Tuesday 16 September 2008

Artfest Incident

Just a quick update following my promise to contact The Levellers concerning the way I was spoke to whilst photographic their gig on Sunday. It seems alot of you are interested in what the heck is happening/happened.
I've been in touch with a few of the photographers who happened to be nearby at the time and helped me to understand the situation far better than I did at first.
Just to briefly overview what happened, I was taking pictures on stage left when one of the technical crew chose to start shouting all sorts of obscenities at me (I couldn't understand a most of what he said, just the odd word. His gestures and the odd words I heard suggested that he wasn't in the best of moods).
So I speak to a few of the other guys who were around the time, and (although I'm unsure how) I seem to think I may have stood infront of him whilst he was pressing buttons and twiddling his knobs and what not.
It all happened VERY quickly - we're talking in a 10 second time frame. I remember him waving his arms around and some freaky veins popping out his throat the moment I turned around. I immediately reacted to what I believed to be "Can you please just step aside" (Add unessential expletives) and continued shooting with another photographer towards the front end of the stage, about three metres from the techi's "cove".
So following this, and the opinions from other photographers who saw what happened, I understand that I was in the way of the techi (in some shape or form), so therefore, I raise my hands and apologize for that (just like I said and did at the gig when he rudely waved and whistled me away).
However, this was in no way reason for him to act and speak to me the way he did, the sheer unprofessional-ism and almost laughable approach to those who publicize and review everything he and the band work for.
This unprofessional-ism was not denied when I later wrote to The Levellers record label, OFT Recordings, who replied,

"Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear about this. Usually, we hear only positive things about the crew.

I have passed on your message to the tour manager and agent."

As much I really just wanna let this go now, I look forward to their response.

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