Brooklyn Beckham in the Pit …….

Whilst enjoying my coffee at my favourite café this morning I read an article (Daily Mail by the way) that was saying that Brooklyn Beckham is going to be shooting artists/bands from the pit area at V Festival next month. Fine, not a problem. But will he have to abide by all the same rules that the rest of us have to abide by? contracts?, first 3 songs?, no flash?, will he be able to sell them after? does he work for an agency?, will he be in the ‘scrum’ with the rest of us or will he have a minder or special access?

He is probably a really good photographer, has the best equipment that mum and dad can buy but so are many others out there who do not have the contacts that his family obviously does. But I would like to see him ‘go through the mill’ may be even use a different name to see if his photographs would sell over anybody else’s images, not just oh they are Beckham’s images we must buy/use them !!!!! If of course that is what happens, does it? I am guessing of course as I am not in that lofty world but it wouldn’t surprise me if it were the case. Level playing field and all that.

By the way if it were me and I could help my children out then I would do exactly the same as David and Victoria

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Lionel Ritchie Rocks All Night Long in Gloucester.

Sunday evening found me at Gloucester Rugby Club and the Lionel Ritchie concert. It was and he was absolutely awesome. The guy is so professional, so polished, I could not fault his performance one little bit. And even if he had made a mistake it would have been forgotten. Within seconds of him being on stage the audience were up out of their seats dancing. And of course I love Lionel Ritchie’s music ever since I first heard him in the Commodores back in the 70’s. Like I say an awesome performance.

Was there any down side. Well yes. Firstly the rain, it poured it down. So on some of the images it is not dust on the lens it is raining so hard it is captured on the image. Even that wasn’t so bad. The real downer was that all the photographers were walked off the premises once we had shot the first three songs. I would have loved to have stayed for all of the concert but the management would not let us. Why? Well at a previous L.R. concert (Cannock Chase I think) the photographers were allowed to stay. Unfortunately one idiot (and there is always one) went into the audience and continued to shoot. I wont go into what happened to him as it is not clear but the result was that management now walks photographers out the pit and out the venue. I can understand why and would do the same. It s just disappointing when you get idiot photographers who do not know how to behave ruin it for the rest of us.

That apart it was AWESOME

Wychwood Music Festival 2016

Just a very small selection from the 1000’s of images I took at this years Wychwood Music Festival in Cheltenham over the weekend.
It was a roaring success as it is every year and I really enjoyed myself. Lots of images uploaded to my agency, lots of fun and lots of interesting people.

I was also chuffed to bits as I got to meet Craig Charles and he signed one of my images of him from a previous year at Wychwood and he genuinely liked it. I also got Pauline Black from The Selector to sign a print I made of her from a previous gig.

Wychwood is a really good family friendly festival. It isn’t so big it is a problem but big enough to attract decent named acts and huge crowds, all of which were and are very well behaved.

All in all for me a very good weekend.

Jane McDonald at Oxford New Theatre That’s Entertainment

Tuesday afternoon I met Jane McDonald as part of the press photo shoot at The Oxford New Theatre where she is starring in That’s Entertainment.

She was lovely. She was so friendly and did everything we asked her to do. She is just like she is on the telly Loose Women etc.
I never got to see the show but I would advise anybody to go and see her, very engaging.

A very pleasant photo shoot.

Years and Years play to a full house at Swindon Oasis

Years and Years gave a very polished and entertaining performance to a sold out concert at The Swindon Oasis last night. Good music and good to photograph. I messed up by miss counting the first three songs and security had to ask me to leave the pit but to be honest sometimes you are so busy focused on what you are doing you don’t always notice how many songs have been played. My apologies to anybody that I affected.

Good evenings entertainment and I can understand why they are winning lots and lots of awards.

Karen Marie Orsted at Swindon Oasis

Danish Electro Pop singer and performer Karen Marie Orsted performed a stunning set as the support act for Years and Years at the Swindon Oasis venue. She was very very good and interacted with the audience really well and she was (or appeared to be) quite happy me being up close to take images.

I would definitely go and see her again.

Misty Morning at the Cemetery in Swindon

This morning I spent an hour or so wandering around a very misty Clifton Street Cemetery in Swindon. It was lovely and not spooky at all, as much as I wanted it to be!!!! and unfortunately didn’t see any strange happenings. This cemetery is fascinating as it has lots of old G.W.R. workers graves as well as Commonwealth War Graves. I have only been round a small part of it so far and intend to spend a lot more time there looking around and photographing the graves.

Music Update

Today I spent a couple of hours updating my website with some Music Images from Bristol Concerts last summer. These are some of my favourites from the three days. It is really difficult to decide which are the best and which are the ones I like the most as I always take quite a few when I go to a concert.

I really enjoy music photography and working to get to many more major concerts again this year.

I hope you enjoy looking at my images.

Pete

Junior Doctors Strike at Swindon Great Western Hospital

Tuesday 12th Jan saw the first day of the National Junior Doctors series of strike days. There was a good turn out of support on the picket line outside of The Great western Hospital in Swindon. The Junior Doctors were joined by The Green Party and by The Swindon Peoples Assembly who showed solidarity with the strikers.

The Face of Remembrance Day in Swindon 2015

Today was Remembrance Day in Swindon. I was there as usual and true to (my) form I have recorded some of the faces of Remembrance in Swindon. They are all locals and that includes Robert Buckland Conservative MP for Swindon South and Solicitor General for England and Wales. Along with Justin Tomlinson, Conservative MP for Swindon North and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People.

I had a number of interesting discussions some of which centred around the fact that quite a few of the RBL standard bearers are getting older and wont be able to carry them for much longer there are not many younger people joining and willing to carry the standard at all of these type of events. Despite there being a very large contingent of Army, Army Reservists, Cadets from all three branches of the services not many of them are joining the RBL.

After saying that I am sure this event will continue for many years to come.