Diana Price Photography

POTD - Mad Sin

For those of you who think that being a rock and roll photographer is "glamorous," let me tell you a little story...a story about the Mad Sin show. Not that it was that much different than any other, but somewhat more... intense. And lengthier.

We had a lineup of what, about 8 bands? Now, this is a small venue, and they did set up a barrier because it was an all ages show, and they needed the barrier for the bands to have beer on stage. The width of the distance between said barrier and the stage was about, oh, foot and a half...two feet, tops. Those who know me know I'm kind of a big gal. Of course, I could stretch a bit between sets, but I spent the better part of 6 or 7 hours crammed in that space, sitting on the floor so as not to block fans' view as the stage is really only a slightly raised platform. If I put my feet under the rails, they got trampled, so I was sort of twisted up like a pretzel trying to shoot, or on my knees. (This is why I now own a pair of kneepads.)

Also remember we are talking about Phoenix. And a whole lotta people packed in a tiny bar. It was HOT. I was sweating so much, that it was rolling down my back most of the show. I ended up getting so dehydrated, that the next day I felt like I had a hangover, but without the benefit and fun of getting drunk.

On top of the that, the always rowdy Phoenix crowd was in rare form for Mad Sin, and the whole damn venue was the "pit." When I'm shooting, I get into a sort of weird, zen-like state, and was only vaguely aware of getting kicked and a few people kind of...falling on my head. But apparently it looked a lot worse to some of the fans. A few people I know were like, "Di! You're fucking amazing! People are falling on you, and you just brush them off and keep shooting!"

So I'm down in front, sweating like a pig, getting kicked in the head, and then the band decides to throw confetti glitter. Please note: Glitter really sticks to sweaty bodies. Someone told me afterward I looked like I had been to a David Bowie concert, but I think the people at the Jack in the Box drive-thru afterward really enjoyed my new look. Think a big vanilla ice cream cone with multicolored sprinkles. A big wilted one, after sweating for about 6 hours.

BTW...colored glitter stains you skin. Bad.

And oh yes, my knees hurt afterward for a week.

All photos copyright 2007 DianaPrice.com. All rights reserved. No use without permission. (All images can be clicked to open pop up of  full size image)

POTD - Calabrese merch shoot

Believe it or not, this was a shoot for new shirts for their merchandising. But I can't resist shooting extra shots of Dave. I have never seen a guy more comfortable hamming in front of the camera.

I'm going to adopt him.

POTD - Cutthroat Freak Show

I loved this creepy lighting and wanted to keep it as chiaroscuro as possible, to keep that dark, noirish feel.

POTD - Zombie Ghost Train

Captain Reckless and Stu Arkoff at Club Red, Tempe Arizona, 2007.

I always have a dilemma when I shoot -- the question of color vs black and white. I started out shooting black and white, processing and printing everything the old fashioned way, and that sort of stuck with me. Plus I developed a love for the great documentary photographers, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, James Nachtwey...an image in black and white has such a timeless quality to me.

And yet, when people wear vibrant red coats like Stu's that night, or when I have beautiful colored stage lighting, I get a little intoxicated in all that color. But I eventually go back to my roots.

I had Vic Victor put in a word with Stu about shooting some stuff for Zombie Ghost Train, when they played together shortly after the KK naked shoot for Girls and Corpses and shortly before this show. So Stu calls me to chat about doing photos, and asks me, "we don't have to take our clothes off, do we?"

I'm never gonna live that shoot down.

Stu and Reckless trade a lot of banter on stage, and they are one of the funniest bands to catch live. Also of note: Stu has quite a hard time keeping his tongue in his mouth, as anyone who has seen photos of him can attest to. And Reckless is one of the fastest damn bass players I have ever seen.

All photos copyright 2007 DianaPrice.com. All rights reserved. No use without permission. (All images can be clicked to open pop up of  full size image)

POTD - Morning fog

Believe it or not, this was shot in a small neighborhood park just outside Philly. I woke up and saw the fog and went out shooting. Oh how I wish I had actually had a subject to photograph in this.

POTD - The Vibrators

Oh, how I miss the Cypress Lounge, which closed a month or two after this. They had some of the best shows, but didn't get enough support from the community to keep their doors open. This is what happens when people don't come out to support their scene -- you lose all your best venues.

Heed that lesson.

Classic punk here: CBGB guitar strap, tattoos, cigarette and loads of attitude. I miss Cypress Lounge, but I definitely don't miss that table ledge along the side I kept getting slammed against all night. Ouch.

POTD - NYC war protest 2003

I was living in New Jersey, in the Philly area at this time, and taking a photo class at the community college to get darkroom access (yes, pre-digital for me.) On a lark, I decided to catch the train into the city to shoot this protest, which was one of the first big organized protests against the war in Iraq. I was struck by the range of demographics represented -- not just college age kids and old hippies, but middle class families, senior citizens, and even a woman sporting a fur coat. It was clear that more than the "liberal" contingent was out that day.

POTD - Desert Crosses

This was actually a test shot when I was location scouting for some band promos. I'm quite fascinated with the roadside crosses memorials, and this was shot on the Gila River Indian Reservation.

POTD - Koffin Kats

Koffin Kats at the Surly Wench, Tucson, Arizona, 8/10/07.

 

Copyright 2007 Diana Price. All rights reserved.

This is one of my favorite photos, although I think a lot of people don't appreciate the irony as much as I do, because it's difficult to read Vic's "Living in Darkness" tattoo. I was struck that he was in the spotlight in a darkened room, which I thought was particularly fitting, as I've always thought that Vic has a lot of contradictory qualities...a bit of a living dichotomy. Which I hope I captured here.

Or, come to think of it, maybe they don't get the irony in the tattoo because they're too busy staring at Vic's crack. Which anyone who has been to a KK show has already seen. Many times.

I was struck that night by the fact that as the band right before the Koffin Kats was playing, there was Vic, the singer for the headlining band, sitting alone drinking at the bar in a room full of people. (That, by the way, was the shot I SHOULD have gotten.) For a guy in a room full of people who had come out to see him, he looked pretty damn lonely. There's a lot I can say about Vic --and eventually will because a lot of my favorite photos are of him -- but that night was the first time I had really seen that side of him. And that side of "rock and roll" and life on the road.

And I can also honestly say that was what I call my "Sid and Nancy" moment. That moment when fucked up recognizes fucked up. I think it's fair to say he became one of my favorite muses that night.

POTD - Spyder Baby

I was trying to clean out my "to do" file, and found a few last shots of Jessica, or Spyder Baby, that I hadn't gotten to. Including the best of the parasol set we did. I guess I should be going through the file more frequently than at the end of the year to clean it out, shouldn't I?