Photos of The Pogues, March 19 2006

[DzM]

Enjoy.

[CraigBatty]

Thank you very much DzM. Fantastic shots as always, and a real treat for the eyes. You and your tireless efforts, sheesh, I dunno... it's a good thing there aren't 28.23 metric hours in the day over there; or you'd over-work yourself even harder...

[DzM]

Thank you very much DzM. Fantastic shots as always, and a real treat for the eyes. You and your tireless efforts, sheesh, I dunno... it's a good thing there aren't 28.23 metric hours in the day over there; or you'd over-work yourself even harder...

I give and give. Nothing is too good for my Medusianarions.

[Heather]

Thank you very much, some great shots there.

[philipchevron]

Great stuff. I especially love the pic of Daddy Finer at the very end.

[DzM]

Thank you everyone. I'm delighted that you all enjoy them.

I especially love the pic of Daddy Finer at the very end.

Yeah - I like that one too. As others have said - Daddy Finer ("A Finer Daddy I've never seen...") just looks so very pleased and proud.

I had to sneak the shot. Security had a policy that changed night-by-night regarding shooting from the audience. Some nights it was "you can shoot anywhere you want for the first three songs, but NO shooting from anywhere after the first three." "One night this changed to "second through fifth songs." And sometimes it was "the pit for the first three songs, and then from behind the barrier (or anywhere else in the auditorium) for the rest of the show." Each security meathead had a different understanding of that night's version of the rule. So ... Shot sneaking had to happen. Some of them came out, some of them didn't.

[philipchevron]

I have to take some responsibility for the confusion, along with the meatheads. For years, our convention was First Three Numbers Only. Then recently, I began to notice it was 2nd, 3rd and 4th numbers. When I enquired why, I was told this was Shane's preference. So far so fine: although the First Three Numbers Rule is almost universal, Shane is the principal target of the photographers and is therefore entitled to call the shots on this (no pun intended) to a degree. I honestly don't mind when the photographers are there just as long as I know in advance when to expect them and when to expect their departure. However, one night on this March '06 US Tour, I can't remember where, the photographers were still there for the fifth number. I surprised myself by breaking into a blind panic. Would they be there all night? If not, how long? And why did I suddenly feel so insecure and vulnerable? After the show, I demanded answers to at least some of these questions and sought reassurance that there would be no recurrence. However, it appears there were teething problems, with some security men in New York receiving wildly different instructions from their colleagues.

As to my own unexpected panic? I can't really describe this. Essentially, a live performance is an exchange between performer and audience. The mediation of a third element - the photographers - is initially quite theatrical (dozens of snappers suddenly arriving in the security pit) - but it very soon becomes an obstacle too. I developed various strategies over time to deal with the problem and, when "Turkish Song of the Damned" (the 4th number) became part of the ritual, I responded to that too, with the silly Bob Fosse "jazz hands" moves/dance. In this context a FIFTH number was suddenly a BRAND NEW CHALLENGE for which I was unprepared.

I will reiterate, just to be clear. Although I believe photographers to be, on balance, an obstacle to be negotiated rather than embraced, and if you paid $100 a ticket and got there early to secure a place at the front, you too are also entitled to feel a little resentful and they would certainly not be tolerated in the theatre or opera house by patrons. BUT I absolutely recognise their worth, both intrinsically and on the publicity level. As many Medusans know, I personally take responsibility for Photographer Accreditation etc at Pogues shows and indeed I recently said on RTE's Arts Show "The View" that photography was by some distance the most vital of the visual arts forms, an opinion born of personal experience of, among other things, the very best Pogues photographers. I am at present working on the Foreword to a book of (non-Pogue) photos by another Medusan. Finally, I have also been known to respond to precise requests, which is why there were photos of Ella at all on these past gigs - one of the snappers put forward a specific request to photograph "Fairytale" which we instantly granted.

So, in a nutshell, I hate/love photographers just so long as I know where they are/when they are. I'm a Pogue, fer Chrissakes.........you want non-paradoxical pop stars with unconflicted points of view, go watch James Blunt.

[CraigBatty]

...I'm a Pogue, fer Chrissakes.........you want non-paradoxical pop stars with unconflicted points of view, go watch James Blunt.

Bless you Philip, and all who sail with you... James Blunt! *GUFFAW!* Great insight into the relationship with the snappers, also. Thank you very much.

[DzM]

Wow. A much more complex answer than I was expecting (especially since I wasn't expecting any answer at all).

My only point on the sneaking of the photo was that from night to night and meathead to meathead the policy of shooting from the crowd would change. The first night I was told that the policy was "first three songs from the pit, then get out of the pit but feel free to shoot from anywhere in the auditorium." But once the show was actually happening this policy changed depending on which meathead you were standing near. Some didn't care at all, some would instantly place a hand in front of the lens. And again, this policy seemed to shift from night to night.

But all that aside - I don't have any issue with the policy. I would resent it too if I'd invested many hours and dollars to be at the front rail and then had photographers placed in front of me for the entire show. I've always felt that as a photographer I should do everything I can to not be intrusive on the subject or on the people trying to view the subject. I'm not part of the performance and have no right to assume my camera magically makes me more important than anybody else.

I'm kinda curious about your conflict though. How does it cope with the video cameras (Nora's or the DVDers), Sean Fay's periodic jaunts into the pit throughout the show (or behind the drum riser for that matter), and the copious cell phones and small point-and-click cameras that are in the audience? Are these more distracting? Less distracting? Not an issue at all? And what about the conflicting directions from security - "Shoot from the audience after eviction" "Don't shoot at all after the eviction" etc. I have a photo or two of Ella (and the previously mentioned Daddy Finer) by using a big zoom lens and shooting from the audience. Does this provoke your conflict?

Anyway - I find all this really educational and want to talk more with you about it. Maybe we should move off to PM land.

[philipchevron]

I'm kinda curious about your conflict though. How does it cope with the video cameras (Nora's or the DVDers), Sean Fay's periodic jaunts into the pit throughout the show (or behind the drum riser for that matter), and the copious cell phones and small point-and-click cameras that are in the audience? Are these more distracting? Less distracting? Not an issue at all? And what about the conflicting directions from security - "Shoot from the audience after eviction" "Don't shoot at all after the eviction" etc. I have a photo or two of Ella (and the previously mentioned Daddy Finer) by using a big zoom lens and shooting from the audience. Does this provoke your conflict?

The DVD-ers, Nora, Sean etc, in accordance with my conflict-resolution, are all expected in advance is the simple answer.

Mobile phones are no more or less intrusive than lighters used to be. Indeed, I often idly speculate how nice it is that so many people in the audience phone their Grandma during our show - must be something to do with the intimations of mortality The Pogues exude.

What happens after the photographers leave the pit never crosses my mind though. They blend into the great mass of humanity at that point and are again at one with the performance, their mediation duties accomplished.

[philipchevron]

But I draw the line at Noel Kenny.

[DzM]

The DVD-ers, Nora, Sean etc, in accordance with my conflict-resolution, are all expected in advance is the simple answer.

Mediating one's conflicting demons is a complex task.

Mobile phones are no more or less intrusive than lighters used to be. Indeed, I often idly speculate how nice it is that so many people in the audience phone their Grandma during our show - must be something to do with the intimations of mortality The Pogues exude.

Hmm. I was thinking less of the phones-as-phones and more of the phones-as-cameras (particularly since a growing number of these phones have built in flashes).

But I guess your not even noticing them in that way answers the question about whether they bother you.

What happens after the photographers leave the pit never crosses my mind though. They blend into the great mass of humanity at that point and are again at one with the performance, their mediation duties accomplished.

Well - the first part of our mediation duties. After that comes all the tedious part of (in some cases) developing, printing, organizing, scanning, bringing out just the right level of 'artsy,' etc. Then the mediation is complete and the recrimination begins.

[philipchevron]

When I succumbed to the urge to use my phone to "film" Ray Lynam and Philomena Begley singing "My Elusive Dreams" in Dublin in January, I used it as a sort of test case. My conclusion, though Ray and Philomena are of course welcome to distance themselves from it, was that phones are only minimally distracting and therefore permissable. Nothing could be worse than those silly fluorescent necklaces that used to be prevalent (and ate into our merchandising profit) but are now, mercifully, banished to U2 concerts.

I hasten to add that this is a purely personal point of view and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Pogues, the Pogues' management, the Pogues' music publishers and everyone else whose job it is to protect our copyrights.

[Simon Maguire]

Nice one.

[pale rider]

Excellent photos and conversation....thank you.