool. The odds of that are
about the same as them picking a kid from the crowd to join them as a guitar
player or singer. Which, I might add, has happened, but not very often. I might
get offered a deal as a venue photographer somewhere, but since most places
have a few shows a year, maybe as many as a few dozen for a really busy venue,
that’s still not likely to pay the bills. And that would certainly require
moving, also.<br />
<br />
None of this is meant to be a complaint. I’m really loving what I’m doing right
now. Would I like to be making money at it? Hell, yes, I would! I just think I’ve
come along at a time when the whole business is shifting away from that whole
model. And that kills me. But as long as I keep getting “approved” in my
e-mails, I’ll keep going. I’m seeing performers I love, shows I never thought I’d
see, and I’m getting to shoot some (hopefully) great photos of them. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;">And if a few folks are enjoying what they’re seeing, then
that’s just a cherry on top for me.</span></div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-65491974314622760472017-09-11T09:42:00.001-05:002017-09-11T09:42:20.372-05:00The Battle Rages OnI’ve posted in the past that I won’t be doing a lot of local charitable photo work in the foreseeable future. This really breaks my heart, because there are a lot of great causes out there that definitely deserve the help and the promotion. There are a lot of reasons I’ve had to pull back from these events. Some are selfish – putting more time into doing the concert photography, for example. Some are practical – there are only so many weekends in a year. Some of it has come from the fact that there are a few people out there that just don’t understand the work that goes into photo work, even free work. I don’t make a living at this, so when I’m getting messages at my day job (where I work for silly things like paying bills and eating) to check the status of the non-paying work I did the day before….<br />
<br /><br />
But I digress. This isn’t about that. This isn’t a “woe is me.” This is about a charity event I was happy to attend over the weekend. My friend Dawn asked me if I would be willing to get some shots of the party and fashion show that was a fundraiser for the Adams County Suicide Prevention Coalition. I’m not a fashion photographer – if I put on a t-shirt that’s not inside out, it’s a good day. But when Dawn calls for help on these projects, I’ll help anyway I can.<br />
<br /><br />
For those who don’t know, Dawn lost her son to suicide in his senior year of high school. I didn’t know Dylan well, maybe a passing word once or twice. But it was at a time my own son was about to start high school. We’ve had our own issue with him, dealing with bullies and personal things that he’s gone through. I won’t say that I can fathom even a fraction of what Dawn or her family or Dylan’s friends have gone through, but I can see the possibilities, and so I’m glad to lend a hand and try and stop it from happening even one more time.<br />
<br /><br />
Take a look over at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/BadWolfQuincy/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1560694930648038" target="_blank">photo album of the fashion show</a> portion of Saturday night’s event. The models were lovely and handsome, the styles were fabulous with amazing hair and make-up as always. There will be more photos to come of the party, and I do hope everyone enjoys them and had a great time Saturday night. I know, according to Dawn, it was a very successful night from a fundraising side.<br />
<br /><br />
If you’re reading this, and you would like to show your support, reach out to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Adams-County-Suicide-Prevention-Coalition-1876959612552449/" target="_blank">Adams County Suicide Prevention Coalition</a> Facebook page and ask how you can help or donate. If you look through the photos, you’ll see these shirts that say “stigma” with the slash through them:<br />
<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0Ye6VKDHkbjjWJqpprtk9XRGAAIzAxCxrUFYqJT_IT_ucn3lT4smM2rWlnYwGnVyHXqMk1qOmMTaYZvu_FnzPVZXIXxVIWUo_OJ1gA-iY_yp-mtITf2GpTyfj2zsyKSiPMEEdoYjLYnv/s1600/stigma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0Ye6VKDHkbjjWJqpprtk9XRGAAIzAxCxrUFYqJT_IT_ucn3lT4smM2rWlnYwGnVyHXqMk1qOmMTaYZvu_FnzPVZXIXxVIWUo_OJ1gA-iY_yp-mtITf2GpTyfj2zsyKSiPMEEdoYjLYnv/s320/stigma.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<br /><br />
If you want your own, if you want to help erase the stigma around talking about both suicide and mental health issues in general, contact <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Allysboutiquequincy/" target="_blank">Ally’s Boutique Quincy</a>. But most importantly, if you have anyone that you’re worried about, or that has expressed thoughts of suicide, just be there for them.<br />
<br /><br />
Just listen.Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-21121582875475584612017-08-11T10:05:00.000-05:002017-08-11T10:05:28.102-05:00How You Gonna See Me NowLast year some time, I had the very clever idea of tricking out my camera bag with a custom strap. If I wanted to be a rock & roll photog, I should find a way to look the part, make myself stand out from the crowd! So I took a trip to my favorite home for all music-related purchases, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SecondStringMusic/" target="_blank">Second String Music</a> (5th & Maine, Quincy, IL! Tell 'em Mike sent you....and watch them say "Mike who?") and grabbed a really cool <a href="http://www.levysleathers.com/" target="_blank">Levy's</a> "No More Mr. Nice Guy" guitar strap. Cool black and red graphics on the front, lyrics to the song on the back (in case the singer of a cover band loses his place, I guess?). This is a stock photo, but it's the same strap I bought:<br />
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrwoaB8pf1FAuy8cicqyijkPJ0BIC0mim1O57hgC__kmSbeo-lXOilfKYv57qNMHTwJDgYIHKhfl8Hnk_yQQs3yE57G5BXH6L5X13_PCTfZ5zm-m6j_u6NL-FvIkY9K_z9AoRCuuWeMY9/s1600/nice+guy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1000" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrwoaB8pf1FAuy8cicqyijkPJ0BIC0mim1O57hgC__kmSbeo-lXOilfKYv57qNMHTwJDgYIHKhfl8Hnk_yQQs3yE57G5BXH6L5X13_PCTfZ5zm-m6j_u6NL-FvIkY9K_z9AoRCuuWeMY9/s320/nice+guy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<br />I threw on a couple of these carabineer-style rings to hook it to the bag and I was ready to go!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5XAQbgfa_mSu6aCdUr5RnS8rX4m_ub-XD3kSXthyphenhyphen2bScsePV2R8dxGCYUXIOylqb2CJ4JrJ8b01SW9BxVUhixJ5UGGO32z8uQVnQ9DvFfQIssQsljouhsJFx08yPstNzXjN1rhY_K4aL/s1600/carabiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5XAQbgfa_mSu6aCdUr5RnS8rX4m_ub-XD3kSXthyphenhyphen2bScsePV2R8dxGCYUXIOylqb2CJ4JrJ8b01SW9BxVUhixJ5UGGO32z8uQVnQ9DvFfQIssQsljouhsJFx08yPstNzXjN1rhY_K4aL/s200/carabiner.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
Jump to two weeks ago. I was rushing to get to a show that St. Louis traffic had made me late for. I had to park more than a half mile a way and I was hoofing it in a hurry to get there before I missed the window to shoot from the floor. At the worst possible moment, the end of the strap gave way, nearly dumping my camera gear into the street around 6th & Lucas in downtown St. Louis.<br />
<br /><br />
I want to be clear here. This is not a knock on Levy's. They're strap, to a guy that knows nothing about guitars and their accessories, seems really well-made and durable. This is also not even remotely trying to say that Second String sold me a bad product. I feel like anyone that knows Rodney and Sheryl would know that anyway, but this is the internet, so clarity is beneficial. No, the broken strap is completely my fault for using it to carry a weight that is probably double or more what the manufacturer intended it to carry. When you get outside of the intended purpose for a product, all bets are off. This time, I lost that bet. But that's on my head.<br />
<br /><br />
Rather than as any criticism, I'm making you read this novella so I could set the stage to praise Boyer's Boot and Shoe here in Quincy. I didn't want to give up the idea of using this cool strap for my camera gear, especially with plenty of more concerts lined up that I'm hoping to shoot (including Alice Cooper, coincidentally!). I took the strap out to Boyer's and showed them what happened and explained what I was looking for: Something durable that can carry the load, and something a little better than the rings to hook it to the bag.<br />
<br /><br />
In less than a week, this is what the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcPS_XXqnj8" target="_blank">shoe elves</a>*" at Boyer's turned out for me:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_IaDkaapavakhqcsk38usHXN-TKVRIRwfSvCT1-7kreXBp-_uQQa66muTsMAzFeNl9nM19rx5z8R5lj8h_CfQ9WKFTRu5DDV_k0Ox2Vr1wNBaOr1VQZWpZSyPcmcBstJlE3es-rEPqU6/s1600/strap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_IaDkaapavakhqcsk38usHXN-TKVRIRwfSvCT1-7kreXBp-_uQQa66muTsMAzFeNl9nM19rx5z8R5lj8h_CfQ9WKFTRu5DDV_k0Ox2Vr1wNBaOr1VQZWpZSyPcmcBstJlE3es-rEPqU6/s400/strap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Gorgeous black leather, maintaining the adjustability of the strap, and slick, flat-black hardware that fits like it was created just for the task. I'm ready to get out and give this new rig a shot, but I can't imagine having any sort of hiccups with it. For those interested in such things, I'll get the first real shot to test it out on Monday, 8/14/17, for the Green Day concert at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Keep an eye on the Bad Wolf Facebook page for photos and to the Herald-Whig for a full review!<br />
<br /><br />
Thanks to Boyer's, as well as Second String Music and Levy's for the great product. It makes me feel a little cooler, even if I'm really not...<br />
<br /><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Boyer's commercial by Table Sixteen Productions</span>Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-54817211911197641452017-07-29T21:41:00.000-05:002017-07-29T21:41:25.846-05:00It's So EasyA couple of days ago, I got the e-mail I was hoping for since I sent out the request: I was approved to shoot the Guns N' Roses return to St. Louis.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZ2rgIpZWnS-sGJ_m3gGj4Hzmq6vvO3ObhtfzsM2OLKV92P5lHMjuoeffvlApmZWkE0qqYCt39bO4TIuonllbLfPr5lZenfYbkZum91Chut_vTFxRJHFw3LlP8pjxegYu6KXHE3A7KBTt/s1600/01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZ2rgIpZWnS-sGJ_m3gGj4Hzmq6vvO3ObhtfzsM2OLKV92P5lHMjuoeffvlApmZWkE0qqYCt39bO4TIuonllbLfPr5lZenfYbkZum91Chut_vTFxRJHFw3LlP8pjxegYu6KXHE3A7KBTt/s320/01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Axl Rose (l) and Slash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
To set the stage, I'm a music fan. But I'm an old-dude music fan. I'm at the point where the music I listen to and concerts I'd like to see are the same acts that I listened to as a kid. Metallica, Poison, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Megadeth - the kings of 80s/90s rock and heavy metal scene. This year, I've gotten approval to shoot every one of those acts (and many others) except Guns. Finally, when they hit the Gateway City, I was allowed to roll in with my camera and capture the moment.<br />
<br />
From Quincy to St. Louis is, generally, about two hours. A little more some days, a little less others, but right around there. The doors for the show opened at 5:30, with the opening act taking the stage at 6:30. I needed to be there by 6:00 to be ready and escorted down to the floor. I hit the road at 3:30, so that gave me a little padding in case of traffic problems, right?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f4bmLw65k_WT7C9vDBYvYMkhLTFGUzky69AxRW44jJ8GFaduLO_nJBzE4WvbcmpyDGYkm5ny5F7mgELfJmzMregWBzu4DUGIj0pzUlmLjgBnxPDkoeqGCCtwe9ljFPgp11T1bnDDHEh4/s1600/02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1f4bmLw65k_WT7C9vDBYvYMkhLTFGUzky69AxRW44jJ8GFaduLO_nJBzE4WvbcmpyDGYkm5ny5F7mgELfJmzMregWBzu4DUGIj0pzUlmLjgBnxPDkoeqGCCtwe9ljFPgp11T1bnDDHEh4/s320/02.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slash</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ever driven I-70 in St. Louis, about 4:30 or 5:00 on a rainy weekday afternoon?<br />
<br />
About the time I got to the airport, I hit "the traffic." I don't remember it causing me such a long delay before, but by the time I got off of the interstate, it had taken me a little more than three hours to get there. Obviously, that meant I missed the chance to shoot the Deftones opening set.<br />
<br />
Now, have you ever decided to go to a big concert where tens of thousands of people are going? How'd you do with parking?<br />
<br />
When I finally got into St. Louis, the nightmare continued. Parking lots were full, street construction was making everything a snarl when people were trying to turn and couldn't get back into the flow. It was a bit after 7:00 when I finally got parked...more than half a mile from the venue.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdYae3FK3QrBBPF9BPJSFHXPqJfJMDrJQGAec022Cw4ytEzAEV8eOFWo2_lr9PSIV-kSumRLolulWQ-Af-Ou_b-FjaeJR9kBgp-7F1ML-aFQNyZgNimAtNkOlBe-2qSkCkehoinsK-J4_/s1600/03.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdYae3FK3QrBBPF9BPJSFHXPqJfJMDrJQGAec022Cw4ytEzAEV8eOFWo2_lr9PSIV-kSumRLolulWQ-Af-Ou_b-FjaeJR9kBgp-7F1ML-aFQNyZgNimAtNkOlBe-2qSkCkehoinsK-J4_/s320/03.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Fortus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A half-mile doesn't seem like much until you have to hoof it with a moderately heavy gear-bag, and you're in a rush because you were supposed to check in at 7:00 for the show. But I was on the ground, and in contact with the marketing guy running things. I was behind, but the show was, too. So we were all good...<br />
<br />
...until my bag-strap broke. I customized my camera bag to use a guitar strap because why be like everyone else? The problem is the strap was designed to hold a guitar that runs 7-10 pounds, not a camera bag weighing more double that weight, if not more. And they're definitely not designed for carrying that weight while power-walking through a metropolitan area.<br />
<br />
It's enough to make a grown man cry! But who's got time for that kinda nonsense?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MBxU-xK14sdzv24wUjhpIECEChx3c17a9hZU-nptuZ2ehOHK-fiHICEogh2tCEKVITPWQkKboJt98dQYYfUEU3AUTRfed6MJ9fcTl9SpxNaJRvnfFLpSjdch5S90aJgJLoE-AWuMwBrk/s1600/04.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MBxU-xK14sdzv24wUjhpIECEChx3c17a9hZU-nptuZ2ehOHK-fiHICEogh2tCEKVITPWQkKboJt98dQYYfUEU3AUTRfed6MJ9fcTl9SpxNaJRvnfFLpSjdch5S90aJgJLoE-AWuMwBrk/s320/04.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(l to r) Duff McKagan, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I walked in the door at 7:12 and got pointed to the media holding area. Talked to the media rep and got my photo pass - in this case, a wrist band. I got it put on and was told it was time to head to the floor.<br />
<br />
Walking through the crowd, carrying my bag (since the strap broke), is where I started assembling my gear: putting lenses on bodies, attaching everything to the two-camera harness I use. All the while, I was dodging concert-goers and trying to follow the other photographers to get to the floor.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65z-HC_gUnizeIWM2kbHRnd3YxdD8LGSdAiwzSUuB8v3yHWMrUhvm6OLVYEnusUd5xTQ1XWCsQBoU_NRTwedqJvIJhS3ZaAPhfqOadMAPIcgobiNK36CL-xYuJ7arIUaWdKUHUPxybkXU/s1600/05.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65z-HC_gUnizeIWM2kbHRnd3YxdD8LGSdAiwzSUuB8v3yHWMrUhvm6OLVYEnusUd5xTQ1XWCsQBoU_NRTwedqJvIJhS3ZaAPhfqOadMAPIcgobiNK36CL-xYuJ7arIUaWdKUHUPxybkXU/s320/05.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duff McKagan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the time I hit the photographer area, I was a sweat-soaked, winded mess. But I was there, my equipment was ready to go, and I was about to shoot one of the bands I had been listening to for three-quarters of my life.<br />
<br />
Shooting concert photography is always an adventure. Most of the time it's a great adventure.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, it becomes a story to be told.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWgkm9J6X9YSbYO936VLZkIHAT193SuHL2nnWrRsKCBXxK1h0_MDwbBPEeAbAUeHRhAlwYAo3_9NPZ-4oWKgSwMxgHViHZkCzPOTqaoWMZuJqsMgNwoj_FZYF-H2pVp-fDgmth51aZEaK/s1600/06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWgkm9J6X9YSbYO936VLZkIHAT193SuHL2nnWrRsKCBXxK1h0_MDwbBPEeAbAUeHRhAlwYAo3_9NPZ-4oWKgSwMxgHViHZkCzPOTqaoWMZuJqsMgNwoj_FZYF-H2pVp-fDgmth51aZEaK/s320/06.png" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Axl Rose</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-4482354204119723062017-07-06T10:34:00.000-05:002017-07-06T10:51:17.553-05:00The Show Must Go On<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Music fans are some of the most passionate people in the
world. They pretty well define the word “fan” in its original meaning – short for
“fanatic.” Find a fan who’s passionate about an act or artists, and then say something bad about that act or artist, watch what happens*.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">*<span style="font-size: x-small;">if you do
this and get hit, don’t come crying to me! It was simply a statement to make a
point!</span></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">It doesn’t matter what kind of music, either. Hard rock and
heavy metal fans have a stereotype/cliché reputation of being mean or fighters,
but I guarantee you can find the same thing at a country show, or a hip-hop
show…maybe not so much a show with a lighter tone like R&B (I know the
crowd at the John Legend show in St. Louis didn’t cause any concern for me!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">I’ve been dropping in on a lot of concerts lately, and I
like to read reviews of the shows and comments from fans afterward. I’ve
noticed a really surprising trend in some of the fans of these shows: anger. A
lot of the ‘hardcore’ fans seem to be very angry over the shows, namely the set-lists.
One example: In February, Bon Jovi had a stop on their “This House Is Not For
Sale” world tour in St. Louis. They played a total of twenty-four songs, with six
of those coming from the new album. That makes sense, right? They’re promoting
the new album, they want to play that material. That’s only ¼ of the show. One
of the comments posted on Facebook was from a fan that said he left the show
halfway through because the band wasn’t playing songs he knew. Obviously, he
left too early, because that last nine of twenty-four songs were all songs that
have been played to death!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">The other side of the coin can be found, too. When
Metallica brought their “WorldWired” tour to St. Louis, they played five songs
from the new album out of a total of eighteen. Five more came off of their
self-titled, 16x-platinum “Black Album.” Of course, there were folks
complaining that they play all the same songs, tour after tour. They were
looking for deep cuts, tracks that are buried in the lists of songs from the
first and second album from more than three decades ago. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">This is a long-winded way of getting to my point. How big
of a fan are you? Why do you only want to hear “the hits” from a band? But on
the flipside of that, what do you expect to hear at a concert catering to ten,
fifteen, twenty thousand people?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://eddietrunk.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eddie Trunk</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> talked about this a month or two back on his
SiriusXM show. Bands don’t tour for the hard-core fans. They can’t. There
simply aren’t enough of them, and there’s not enough time in a concert-set. When
a band goes on tour for a new album, they’re going to play a good number of
those songs. That’s truly the point of a tour, promoting a new product. Then
they’re going to play the songs that everyone knows because the crowd wants to
feel connected. Of course a fan wants to hear Metallica play “Motorbreath” or “No
Remorse.” But out of nearly 39,000 people in the stadium in St. Louis, how many
would have known those songs? Hard-core fans of Garth Brooks would love to hear
“Alabama Clay” and “What She’s Doing Now” from the man in the hat, but what do
you remove from his set-list to fit them in?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m slightly guilty of this myself. In </span><a href="http://www.whig.com/article/20160408/ARTICLE/160409983/1444" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my review</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of the
Iron Maiden show in Chicago last year, I commented on the fact that “Run to the
Hills” wasn’t in the set. This song has been a long-standing staple. But my
comment was more one of surprise at the absence, not anger over the omission.
Iron Maiden is playing six new tracks and eight hits scattered throughout their
career. Maiden is known to have some long, epic songs, so they fill up more of
the set-time with fewer songs. But that’s what you should expect from their
show.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">The point of all this comes down to this question: What
kind of a fan are you? Are you the casual fan that only knows the hits and eschews
anything new? Are you the hard-nosed ‘no one knows these guys like I do!’ fan
that wants to hear obscure tracks that seem more like something you made up?
Either of these is fine. This is not a critique of you, but you might want to
consider that concerts aren’t really for you. Listen to your albums and enjoy
the songs you like. But these two groups are, generally speaking, the fringe
groups on either end of the spectrum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Because live shows, for most bands, are for the fans in the
middle. The fans that love to sing along with the classics, and get excited to
be “let in early” to the new stuff that hasn’t even hit the store shelves (or
streaming feeds) yet. The live shows are for the fans that are <i>fans</i>, no matter
what the band is playing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">That’s my take on it, anyway.</span></div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-22335615995222460622017-06-12T18:12:00.004-05:002017-06-12T18:20:09.149-05:00Runnin' Down A Dream<div class="MsoNormal">
On April 4<sup>th</sup> of 2016, I received an e-mail that
was just about the greatest thing I ever expected from the time I picked up a
camera and started to use it a bit more seriously. That was the day I got the
message that I was approved for a press/photo pass to my first major tour/show.
The official review and photos can be found <a href="http://www.whig.com/article/20160408/ARTICLE/160409983" target="_blank">here</a>, and a few of my own thoughts
on it are <a href="http://badwolfmedia.blogspot.com/2016/04/welcome-to-pit.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from the exhilaration, the excitement, and (if I may
be so bold) the amazing shots that I got at the show, what I took away was a
deep desire to get in there and do it again. I needed to be back in that pit, I
had to find a way to get back to that high-energy moment, working alongside
others in what legendary NASCAR driver and announcer Darrell Waltrip calls
“coopetition” – working with each other while trying to be the best.<br />
<br />
From that point, it looked like that was going to be a bit of a false start. I
sent a few other requests for shows without hearing anything back for the most
part. Because of a connection to a local band, I was able to get access to
shoot at the Rick Springfield concert in Ottumwa, and a local event with the
phenomenal front-man of TNT, Tony Harnell, both in August. I was still working
to fill out a portfolio with local and regional acts while sending requests for
larger shows before I gained access to shoot a show on <a href="http://badwolfmedia.blogspot.com/2016/11/praying-for-success.html" target="_blank">Stryper’s</a> “To Hell with
The Devil” 30<sup>th</sup> anniversary tour in November of 2016.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When 2017 started, I started watching for big tour
announcements. Another one of those bands I’ve been a fan of most of my life,
Bon Jovi, announced a show coming to St. Louis. I figured it was a long-shot,
but I sent off my request. One of the biggest acts in the world, on a hugely
anticipated tour supporting a new album that was hot on the charts? What are
the odds, right?<br />
<br />
I don’t know what the odds would be, but I beat them. I got a message from the
venue – the Scottrade Center in St. Louis – with approval for the show. I can’t
say too much will beat that first show from April 2016 (not much, but give me a
minute), but I would say this may have been the most important approval I
received. It’s always been said in business it’s not what you know, it’s who
you know. Making the contact and, apparently, impressing the folks at the venue
(or at least convincing them I’m not a gibbering idiot) has led me on a road I
don’t want to end.<br />
<br />
After that <a href="http://www.whig.com/bonjovi" target="_blank">Bon Jovi</a> show in February, I was energized and started to scour the
St. Louis concert calendar. Some shows I wanted because the acts are well
known, some because I’m just a fan-boy (and they’re well known), and all of
them I considered a pipe dream. But what started in Chicago in April last year
has led to a recent new height.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember I said not much would ever top that first show?
Well, standing in the pit, feet away from the biggest of the Big 4, grabbing
shots of <a href="http://www.whig.com/article/20170612/ARTICLE/170619996" target="_blank">Metallica</a> in the rain at Busch Stadium is something I’ll never forget,
even without the photos. And the ticket. And the photo pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is, it’s all a rolling snowball. Shooting local
shows got me in to Iron Maiden and Rick Springfield, which got me in to Stryper
and then Bon Jovi, which got me more shoots in St. Louis leading up to one of
the biggest shows in the city, and opening even more doors going forward.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35jQshpdeYtgfwtbeqNd1J7aRy4RJqyEb6xwDhMHxRjMxj7QVzorsynWRE2BMAWUJteZFHUX-daXoUP85oA1J4uACM9PRN5eRTGq4Vj5mR52-5wNklViE4lQh1ZwtdSk3sd6_5mkH9ppB/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="642" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35jQshpdeYtgfwtbeqNd1J7aRy4RJqyEb6xwDhMHxRjMxj7QVzorsynWRE2BMAWUJteZFHUX-daXoUP85oA1J4uACM9PRN5eRTGq4Vj5mR52-5wNklViE4lQh1ZwtdSk3sd6_5mkH9ppB/s320/collage.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
From April 6<sup>th</sup>, 2016 through June 4<sup>th</sup>,
2017, these are the national acts (with openers)<span style="font-size: x-small;">*</span> I’ve been privileged to work:<br />
<br />
Iron Maiden, with The Raven Age opening<br />
Rick Springfield<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tony Harnell with Virus (from Dope)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stryper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bon Jovi<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (Joe Walsh opened, but I
missed his set due to traffic)<br />
The Chainsmokers, with Kiiara opening<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Metallica, with Volbeat and The Local H opening<br />
<br />
I have a lot of requests out for shows in the next few months. I’m hoping to
add to this list with some other huge names in the music business before the
end of the year.<br />
<br />
But this isn’t too bad of a start.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
**Update (before I even posted it!)**<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I jotted down my thoughts this morning in the long-winded
bloviation above. At lunch time, before I could even get this posted, I got an
e-mail that floored me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been invited – not had a request approved, but asked
directly – to shoot a show for an upcoming show in St. Louis. I’ve apparently
made a big enough splash with a PR guy that he’s got my name floating around in
his head. And not in a bad way!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*all photos from these shows except Iron Maiden/The Raven Age are available at <a href="http://badwolfmedia.net/facebook">badwolfmedia.net/facebook</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-43761535845127034032016-11-20T00:03:00.005-06:002016-11-20T00:03:47.119-06:00Happy Birthday, Dad<div class="MsoNormal">
Today (Nov 19) is my dad’s birthday.
Since my parents divorced when I was three or four, I haven’t really done much
for his birthday. A card sent when I was younger, a text or a Facebook message
in more recent years. It certainly was never about not caring. In some ways, I
really take after him, or at least the side of him I’ve always known: not
opening up easily, not sharing emotions very openly. One way I know this is
similar to him is because it’s the same thing I’d get on my birthday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this year is different.
This is the first birthday for him that’s come up that he won’t be getting
older. The next few weeks are going to be tough for all of these “firsts”
without him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Dad died back in
January, to say it was a shock would be an understatement of huge proportions.
And to have it happen just a few hours separate from the passing of his mom, my
grandma, left an open wound for the whole family. It’s been ten months of
healing, but I have no question that wound is about to open wide again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the second time
I’ve lost a father. My step-dad passed away in 1996, and even to this day
there’s still a gap in my life. But while that will never go away, two decades
has a way of easing the pain and promoting the good memories instead. But that
time hasn’t passed yet, and so I’m just putting some thoughts out there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the divorce, Dad and
I weren’t that close. I’ve posted about it before, but it’s just a matter of
reality. We moved four hours away, and at that age, it’s tough to form a close
bond with someone you see a total of maybe two months out of the year, spread
out over four or five visits. There have been many times I’ve been envious of
my sister Lori and her family, and my step-sister and -brother Michelle and
Steve and their families because they got to know Dad is ways I never did, and
never will. Their kids got to grow up with their grandpa, while mine met him
twice. I don’t bregrude a single second of that time for them. That’s the way
life happens, and it wasn’t “against” me, it’s simply the way things worked
out. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about “what if…?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today would have been his
65<sup>th</sup> birthday. I have no doubt there would have been a bit of a
to-do, especially with it being on a Saturday. Cake and ice cream, lots of
laughter. But that’s not what this year will have in store. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess I’m just writing
this as a little bit of personal therapy. In the weeks to come there will be
thanks given among the tears, and gifts under trees that won’t shine quite as
bright because of his absence, and that of Grandma. <br />
<br />
I’ll just leave this a open letter to all my family – to Lori, and ‘Chelle,
Stevie, and my step-mom, Sheila. To all my aunts and uncles, and all the
(countless!) cousins. Whether you knew him as Dad, uncle, brother, grandpa, it
doesn’t matter. The absence is real, and I know it affects us all.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-19159250562190416022016-11-19T10:07:00.003-06:002016-11-19T10:08:43.168-06:00Praying for Success<div class="MsoNormal">
In the mid-80s, the glam-band heyday was in full swing.
Bands like Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi were setting the world on fire, filling
arenas and flooding the airwaves of MTV. In the middle of all of that came a
surprising upstart that shifted perceptions in the music world. “To Hell With
The Devil” was released in 1986 and struck gold – then platinum! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The third album from Christian hard rock band Stryper was
the first album by any Christian rock band to reach platinum, and held on to
the title of best-selling album in that genre for fifteen years. Stryper would
find massive success with the broader audiences with their videos for the album
playing alongside the likes of Poison, Def Leppard Warrant, Great White, and
Tesla – the dominant forces of music in the 80s and 90s.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFkqO9dQ49nCW_V8aE4Z0o_BsokrqRtJubiV0t_ON6A0ztp5lSscgGOf96TDqV2LbvJUxOwvBI4eWv7wzHzUGtrMAvIADPY05Q8I9M5GxVlBKHip3cDLQas1VjQhIhwp1H2dJW1CUKBNO/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFkqO9dQ49nCW_V8aE4Z0o_BsokrqRtJubiV0t_ON6A0ztp5lSscgGOf96TDqV2LbvJUxOwvBI4eWv7wzHzUGtrMAvIADPY05Q8I9M5GxVlBKHip3cDLQas1VjQhIhwp1H2dJW1CUKBNO/s400/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stryper at the Limelight Eventplex in Peoria, Nov 4th 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, thirty years after that groundbreaking release, Stryper
is taking the “THWTD” show back on the road. With the original band members
wearing the traditional black and yellow and playing the album in its entirety,
the 30<sup>th</sup> Anniversary tour dropped into the Limelight Eventplex in
Peoria on November 4<sup>th</sup>. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfwp8q9KkCYn8dEgezYLuaG-gDLMDymWiTP3OpXnO-s83cnpSapqQAVieaYkffaRVEU1FsWOfY7annj34fdWmYjQoCn01pySuZtjvuxEvDdjKWcKQ96hvmy7BlEA0ApcV19Wl-RyiDaoY/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfwp8q9KkCYn8dEgezYLuaG-gDLMDymWiTP3OpXnO-s83cnpSapqQAVieaYkffaRVEU1FsWOfY7annj34fdWmYjQoCn01pySuZtjvuxEvDdjKWcKQ96hvmy7BlEA0ApcV19Wl-RyiDaoY/s200/02.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Sweet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Even after all this time, this band is a tight unit. Michael Sweet still brings
the crowd to a cheering roar with every note. He doesn’t sound exactly the same
as he did when the bad was at their MTV-era peak, but in all honesty, that’s
not a complaint. He doesn’t sound the same because his voice and skill have
continued to mature. His guitar playing is also immaculate, sharing duties with
Oz Fox and contributing one half of a two-axe attack that just sounds
incredible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvkgIyvHOJV7pejTqvd_JgxPtExvsxTYr-CuElyx0jzTuiUWleH6blfQlXH9ZMXRUfWa7vPiTv1AO2WwbniEd1SWOjd2eNX5spSHhBywvM6fReidyBaLRMtSkT6Nx2IFOo3x8BmuXIJtp/s1600/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvkgIyvHOJV7pejTqvd_JgxPtExvsxTYr-CuElyx0jzTuiUWleH6blfQlXH9ZMXRUfWa7vPiTv1AO2WwbniEd1SWOjd2eNX5spSHhBywvM6fReidyBaLRMtSkT6Nx2IFOo3x8BmuXIJtp/s200/08.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Sweet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carrying on his standard form of sitting sideways, Robert
Sweet drives every song. He plays like a madman, and plays to
the crowd like the veteran he is. And with the way he sits, the audience can
see just how much effort it is to work behind the tubs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oz Fox</td></tr>
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Shredding the six-strings in true 80s hair-metal fashion is
Oz Fox, and he hasn’t dropped a single note. He still fills the songs with the
screaming sound that you would want to hear, and his stage presence is hugely
entertaining. As mentioned, Fox and Sweet don’t have a traditional lead and
rhythm relationship. They trade back and forth, and the bring a duality to
solos that brings to mind the heyday of KISS, with Stanley and Frehley
harmonizing with their six-strings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timothy Gaines</td></tr>
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Timothy Gaines works right along with Robert to make up the rhythm section. His
bass still thunders, and his backing vocals blend into a great harmony with
both Sweet and Fox. It’s not hard to imagine how different the band might sound
with someone else in his spot – it’s happened in the past – but this is the
line-up the band <i>should</i> have.</div>
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As Michael Sweet stated, some of the songs from “To Hell With The Devil” haven’t been played since that time thirty years ago. But I would challenge anyone to pick them out of the crowd. Songs like “Holding On” and “Rockin’ The World” sound as slick and practiced as “Calling On You” and “Free.” The set list is a touch awkward, because they open with the entire album, in album order. This isn’t always the best flow for live shows, but they make it work, and the nostalgia factor is cranked to eleven.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Sweet</td></tr>
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After the album portion of the show, and following a quick costume change which found frontman Sweet sporting a crowd-please Cubs jersey, the band switched up to a more standard set. Newer numbers like “Yahweh” joined classics from other albums like “Soldiers Under Command” and “In God We Trust.” They also pulled a pair of covers – “Shout it Out Loud” and the apropos “Heaven and Hell” – to fill out the set of ten songs <i>on top</i> of the ten from “To Hell With The Devil”. </div>
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<br />
While the venue – Limelight Eventplex in Peoria – is a fair difference from the arenas the band was playing three decades past, the place was packed with screaming, singing-along fans clamoring for the picks and Bibles tossed from the stage. It’s a fantastic facility the likes of which would be welcome down here in the Gem City, and they know how to present a true headlining show.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oz Fox</td></tr>
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Nearly thirty-three years after they started, and thirty years after they broke through as a major force, Stryper hasn’t pulled any punches. They wear their faith proudly, not as a gimmick, and while they’re happy to share their views, they’re never preachy about it. Whether that’s your thing or not, it doesn’t matter. Lyrics raising praise to the heavens or conjuring darker imagery are both tools of the trade, and neither of them matter if the music isn’t solid. Stryper’s songs bring the former, but they’re rooted in a solid foundation of hard, heavy rock music.<br />
<br />
Every word of praise, every accolade laid at the feet of this band is well-earned. While other bands come and go as flashes in the pan, Stryper has proven that their faith and their talents are still relevant and still hold that stage with grace and humility. It’s been a 30+ year ride, and these guys don’t show any signs of hitting the brakes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Sweet</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*note: more photos from the show can be found at <a href="http://www.badwolfmedia.net/facebook">http://www.badwolfmedia.net/facebook</a></span></i></div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-49906412954961907412016-05-01T23:59:00.001-05:002016-05-01T23:59:52.173-05:00What's it worth to ya?Whoever said a picture is worth a thousand words didn't know what they were talking about.<br />
<br />
I've been working on photos from this weekend, and I shared the one below with a friend. It's a picture of him with his little girl, and she looks so incredibly happy, and her dad, looking at her...you can tell without a doubt she's the apple of his eye. How do you put something like that into words? I know my words - what you're reading right now - don't really convey it properly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWm-1rkMusGM60mWujrjuJFc81kKI3OQoKii-3PPppiq5zGsuTpWK7QSEZ_B4mCW_X86wTQprUZIsKfNjCQtMEpuB-LwXJzf0vFhjZrssPkkpBgEfllzsZ4-WzPi7_pyEwklJPfBHQr7f/s1600/ricardo-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWm-1rkMusGM60mWujrjuJFc81kKI3OQoKii-3PPppiq5zGsuTpWK7QSEZ_B4mCW_X86wTQprUZIsKfNjCQtMEpuB-LwXJzf0vFhjZrssPkkpBgEfllzsZ4-WzPi7_pyEwklJPfBHQr7f/s320/ricardo-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I take a lot of picture. Good LORD do I take a lot of pictures! But very rarely do they <i>mean</i> something. Every one of them tells a story, certainly - I can look at them and tell you a lot about when and where they were taken, what I was doing, etc. I shoot a fair number of events - concerts, charity fundraisers, things like that. All of those pictures are important as they capture those moments that people like to look back on. But that's not the same as the photos having meaning.</div>
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When I shared the photo above, my hope was that he liked it, that's all. He told me that he felt it's his favorite photo he's had with his daughter. Look at the pair of them, you can see she means the world to him, and even though she probably wouldn't be able to explain it, I guarantee she feels the same way about him.</div>
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It really moved me when he said that. It says that photo <i>means</i> something, it's not just a snapshot, or even a frozen moment in time. It means something to him, and hopefully someday to her. And that makes it mean something to me. And I can't tell you, as the guy behind the lens, how satisfying it is to hear that. All the thousands and thousands of other photos I've taken, every flower, every guitarist, every sunset, every cloud, is worth more to be because they led me to that one shot.<br /><br />It also makes me a bit sad, as well. As I said in a post here a few months back, when I lost my dad it dawned on me that I never got a photo of him and my son. I don't have any pictures of my kid and his grandpa. When we visited, we spent time catching up, and that didn't seem that important. I had time, I'll get those shots later. And then the time is passed. The moment is gone, and won't ever be here again. I'm trying to not let it get to me, but it does. I wasn't terribly close with him, but he's still my dad, and my son's grandpa. And it's tough.</div>
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But I look at that picture, and I see that perfectly happy, innocent, carefree smile, and I can't help be be thrilled to have caught that moment. I didn't know I was catching it at the time - I honestly don't think too much about that stuff when I'm shooting. That's one of my joys of editing photos, finding the nuggets buried in a hundred other commonplace shots.<br /><br />I'm glad I got this shot, and I'm glad it means so much to him. I don't think I've ever been paid as high a compliment as he gave me about it.<br /><br />I'm glad it means something words can't say, no matter how many thousands.</div>
Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-85289068515193728862016-04-08T10:30:00.000-05:002016-04-08T11:06:46.690-05:00Welcome to the pit...There's a trope in comic books that goes something like this: When a new character joins a team, the cover features the heroes looking menacing. The tagline is a variation on the theme of "Hey, new guy! Welcome to the team! Hope you survive the experience!"<br />
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This past week, I had a real dream-come-true moment. I got a message that I was going to get to shoot photos for a show on an international tour. Just in general, this would have been amazing enough. But the icing, the cherry, and the extra piece of cake on top of that cake was that the show was for Iron Maiden. I mean, they've simply been one of my favorite bands for twenty or thirty years. No big deal, right?<br />
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Right.<br />
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So, in an effort to not look like the complete amateur I am, I started digging. I was looking at tips, advice, and stories from concert photographers. And that's when I learned about the pit.<br />
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See, the pit in this case refers to the fairly narrow space between the stage and the maniac fans pressed right up to the barrier. This small space is where security stands, technicians for the tour move through, video guys are shooting for the live big screen. And this is where the photographers stand to get the shots you see from concerts.<br />
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Typically, photographers have access for the first three songs of the set. Then they get out of the way and let those front-row maniacs enjoy the show without distraction. What that means, though, is you have all these guys and gals swinging cameras, lenses, and themselves all over the place trying to get "the shot" in around 12 minutes (give or take, with 4-minute songs). Everyone wants "the shot" and everyone's trying to use the same two-foot-square piece of real estate to get that perfect position. As I read more on the etiquette, I was educated on how to get around other photogs, how to get my shot and get the hell out of the way so others can get theirs. All the things that make working in that small space bearable.<br />
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So, with this knowledge in hand, that old comic book trope started running through my head. I had, essentially 24-hours notice to make sure my gear was ready, to arrange a place to stay (God bless understanding family!), and to get myself to Chicago (about 5 hours) in time to take my place. And through all of this, all I kept thinking was "Welcome to the pit, Mike! Hope you survive the experience!"<br />
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I got to the venue - the Madhouse on Madison, the United Center in Chicago - way to early, because I'd been anticipating worse traffic. I was so early, when I pulled into the parking lot, the lot technically wasn't even open yet. I had to check in at will-call and contact the PR rep on site to get things arranged, but I couldn't leave my car. Getting towed that far from home - and while broke as all get-out! - would have been very, very bad. So I called the venue to see if they could put me in touch with the PR rep I needed to reach. No luck. I was so early, the tour people weren't even there yet.<br />
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So I waited. I cleaned my lenses one more time. And then waited some more. Finally the lot "opened" and I talked to one of the parking guys. Yes, I was in the right spot, but no, parking wasn't free. So I paid the man for the little piece of cardboard that said "you're good, your car will still be here when you get back!", and I set off to find my ticket.<br />
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That part was easy. The will-call windows were moving fast, and after I handed over my ID, they handed it back with my ticket in about thirty seconds. Fast and efficient, now I just had to wait (again) for the PR rep to check my paperwork and give me my photo pass. And that's when it got really real.<br />
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This is also when I met my fellow pit-dwellers for the night. Just from listening to them talk, these were all old hands at that job. "Were you in Detroit last night?" "No, I was going to, but they had me go to Cleveland instead..." They knew each other, and they were talking about how other folks they knew in common had been shut out of this show. That was daunting - folks with experience doing this stuff were told no, and here I was with a decal that let me go places I have dreamed about. Why? What made the PR guy pick me? I have no idea, and I'm not going to ask (because something about gift horses and such).<br />
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I want to say, I'm proud of my photo work. I think I'm decent, and I'm not of the opinion that I didn't belong there. I have a healthy enough ego to think that I'm good enough, or I <i>wouldn't</i> be there, plain and simple. But I'm also a realist. These folks, who were nice as could be, inviting and welcoming into their club, were pros. They had me outclassed in experience, and had me outgunned in equipment. At that moment in time, though - 7:30pm Central Daylight Time, in Chicago, IL - it didn't matter. As we all checked gear one last time, mounted lenses to bodies, got earplugs ready, I was one of them. I took a breath, and then we were off.<br />
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Down a flight of stairs and we were in a white hallway. Dayglow-green signs were posted on doors: "Band room," "Rod's Room*," all these places set aside where, behind closed doors, were the guys I'd listened to for most of my life. And I was here, under the seats, with them. And those doors at the end of the hall opened and we were led out onto the arena floor. Past the crowds in the seats, and the cattle-call of people in general admission. This was the opening act, so there were only four photographers. We all found a comfortable place in the pit to start the night. I heard someone in the crowd behind me say "you know it's about to start when they bring these guys out!"<br />
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Holy crap! That was me he was talking about! I was his indicator that the show was coming. That was at the time, and still is, two days later, bizarre for me to think about.<br />
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After we got the first songs committed to film (or digital media, actually), we were led back through the hall to the holding area to wait for the headliner. Then the process was repeated - down the white halls, through the doors, only this time, the place was <i>packed</i>. Just absolutely stuffed to the gills with people. Unlike the opening act, this time we were stopped by a representative of the band. A very kind, polite young British woman explained that the show would open with a blast of pyrotechnics, and that it would be very hot and bright, so be ready. Boy, was she ever not kidding! Those controlled bursts of flame are HOT! But it didn't matter. I was there. This time, the pit was more crowded, with two more photographers, the video guys, security, band staff, etc. But it wasn't at all like I'd read about. There was no real bumping, no one in each others' way. It was the epitome of professional courtesy.<br />
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Maybe this was an unusual occurrence because they had been so stingy with the photo passes. But, for me, it was a dream come true. I was in the pit.<br />
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And I survived the experience.<br />
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<i>See my review and photos at <a href="http://www.whig.com/article/20160408/ARTICLE/160409983">The Herald-Whig</a>.</i><br />
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*for those who don't know, Rod Smallwood is Iron Maiden's manager. He's a legend for running a tight ship and keeping absolute control over the access on tours. I didn't see him, but even seeing his name on the door mean I was "there."<br />
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<br />Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321508099861454387.post-19893916027482066472016-03-29T16:21:00.000-05:002016-04-19T11:42:47.538-05:00The Song Remains The SameThis past weekend, my friend Rodney got to see his favorite band (The Who) in concert, and he had a great time (and you can <a href="http://www.hartyrr.com/2016/03/the-who-and-rare-songs.html" target="_blank">read all about it here</a>!). While reading his review of/love letter to the show, it dawned on me just how many of the songs I know, but by other artists.<br />
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To be right up front, I've never been the biggest fan of The Who. I have no problem with them - they're great musicians, and they obviously write great songs (which is the point of my writing here). It's just that, honestly, they're not of my generation.<br />
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Ironic, ain't it?<br />
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I grew up listening to country music - as in: George Jones, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride. We lived out in the country, no cable, and watched "Hee-Haw" every weekend.<br />
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Once we moved into town, my music vocabulary started expanding in huge ways. A couple of neighborhood friends (Jamie and Rocky are mostly to blame) introduced me to the joy of rock n' roll. KISS and Iron Maiden were two that caught my attention early and held on, with others - W.A.S.P., for one - coming into the picture later.<br />
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And that circles back to what I was thinking about today. In Rodney's post about The Who, he made a passing reference to the song "The Real Me." I absolutely love this song. It's got a great guitar riff, but more than that, it's got a terrific bass line in that is one of the earliest things I recall <i>noticing</i> a bass line. It's almost like a separate lead guitar part, but it's definitely doing its own thing.<br />
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But the kicker is, I didn't know it was a song from The Who. I know it as a W.A.S.P. song, with Johnny Rod playing the part that I now know was created by John Entwistle. It was the song I first recall understanding that bass is something more than just rhythm-keeping, that it can be a part of the song, too. When I started hearing Billy Sheehan playing with David Lee Roth, I knew it was something special, but at the time, I thought it was just something DLR had put together to try and climb out of Van Halen's shadow. But "The Real Me" introduced me to the concept of bass as its own voice, rather than just a piece of the background. <i>(Before all my drummer-buddies start yelling at me, I </i>did<i> learn the same thing about drums from other songs, like "Dangerous Toys" by the band of the same name, in particular the song "Ten Boots.)</i><br />
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I've known the song since W.A.S.P. released it in 1989, but - embarrassingly - I didn't even realize it was a cover until a few years back (7, 8 years now, I guess). As a yout', I didn't have the benefit of the internet, and as a not-yout', I had never really thought to look it up. I just really enjoyed the song.<br />
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Now, having learned it was a cover, I found The Who's version. And it's great! It really does rock, heavier than I would have expected (at that time; I've learned way more about The Who since then), with amazing vocals and that gorgeous bass in it. But it's not <i>my</i> version of the song.<br />
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So, while dwelling on all this, it made me realize there are a lot of songs that I musically "grew up" on cover versions. To me, those are the "real" versions, even if they're not the original. Thought I'd share a few, so the three people that ever read this can get a look into my own music-fan history.<br />
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The Who's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2h1MY70uag" target="_blank">"The Real Me"</a> - Covered by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te-jTA8g8Ys">W.A.S.P.</a><br />
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Another from The Who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN5zw04WxCc">"My Generation"</a> as covered by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbeoEPNB-Vk">Gorky Park</a><br />
<i>This one, I knew was a cover, but this is the version that caught me at just the right moment in my music development. I really like this band, and I'm bummed they didn't make it bigger</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkMgs3lFwkQ">"Mony Mony"</a> by Tommy James and the Shondells, famously covered (and banned from school functions) by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYYAv-QW38Q">Billy Idol</a> <i>(this is the live version with Steve Stevens on guitar; this version of the song, coincidentally, bumped off another Tommy James cover - Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" - from the #1 spot)</i><br />
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The King, Elvis Presley's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViMF510wqWA">"Don't Be Cruel"</a> - Covered by another legendary band making a come-back in their career at the time, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-oYFEXScEU">Cheap Trick</a>. <i>Just as a personal note, as a 12, 13 year old kid watching the video for the Cheap Trick version, it was incredibly cool to see an electric base on a monopod stand being played as an upright bass.</i><br />
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Aerosmith's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL4uESRCnv8">"Walk This Way"</a> recreated as an early, popular rap song by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk">Run DMC</a>. <i>This one might be a bit of a cheat, because Aerosmith is part of it. But - like Cheap Trick - this new version of the song brought Aerosmith back from the edge of obscurity to continue their legendary career.</i><br />
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That's just a few notable songs. I'm not trying to say any of these covers are better than the originals. Just that these are the way I first heard these songs.<br />
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And the songs are the same. The music is there. If the songs weren't great in the first place, they wouldn't have been covered, and they certainly couldn't have been covered so well! It's just proof that good music transcends generations. Good music is good music, even when it's tweaked and twisted and "made new." At its core, good music lasts forever.<br />
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But what do I know.Mike Sørensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04783648535287383945noreply@blogger.com0