Since Monday night's Flecktones concert, I have been thinking about the presence of photography, and possibly audiotaping, at concerts. While I am a big fan of trading bootlegs (never buy, people, never buy - this stuff is all out there for trade) I have never myself attempted to permanently archive moments of a concert before in any form. With the Flecktone's open policy regarding photos and taping (no flash, no video, but everything else is fine) I took advantage of the opportunity to snag what I hoped would be lasting memories in the form of photos.
As soon as the band took the stage, I whipped out my camera and prepared to snap off a few shots. I soon found myself tangled up in the woes of amateur photography, dealing with the limitations of an admittedly great "low"-end digital camera (the rightly revered Nikon Coolpix 995.) Focus, lighting, exposure . . . yeah, the camera would take care of all that itself, but it was difficult finding that perfect moment where there was enough light and little enough movement and where no one was blocking my shot and where I could hold still long enough to get . . . I pressed the shutter button, and wouldn't you know it, Victor Wooten moved two inches in the time it took to capture the image. Half way through the first song, I gave up and shoved the camera back in my case, and only attempted a very few more later when I thought I had a decent shot of getting something worthwhile with as little inconvenience as possible. Attempting more pictures would have me flirting dangerously close with destroying the intimacy of seeing a band live as I, instead of simply enjoying the music, dug myself deeper and deeper into the intricasies of forming the perfect shot.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
i've read a bunch of Fripp's writing and interviews on that topic. personally, i think he'll full of crap.
at concerts people also: get up to go to the bathroom, drink beer, talk to their neighbor (which really pisses me off)...and generally find all sorts of ways to not pay attention.
2 - Tom Johnson
Of course, Mark, I forgot about the rest of the sins committed at concerts. I can't see how people can pay the (in general) exorbitant prices they pay for tickets and then waste the experience talking or drunk. You can do that at home, people. Like my title says, "Focus, people, focus."
3 - JR
Have you seen what people pay to cut classes at a university?
4 - Eric Olsen
I have great empathy for performers and always feel the need to pay attention, and let them know I am paying attention in a small venue, but if people pay they can do pretty much whatever they want as long as it doesn't egregiously interfere with the performance. People go to shows for different reasons and it isn't really fair for we who are freakishly devoted music fans to dictate the terms of comportment - a lot of people just don't care that much.
5 - Mark Saleski
i've been to too many shows where people are talking quietly (even worse: whispering!) to each other during the quiet moments of a show.
it drives me nuts. i've had to ask more than a few to quiet down or take it outside.