I recently got a note from my friend Aaron (one of the editors at Downbeat Magazine) with another evil photographer story. Seems that Nels Cline (of Wilco fame) was doing a show at the Getty in Los Angeles. He found out that the Getty was not allowing any photographers into the event (no reason to soil the classyness of the Getty with scum photographers, after all).
This was his response:
“So I called them up, and let them know that since they won’t allow our photographer in to shoot the show, DownBeat will not cover it.” So, at least we know that there is one magazine in America that believes in the photographic process!
So, two questions arise:
1.) Did Nels want press to take pictures of his show?
2.) Did he know that the Getty was not allowing photographers?
And then, number 3:
Did he care?
Recently I got a call from a promoter asking me if I had any photos from Elvis Costello’s “Spinning Wheel of Songs Tour.” Elvis’s manager was looking for photos as they plan the 2011 version of the tour. My reply:
Too bad they didn’t allow anyone to shoot pictures on that tour. Maybe if they did, someone might have a photo for him! I hope Nels doesn’t wake up one day 10 years from now and realize he needs a picture from that Getty show.
On another note, last night I went to a sold out show in one of the nicest jazz clubs in Chicago, the Green Mill. Four musicians, who I think have never played in public together (Ken Vandermark, Jason Moran, Nasheet Waits and Jeff Parker playing great music as if they had rehearsed for weeks, playing to a totally appreciative audience who went out in five degree weather to see a show.
Then, this morning I read that Katy Perry is going to do her tour in Smell-o-vision, pumping cotton candy smells into every arena. Maybe that will mask the fact that they are probably not really playing music on stage!