Paramore or less...

It's good to have goals, to have something to work towards and, as a non represented music photographer, work is the key word there!.. To get the list of gigs below will take a lot of running around on my own dime, a lot of wasting my own time.. But it's all good - if you want to establish yourself as a music photographer, or, as anything, you need to do the hard yards - this stuff doesn't just fall in my lap, and, unless your name is Paris Hilton, I dare say it won't fall in yours either...

I don't have much on the current music horizon... Here's what I'd like to do!

Paramore : Paramore at Islington Academy

Zero7 : Zero7 at Roundhouse (With any luck, with Sia - Video below)

Dream theatre : Dream Theatre at Wembley

Editors : Editors at Wolves Civic

Idlewild : Idlewild at London Electric Ballroom

Jamie T : Jamie T at Brixton

Jet : Jet at the London Forum

Lily Allen : Lily Allen at Brixton

Massive Attack : Massive Attack at Brixton

Maximo Park : Maximo Park at the Royal Albert Hall

Morrissey : Morrissey at the Royal Albert Hall

Muse : Muse at the o2 Arena

NDubz : NDubz at Shepherds Bush Empire

Noisettes : Noisettes at Shepherds Bush Empire

Placebo : Placebo at the o2 Arena

Seth Lakeman : Seth Lakeman at Shepherds Bush Empire

Skunk Anansie : Skunk Anansie at Brixton *AMAZING WEBSITE*

The Living End : The Living End at the Forum

The Offspring : The Offspiring at Brixton

Sia Furler singing Breathe Me on Wednesday October 24, 2007 at KCRW

You Too?

Photographs from U2 at Wembley Stadium - Saturday Night. Gig, three songs from the pit, no flash - all good! good vantage point from my little platform... Went back out, snuck under a railing and into the crowd to sit with M and @bigcrustyape and Co and had to listen to the rest of the show from THE worst sounding seat of any concert I've ever seen, ever... Wembley - You will hear from me. Horrid. - Sime

You can see more in the gtvone.com

Fletcher memorial home?...

I tried very hard to get some time in front of Pearl Jam while they're out here on their European tour... Three songs, that's all I wanted... Well, I was turned down by the brilliantly infamous Barbara Charone (BC) and then turned down by the equally efficient and authoritative Sarah Hall - Both of them as graceful as that photo of the swan I once snapped (see infamous swan to left, not BC or Sarah!) I thought to myself, hell, there's no point NOT emailing Sarah again - just to try, but not push, my luck.. This is what I penned.. Hi Sarah, I know that sometimes you must get VERY bored, hearing from people like me, but then - you never get anywhere by not asking, right? wondered if any places had become available for any of the PJ shows for another photographer? (Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam within a couple of weeks of each other and my life would be complete, honest!) I hope you're not seriously annoyed at my repeated email and that instead (waves jedi hand) that you have a space that I could fill! All the best, Sime

Simon "annoyingly persistent, but will bugger off if told to do so" Pollock music photographer http://gtvone.com

So, With my email sent I expected to never hear from Sarah again - To my dismay, an email arrived not two minutes later with the follow message...

Hi Simon

Don't worry - persist away! Although I'm afraid we haven't got any spare passes whatsoever. Really sorry! x

The message even came with its own "x" on the end, so, Sarah wasn't angry - or, her reply was sweet, but with the deftly pointedness of an angry ninja, but with a kiss at the end... Well, thus ends my quest to shoot Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam within a couple of weeks of each other - my life dream....Or do I ask again, after all - it is BC that say's "never take NO for an answer"

I guess with that life goal stubbed into the ground like a well smoked Winny blue, all I have left is to hope that Pink Floyd will re-form and ask me along to document their final world tour, culminating in a Dave Gilmour guitar solo that sees me led on stage and set alight whilst tethered to a gigantic flying bed...

Pigs might fly!

Sime

Relevant? Alice in Chains at Scala

Layne is dead, RIP Layne, Alice in Chains continue on... I was just reading a post over on blabbermouth about the gig the other night, some people make me laugh... Anyway, here's a shot that I like from the Scala gig... As I've said, one of the best gigs I've been to in years... Alice in Chains totally rocked Scala and everyone I spoke to about the gig totally loved it... I was the singing photographer mentioned on the Alice in Chains website and hell, I'm proud of it...

Remember the scene out of Singles, the movie... Where it cuts to Alice in Chains playing "It Ain't like that" on stage? That's what made me love the band...

Here's the one from the movie...

Here's another one... man, what a song live... amazing...

Linkin Park?

I have nothing to say, Here be pictures - Linkin Park @ Sonisphere 2009 Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California, formed in 1996. Since their formation, the band has sold more than 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards. It achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005. Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world^. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.

Having adapted the nu metal and rap rock genres to a radio-friendly yet densely-layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight. The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year. They have also collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup album Collision Course, and many others on Reanimation.

Actually, you know what, I do have a few things to say... I emailed a woman who I'm a bit scared of today... I'm after Pearl Jam accreditation for any / either of the London shows, I'm a fan and a photographer and I have a commission for a UK based magazine OR I can shoot for press - you choose... I've had a reply, just one, it said "We're full, but Sue will sort you out" I'm not sure what that means, but I hope it's painless... I've been a fan since they became Pearl jam, and indipendantly I've been a fan of individuals since before hand... Anyway, we'll see...

I was offered a photography pass for V Festival and have kindly declined - I need to spend some time working on my magazine relatioships and working out how to "get to market" I know I won't be able to photograph "Killers" and I am not interested in photographing Oasis... (Unless their security manager apologises for being a complete twat in Spain)

Turned out that the 100-400 was the perfect length for the big festival stages, so I'm happy with that. The Canon L 100-400 is a great lens, really beautiful light rendering... The color it creates is stunning.

I'm starting work on a photography book, High level ramblings at this stage, something to do with music photography, how to get into it, what it's like, experiences and so on... So - that's another reason why I'm spending a bit more time writing and a little less time filling my hard drive with photos (Though, I have a few gigs booked)

A mate of mine (Who shall remain nameless) had a porn shoot last night... 100 images, £400 - Why can't I get £50 for 100 of my music images?!...

Sime