  |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||
May 28Been going through Metallica photos, hundreds of them, sorting them into sets etc. In the middle of doing this my phone rings. It's an officious person who asks who I am then refuses to say who they are. 'Fuck off then,' I say, 'Who do you think you're talking to?' They call back - it's immigration at Heathrow airport. They have my friend and slave, Nori, in front of them (just landed from Japan). 'Is he working in this country, I don't believe he's on holiday.' 'As he has only one hand, one eye, one ear and only twenty per cent of his hearing, who the fuck is going to employ him and what is he going to do?' I ask. They then tell me they don't like my language or tone. I tell them I couldn't give a fuck what they like, he's here to see his heavy metal heroes. They then ask if I'm being serious...? 'Heavy Metal is a serious business, just ask Judas Priest.' I then hang up. At 5pm Nori still hasn't turned up. I wonder if he's been sent home, banned from the UK for loving "Metal Gods". Back to sorting out Metallica...
May 25I am writing this out of complete boredom. Sunday night and I've watched a programme on Tibet, then Russia, read the papers, and Peter Makowski has turned up, and it's nearly midnight and I feel I've done, well... nothing. Jet-lagged, sometimes it doesn't affect me but this week end it's crippled me. Woke at 4am, lay awake until 7am then fell asleep - even fell asleep this afternoon. I have several million Metallica photos to go through, I managed twenty then couldn't concentrate. Even read the new Classic Rock with it's "Stunning" Summer Rock cover. How can editors, or editor-in-chiefs, come up with such lame ideas? According to Geoff Barton Uriah Heep are "BACK". Looking at the photos they need to get back to a gym quickly. The Mighty Judas Priest are back, with Rasputin, or is it Nostradamus? Joe Elliott and David Coverdale's interviews are an exercise in mutual backslapping (what happened to the good old days of back-stabbing?), and the Foo Fighter's interview shows that the photos have been brought in at the last minute - it looks a mess. The Black Crowes is a photographic masterpiece, even with the dull captions. Peter thinks the best part is the cover - now I know he needs new glasses... Peter claims his David interview is a probing masterpiece. Well, it would have had more colour if we'd been invited to Nobu or Gordon Ramsey's for a bacon sandwich. Sir David is forgiven though for looking after me when I was ill... Must get back to looking at Metallica, or Miko Lee, a present from Pete courtesy of the Hustler store.
May 23
May 22Flew home via San Francisco. Took a few shots out of the window on the way up from LA. I wanted to shoot San Francisco at dusk and had it all planned - the right seat, the right lens, right camera etc... except I was on the wrong side of the plane. Last time I flew out I was going East to Hong Kong, this time I was going West so I saw, ummmm, nothing. 
Oh, and some clouds I like from Tucson. 
May 21Woke up this morning and shot the view of downtown LA from my window. I'm getting LAZY with my travel stuff, must make more of an effort... 
 Got Slave Number Two (Karen) to drive me to see David Grohl in sunny Northridge, where the Foo Fighters have a studio. Only thing is Northridge is like going from London to Manchester and back - it's miles away. Diamond Dave was just opening a load of mail and in a box were his two Grammy awards, so I got him to take some photos with them. He was raving about how much he liked the Metallica show, then admitted he was fucked up - drunk! Some things improve with alcohol... We arranged to meet up in the UK in a week. 
 Stopped at Amoeba and got an original Black Sabbath Vol 4 white label promo LP, plus the Rolling Stones Liver Then You'll Ever Be on Lurch Records - this made my day. Metallica in Irvine. See more... 
 
 
 
Some pictures of The Master and his slaves. 
 And here's another of the emails appreciating what I do,
May 20Sons of Albion. See more... 
Some more of Michael Schenker. See more... 
May 19
May 18Metallica in Tucson. See more... 
 
 
 
 Sunday and I sort of do nothing, recovering from the land of the Metal Gods. I now have a million photos to sort out this coming week. Sit around the pool with Paul Cook. Phil Collen comes over. He has a tan - I've never seen Phil with a tan. We catch up. Phil asks if I'm banned from shooting Def Leppard? 'I don't know, I'm friends with Joe, probably.' I have no idea... People write to me often to ask how much fun it is to work with their idols. Sometimes it is, often it isn't - that's not me moaning, it's a simple fact... Got this email from Matthew'stein in Las Vegas
How did they know...? May 17Got back at 3am, wake up tired - slow all day. Lars comes by mid-afternoon. Shoot him in the grounds of the Sunset Marquis Hotel, then head of to Irvine for the Weenie Roast, a festival where a whole load of bands you don't really care about are on, like Offspring, a punk rock pop band. Must tell Paul Cook PUNK'S ALIVE in Offspring - they are DREADFUL. I hate shooting at this venue, without a doubt the worst place to shoot live in America. You try and shoot in a Metallica crowd - fun it certainly is not... Record Company Mogul Brian Slagel is there. A man who truly believes in the land of the Metal Gods - "Ah To Bang Ones Head Again" - this was the headline in the LA Times for the Wiltern show. A good title for an album or a book. Get some nice backstage reportage and another group shot as they go on. Shoot the show across the stage. The lighting is thin and flat. I've never ever enjoyed a show here and I've seen loads - Maiden, Metallica, The Who, Def Leppard, Black Crowes, Bon Jovi (yes, Jon and I were Blood On Blood in the day), even Motley Crue and it's always awful from my point of view. Lars told me after the show that he really enjoyed it. So what do I know? Time to bang ones head again.. May 16To Tucson and back with Metallica. Bumpy take off I didn't like, due to the VERY HOT weather. Sat with James and talked about Iron Maiden. He's been playing the first two albums. We agree Steve Harris is a human being. Did a group shot on the runway when we landed - very much like the old days - with me bossing them around, as it should be. We drive across nothing for forty minutes, where Metallica are playing in what looks like a huge dust bowl. It is still baking at 6pm. Shot some clouds on the way, they didn't look real. Make them do more group photos. Seriously (as Lars would say), I get some classic Metallica. And I know my classic Metallica... Watch Scars On Broadway and shoot some of it. Then go to the dressing room to find Lars really has bought CLASSIC 'Tallica back. He's wearing his spandex black tights - the '80s are back. He, of course, claims they are not spandex. Shoot Kirk showing me various poses of tantric sex. Kirk is surprisingly limber, I suspect he does ballet in his spare time. The stage is a concrete platform in a field, the light show is rubbish, including front-on follow spots which give dreadful shadow on each side of the face. So shoot the show wandering around the stage - I get one of the best photos of Lars I think I've ever taken. Also got some good whole band photos from behind looking out onto the crowd. No, not good, GREAT - THE MASTER is at work... May 15More Metallica in Los Angeles. See more... 
 
 
     
It is hot. No, it's not hot, it's boiling - hey, I'm not complaining. I sit and cook with my two Poles, Brad and Pete. Krippa Jones, Steven Tyler's ex-serf and all round humble person is wooing Kazuyo (he must be blind). I last saw Krippa in Dubai, where he quit after the first show of the last Aerosmith tour. Pete and I go off late afternoon for a quick shoot with Camp Freddy - Matt Sorum, Donovan Leitch, Chris Chaney, Billy Morrison and Dave Navarro. Dave is slightly sensitive - or he's had humour-bypass surgery. I joke around, but he doesn't get any of it. Everything is taken literally. Billy Morrison I liked a lot, I didn't even know he was English - he's from sunny Brixton. Camp Freddy 
 After much protesting I get them to go outside. Dave is convinced I'll make them look old. At one point I handed him the camera and told him to get on with it, if he knows so much. Eventually David capitulated and agreed I may know a little bit about what I do. In fairness he ended up being very welcoming. His main concern was whether I made them look GAY - maybe Dave should get Dragonforce to play in Camp Freddy. I wonder if Dave thought I was cute, or even hot.... Folks, I want you to know Dave's not Gay, he just happen's top play in a band called Camp Freddy. Donovan Leitch told Pete and I a great story about his dad and the Cosmic Wheels album. Went to the gym, I'm feeling un-Los Angeles fit. I'm watching CNN whilst cycling, when a man smiles at me and asks me if I like yoga. It's okay, I reply. He says 'you're cute'. I'm not sure if I heard him properly and ignore him. He taps me on the arm and ask me if I'd like to go to yoga class or maybe have a drink and follows it up with 'you know you are really cute'. I've been called many things in my life but never cute, especially by another man. I give up cycling and go to look for Pete - he's never called me cute... Peter convinces me to go to see Camp Freddy. The crowd is drunk but in a very happy way, unlike last week. It was hard to photograph because everyone was taking pictures on their phone or filming it. The best way to describe it was, imagine going out getting drunk and going to see your favourite musicians playing all the songs they wish they had written. The problem I had was watching it stone cold sober. The highlight of the night was Cypress Hill doing Rock Superstar, and I never thought I'd hear myself say that. Terri Nunn of Berlin was a revelation. She looked amazing and sounded great. Ended up back at my hotel with Paul Cook and Peter. We all agreed that the low point of the night was Alright Now. No one should ever do a cover of it. Next time I go and see them I'm going to make sure I'm drunk. I'll have a great time...
Photographing my heroes, sent to me by Jeff
And here's an email from Sam
May 14Saw Brad for breakfast, with a whining Pete. We all went to see Matt Sorum and Max Noce at the Sorum Noce store. Did some photos for a feature Pete's doing. Matt and Max gave me some nice black t-shirts with their logo. 
 Sat by the pool for a bit, said hello to Billy Bob Thornton. Kazuyo shit her pants and begged me to take a photo of Billy Bob and her. Spent the rest of the day at The Wiltern Theatre with Metallica. Shot soundcheck with Flea playing Fight Fire With Fire. I asked him if he knew Prisoner Of The Night (a Saxon Classic), he looked baffled. James played the riff... Got Flea and James to pose for photos in the basement hallway. Went out to shoot the Billboard, the fans were friendly. Forgot I'm known for shooting Metallica. Saw John and Darren from Scars On Broadway. And ran into Dave Grohl, drinking (surprise,surprise). He's got a nice surprise for you at his Wembley Stadium show. The show was good to shoot, although I found the lights a bit weird. I realised I know the songs and what they're going to do. As I've now got a Nikon D3 I dug out my old 85mm fixed lens, I LOVE this lens. It's great to shoot with and I haven't used it for at least five years. You think more without a zoom lens. Got loads of good stuff, shot behind them at the end with the crowd. Dave was still drinking and headbanging at the side of the stage, he was off to the Rainbow after to drink with Lemmy. 
 
 
 I headed to my hotel with Kaz, Brad and Peter, who couldn't get into the gig as he didn't bring any ID and couldn't pick up his tickets and passes. He went to Denny's for a burger then stood outside the venue and listened to concert - the bits he could make out. Don't worry folks I got him a set list. May 13
Spent today working. Los Angeles is back to being Hotter Than Hell (I promised John Bionelli I'd say this). Started with the Stilettos, all-girl heavy rock-metal - well, decide for yourself.
Then did Metallica, for a whole load of different things.
Had a late dinner with publishing mogul Brad Tolinski. He was honoured to meet Peter Makowski, fellow Catholic and Pole. I spent the evening ogling the waitress, as usual. We decided to write a series of books on all the people we know, after their demise. Called Dead People - I think we might have to come up with a better title tomorrow. More pictures of Rush in Los Angeles. See more... 
 
 
 
Loudon Wainwright III from May 6. See more... 
May 12My phone rings at 6am, I think it must be an emergency from London. It's John Bionelli 'KISS ARE DESTROYING EUROPE ' He shouts down the phone. John has been up all night watching youtube. He tells me the set list, the type of blood mixture Gene Simmons uses to split blood, the raps between songs - he goes on and on. Jim Survis, Joe Perry's tec, is working for them. 'It's like being on tour, without going on tour - if only Aerosmith used pyro and spat blood!' Oh yeah, Dream On - boom boom boom-bang-bang-bang... John's calling tomorrow after Rock'n'Roll All Night And Partying All Day, plus another night of youtube.
Rock'n'roll John Bionelli, in love with the God Of Thunder and the Love Gun.
PS John has a photo of Gene and Paul above his bed - so he doesn't feel lonely... Matt Sorum called and invited Pete and I to the Key Club to see The Stilettos, a young boys wet dream, a rock version of the Pussy Cat Dolls. Saw Scott Ian, Corey from Slipknot and various other celebrities. I had to have a fight with Pete to get him to leave, he was in heaven - for a moment he thought he was back in Thailand. Paul Cook was telling us about the Sex Pistols new set list. A few new cover versions which I'm not going to spoil by telling you... okay, they might do I'm Eighteen. All three of us have been laughing at a stupid German band called Tokio Hotel. A new metal boy band who walk around the hotel with German bodyguards dressed in black. With a video camera man following their every move. Excellent... Saw Chris Robinson at lunch time as well - I'm sure he'd love Tokio Hotel.
And here's THE CAVEMAN, a crawling world champion...
The Sex Pistols from Los Angeles. See more... 
 And the very gay Dragonforce 
 May 10Pete Makowski has arrived, and having Pete around is like dealing with a ten-year old. Okay, a ten-year old can deal with LA better than Pete... Had dinner at Ago with Karen Sihota, servant number two. To my amazement I saw Maggie Q, an Asian superstar. She was stunning, I was gobsmacked. I'm dreaming of her now, it was worth flying to LA just to gape at her... Saw the new issue of Billboard which has, "GASP", an Iron Maiden special. Turns out it is a boring grovelfest from all the agents/promoters/merch companies etc, buying ads to show how wonderful Iron Maiden are. Biggest surprise is an ad from Kevin THE CAVEMAN Shirley with his blow-dried hair (copyright Bob Rock), he's used one of my photos with a nice credit. I'll have to find out how much they blackmailed him to buy an ad. At least THE CAVEMAN supports me... If you want to get value for money Maiden, buy the new Guitar World Legends - all photos by me and it looks good. No boring features on how the corporate machine works. You can even learn a few riffs. Went to Rodeo Drive and had lunch at a place called The Cheese Cake Factory (only in America would a restaurant be called this), had Buffalo Wings. Got to tell you folks, they were fantastic. The last time I had them was with the Black Crowes in Buffalo in the early nineties, nothing beats them except a bucket of KFC. That's my culinary guide for today. Was supposed to be going out with THE CAVEMAN but he's banned from seeing me - by his wife... Paul Cook invites me to the Roxy to see Russell Brand. I pass as I hate comedy, I've never watched any of it since Porridge (an English TV show). I saw Russell two nights ago fully made up in the bar of my hotel hanging out with Morrissey. Paul knocks on my door and I end up going to the bar with him and Pete. May 9Tried to wake and and feel better by running. Saw Paul Cook on the next treadmill looking quite fit. After running for half an hour feel as if I'm going to throw up. Give up. See Billy Duffy as I leave - rather an Anglophile day. Still feel rotten though... Some pictures of Rush from the Nokia Theatre. See more... 
 
 I like the one of Geddy screaming in red light, he looks like the devil. Neil Peart is from the soundcheck playing Ghost Of A Chance, all from the first night of the LA shows. The couple were amongst the more sober in front of Geddy. I'll put more up on Monday... May 8I am sick, got a stomach virus feel weak and tired as if I've been beaten up - that'll make some people very happy... As it's May heres what I've been reading and listening to...
May 6Glorious weather in England, shitty in LA - don't cry folks, it will improve. See Loudon Wainwright III, one of my heroes. Take some pictures around the empty hotel pool. Loudon takes me for lunch at a place called Hugo's, who do good burgers and things like a Yogi shake. I go with Andy Curran to see Rush who are playing at Nokia Theatre in downtown LA. Go and watch the soundcheck, take a few photos, great to see them again. Neil Peart looks healthy - he's lost weight. Alex tells me they really liked the photos from Europe. They've added sixteen pages to the tour book, plus the new live cd, and it looks impressive. Go hang out backstage, see Bob Rock with his blow-dried hair. At first I thought Bob was Kevin THE CAVEMAN Shirley come to have a rock'n'roll party and tell everyone about the new Judas Priest cd. Bob and Kevin are very alike, same hair, paunch and friendly - Kevin is a bit more larger than life... Went out to watch and shoot a bit of the show. The crowd was wasted, on Alex's side fairly well behaved, but Geddy's side was a different matter. Middle-aged men so fucked up they didn't know where they were. Stumbling around in circles, playing pretend drums and air guitar and bass. The strange part I don't get was that they mostly tended to not look at the stage, just bother everyone next to them as if it was their show. How can you say pay $1500 for a ticket then not have a fucking clue what you went to see? It was as if they'd regressed into being three-year olds with speech impediments who found their parents booze. One, who was about six foot five, kept leaning into me pointing in the air going 'Uuuuugh' or 'Yaaaaguh', then saying 'Yoooooour in the waaaaaaaaay.' In the way of what? Someone should film the crowd, horrifying. Imagine watching it in say thirty years - 'Welcome to America, the most civilised country in the world.' I did manage to finish the night in a civilised way, drinking Dom Perignon with Donovan Lundstrom, Rush's very suave tour manager... Michael Schenker in Battersea. See more... 
May 5Can't sleep as I know I have to get up - get up at 6.30, tired and SLOW. Off to Heathrow for a quick eleven hours to Los Angeles. The airport is empty, it's almost a pleasure going through it. I'm too tired to shop. The first thing I'm doing on arriving is getting a hair cut - I'm turning into a hippy... My flight is empty, really empty. I feel as if it's my own personal 777. But the air hostess are so old, they make me feel like a young child. In fact, they treat you as if you are a child. The simplest request is taken as if you've asked for the impossible. Coffee with milk and not cream? 'Look, what's wrong with half and half,' says granny! No wonder the asian airlines rule over this.This lot truly don't give a fuck... I read yesterday's Observer Film Quarterly. It has Keira Knightley pouting for Julian Broad, a photographer I like and haven't seen for a couple of years - we normally run into each other in Los Angeles. I can't stand the way Keira moans about being famous. I mean, get a real job - spoilt cow. In the same issue is the worlds most overrated photographer, Sam Taylor Wood. Sam says Fudge Pack Mountain and There will Be Blood are great films. Fudge Pack Mountain makes her cry, which is typical of a female artist (I use this term loosely) who surrounds herself with the likes of Elton John and co. The whole issue is a waste of a good tree. Back to the real world of Dave Ling and Classic Rock. Only nine hours to go.... I wake after a six-hour nap dreaming of The Sleep Of Arthur At Avalon by Edward Burne-Jones. He was still painting this the day before he died. Flaming June by Leighton is beautiful, it stopped me in my tracks after walking around the Tate looking at Holbein portraits. I came back to Flaming June three times - it lured you in. In the same room is Richard Dadd's painting of the Faeries, painted while he was locked away in a mental institution. To me this is art, real art. Sam Taylor Wood needs some lessons. I 'm thinking of painting, used to do it a long time ago. Read Mick Wall's diary from May 1st. I'd like to clarify - he did have sex with an air hostess after I'd got us upgraded to First Class, and he got so fucked up he was kissing her in front of the whole cabin. He did it again with a different girl then passed out and ignored her. She became "Upset". Oh, the joys of being young. I'd better stop in case he writes about me... Really I don't care, being young was a LONG time ago... Get into a warm Los Angeles mid-afternoon. Walk into my hotel and see nearly everybody who works for Rush. And Charlie Hernandez production manager to the stars. I end up with Andy Curran, famous bassist and AR man, in... Ago May 4
Michael's looking for a drummer. He asks me for some suggestions. I get him to pose with his guitar case and Flying V in the empty road leading up to the Power Station. He was EASY. I told Kazuyo he can be a bit crazy. 'He's nothing compared to Steven (Tyler), he's CRAZY...'. And my beautiful assistant is quite right. Michael's only faux pas was when he asked if the very sexy Kazuyo Horie was my wife. I think Michael had left his glasses at home - or he's crazy. Tried out the Nikon D3 which I'd just got. The 14mm lens is good. Not mad on the focusing but mainly shot black and white film. May 1Spent yesterday shooting Jimmy Page for a magazine cover (I can't say which one), but out soonish. Jimmy looked the best I've seen him in photos in ages, it's strange to think of him with dark hair now. Also first shoot I've done with no guitar throughout. He looked like a rock star. Come to think of it, he is a rock star... The Bank Holiday weekend is just about here and it's supposed to be nice - I'm off to Los Angeles and San Francisco on Monday to see the Four Horseman...
New issue of Classic Rock with a truly great cover and Dave Ling's classic Wishbone Ash feature. Slash again on the new cover of Mojo .
Got this email - for those of you wondering how I make a living.
An editor asking me to give them a free picture - I don't think so...
Here is a special edition of Classic Rock, only going to out to the discerning collectors amongst you...
|
||
Photographing with Velvet Revolver. Sent by Patrik. 
Onstage with 'Tallica. Sent to me by Jason. 
Home. Here's the new cover of Mojo with the Sex Pistols, shot by me in London and Los Angeles
Got up at 4am, photographed the palm trees in the dawn light - I quite like this.
I've had a couple of emails about the show in Tucson - obviously someone likes what I do... this one is from Trish, 
Sunday and it's hot and muggy. Met Michael Schenker by Battersea Power Station at 5pm. I decided to shoot here as it's where Michael and Phil Moog posed for the cover of Lights Out. Michael tells me he was twenty four when he first left UFO. I get him to sign some photos from Hammersmith Odeon '78. It seems like a hundred years ago - well, it's thirty. Old age is coming - I never thought I'd need glasses...
