Concert Press Pass Experiences ?

FullHD

Hi All

From looking at some posts it appears that it is pretty easy to get a press pass, and depeds on the mood of who you ask. Is it that easy, any experiences would be appreciated.
For the next few years im thinking of doing small/medium sized gigs in Cork. Just wondering should i try to attach myslf to a small independent newspaper and do regular work.
Last year i went to see Cathal Coughlan in Cork, there were 2 women from some paper had their cameras and sat at my table before the gig. Then before Cathal started, they went to the bar and stayed there for the night. It annoyed me because i only brought a compact camera because i didnt know if it would be allowed and it may annoy the artist.

Garry

iamnothim

talk to venues, promoters, management and/or artists. usually isn't a problem for smaller gigs. offer some shots for free if you're only starting out, usually goes down well

melekalikimaka

edit...oops. they shalln't be named

the god pass

FullHD

Thats good to know, i would be willing to do a load of free stuff if i thought i could make a living in a few years.
I have been doing some really small venues in cork but always nervous as it says no cameras on most tickets. In some cases i am not a big fan of the artist and am only there to take some pics. It would be nicer to go through the front door and not get the camera confinscated.
I am also a bit nervous about going to the artist in somecases. I remember once travelling from cork to dublin to see someone in whelans and i was on the guest list for helping advertise the gig., when i got to the door i got the line "Your names not down....".
I think i will try some venues in cork and maybe some free magazines and offer some work for free.
Thanks
Garry

FullHD

melekalikimaka wrote: »

http://flickr.com/photos/melekalikimaka/2524978888/

the god pass

Ooh like i am so jelous!
I want one of them for the Electric Picic so i can takesome pics of Nick Cave and Henry Rollins.
I took some NCave pics at Dublin Castle, and like an idiot accidently formated my SD card.
Could i just make up my own card

melekalikimaka

you could i suppose, i know of folks that did so at an event to get in,. not to take photos tho. they have very little security features on them

FX Meister

garrycs69 wrote: »

Ooh like i am so jelous!
I want one of them for the Electric Picic so i can takesome pics of Nick Cave and Henry Rollins.
I took some NCave pics at Dublin Castle, and like an idiot accidently formated my SD card.
Could i just make up my own card

You know you can get software to recover images off a card if you format it? I've used Sandisk recoverdisk before and it worked a charm.

FullHD

FX Meister wrote: »

You know you can get software to recover images off a card if you format it? I've used Sandisk recoverdisk before and it worked a charm.

Hi FX

I had tried a recovery software and it was sooooo slow i gave up. But your comment made me look "Sandisk recoverdisk" which i couldntfind anywhere. But i found CardRecovery (www.cardrecovery.com) which recovered a load of files but about 2/3's of the JPG's were corrupt. So i had a look at JPEG Recovery Pro (to uncorrupt the recovered files), but that did nothing.
Any idea where i could get a trial of "Sandisk recoverdisk", i had a look at the Sandisk site and there didnt seem to be any mention of it.
Thanks
Garry

iamnothim

melekalikimaka wrote: »

http://flickr.com/photos/melekalikimaka/2524978888/

the god pass

Ha, I'm definitely gonna go home and upload a photo of my *artist* passes from both ox***n and electric picnic last year. i win!

MartMax

I emailed Live Nation regarding use of SLR cameras in their concerts, well specifically Jack Johnson in Hyde Park this coming July. Got the reply today:

SLR's will not be permitted without a press pass which are provided on application to accredied members of the press only.

shepthedog

This may be a stupid question but I will fire ahead...

Is the cost of acquiring one of these passes the same price as a ticket to the event or do you need a ticket in addition?

FullHD

shepthedog wrote: »

This may be a stupid question but I will fire ahead...

Is the cost of acquiring one of these passes the same price as a ticket to the event or do you need a ticket in addition?

I dont have the answer, but id like to say its not a stupid question.

Since i only have experience of smuggeling cameras into gigs, i imagined the pass was free to specific types of people (down to experience/contacts in Hot Press, Irish Times etc) and that you would get kicked out ofter 3 songs or at some gigs 1 song.
I also pictured myself buying a gig ticket if i liked the artist.

At most gigs i see the photographer as like the security guys, not knowing their Bryan Adams from their Ryan Adams.

So has anyone the answer
Thanks
Garry

mehfesto2

shepthedog wrote: »

This may be a stupid question but I will fire ahead...

Is the cost of acquiring one of these passes the same price as a ticket to the event or do you need a ticket in addition?

You can't pay for these passes according to my readings on photographyireland. Technically, you can get turfed out after three songs if you don't have a ticket.
It depends how you get your pass. If it's from the venue, chances are you'll need to buy a ticket if you want to see the gig. If you get one off the band, promoters, you might get a ticket thrown in as a goodwill gesture too.

EDIT: Aplogies for saying what the poster above just said!

FullHD

No need to apologise, i was only guessing as i have little experience and am interested in taking pics at small venues like Whelans

Thanks for the info
Garry

melekalikimaka

generally you dont get kicked out anywhere in ireland in my experience. ambassador has a pretty tight 3 song rule most the time, as does olympia...the others are free for alls whenever i'm there, as is certain festivals

kensutz

garrycs69 wrote: »

At most gigs i see the photographer as like the security guys, not knowing their Bryan Adams from their Ryan Adams.

Hmmm............

iamnothim

shepthedog wrote: »

This may be a stupid question but I will fire ahead...

Is the cost of acquiring one of these passes the same price as a ticket to the event or do you need a ticket in addition?

You cant buy passes at all. They are given out to approved media/artist/venue photographers. You need the pass to 1) get your camera into the venue 2) get yourself into the pit (or sometimes onto the stage). Once you have the pass, you are generally allowed stay for the whole show. The three song rule, in my experience, only applies to taking photos from the pit. It's only there to get you out of the artists face so they can enjoy the show. I've only been stopped once (in about 200 gigs) taking photos from elsewhere in a venue after three songs. I've also only seen a photographer (wasn't me) be kicked entirely out of a venue after three songs, but in that instance there was some bad blood between him and the promoters. All the other photographers were allowed stay.

mehfesto2

Yeah, geting kicked out is a little extreme and a lot of effort!The one thing I've heard time after time is never lie about passes/who you know in the venue. You could get blacklisted and the bouncers will remember you.

Im heading to DPT in the Academy this Friday, has anyon eany experience with cameras there? It'll be my first time taking one along. Should I bother hiding it, or just go with it? Its a small venue, but a big band!

DotOrg

garrycs69 wrote: »

Thats good to know, i would be willing to do a load of free stuff if i thought i could make a living in a few years.

hey garry

if you work for free for a few years then try and work for money in a couple of years you'll be sadly disappointed. Promoters or papers won't suddenly start paying you when you think you're a better photographer, they'll just turf you aside and grab another young photographer who they'll 'help to build their portfolio'

Even massive Dublin venues have this attitude and hate paying for anything especially if they have any way of getting the same thing for free

Charge a reasonable fee from the start and people will respect you a lot more and you'll get a lot more paying work in future

have a read of my faq I wrote on music photography
www.AAAphotos.org/faq.htm

melekalikimaka

DotOrg wrote: »

hey garry

if you work for free for a few years then try and work for money in a couple of years you'll be sadly disappointed. Promoters or papers won't suddenly start paying you when you think you're a better photographer, they'll just turf you aside and grab another young photographer who they'll 'help to build their portfolio'

Even massive Dublin venues have this attitude and hate paying for anything especially if they have any way of getting the same thing for free

Charge a reasonable fee from the start and people will respect you a lot more and you'll get a lot more paying work in future

have a read of my faq I wrote on music photography
www.AAAphotos.org/faq.htm

i'd agree, learnt this lesson the hard way

kjenkinson26

In my limited experience (gig wise) I thought the 3 song rule used to only apply to flash photography and after that you could work away (hi iso-low light shooting)

I work for a local paper in Bray so don't have a problem getting in anywhere around there for any events going on (most are free anyway) but some have rules about flash, which is understandable from the artists point of view.

Not exactly Dublin or Slane but at the same time being with the paper and having a rather sad looking Canon hanging on to my shoulder for dear life does open a few doors to bigger gigs where people don't know me.

Get in with a local paper, the rates will be crap and you probably won't get mileage but you will get the name of the organiser and after a couple of gigs they will know you and then you are SORTED.

They need the publicity.