I have a job to do that even I think is pretty cool (you can read more about it here). I will be taking photo's of stars. Yes really. Not the kind in a galaxy far far away, the country kind that sing songs like 'Some Beach' and 'Independence Day'.
Growing up in California - the San Fernando Valley to be exact - and working in Beverly Hills, I really don't get star struck. You will never find me mixing business with pleasure and asking for any autographs and it doesn't matter that in real life I would probably have my radio tuned to classic rock - I can still appreciate a good country tune especially when it's belted out by someone easy on the eyes.
But I do Google recent pictures of who I have to stalk. It wouldn't be good to take pictures of Willie Nelson only to find out it was some other old dude in a bandana!
It starts out like this.....
stacks of chairs waiting to be lined up in rows in the VIP seating area in front of the stage.
stacks of chairs waiting to be lined up in rows in the VIP seating area in front of the stage.
The back of the stage will be bustling with stage crew, tons of equipment, roadies, band members, their friends, and other celebrities who snag backstage passes because of who they are. I will wander among them, trying not to look out of place. HA!
I have no tattoos, no ten gallon hat. No cowboy boots or beer goggles. I won't be wearing any Daisy Dukes or tube tops, and honestly most of the people I see wearing those shouldn't be wearing them either! In fact based on what I see folks wearing I shouldn't worry for one minute what I have on or looking out of place!
I'll make sure to take some photos of the interesting people who pay to be there not just the beautiful ones who get paid to be there. There is a difference and I know you want to see it.
I will also spend a lot of time standing watching..... right behind that wood deck rail on the top right of the above photo. It's not as high as the tower and I don't have to climb to get there. Not even steps since it is just a big ramp for rolling equipment.
This spot isn't the best vantage point to get pictures anyway unless I was 6 feet tall, so for part of the time I will throw caution to the wind and roam among the crowd. I will climb the tower and fly in the plane for aerials. I will have beer spilled on me, elbows in my face, and my equipment knocked more than once resulting in photos that can't be used. My feet and back will ache, my hair will look like crap or may be covered with a baseball hat if it's really bad. I'll be hot, smelly, approaching epic crabbiness and by days end the only thing I will be thinking about is a shower.
All the while laughing with my bag lady at people as they pass.
The majority of the crowd is made up of people who look like this.
People who don't get free tickets because they know someone,
will have to line up at the gates with their chairs waiting for the opening bell.
Then they will run like the wind to get the best spot - the closest that they can in general seating. It is survival of the fittest, ummm, or fastest. And I will take pictures and move out of the way so they don't run me over, even though standing next to me are cops and security laughing at the running people.
There is about a thousand people behind those first two men at gate #2,
and they could care less if they flip me into the air as they run by.
Soon the running fans will want to fill their tank with beverage and the taps below
will be flowing and everything will be right in their world.
If it rains on me, my equipment and I will hide till it is done.
No rain please. It messes my hair even worse.
I will try to peek in the dressing room coolers to see what the beautiful people like to eat when they are on the road. These are not Hollywood types, there will not be any beluga or pate. Usually it's fruit and fancy waters.
Eventually a hush will come over the area and the crowd that swells to 15,000 will stand to watch, or squint depending on where they are, as one of the beautiful people
grabs a geetar, takes to the stage and does their country thang with a little country twang.
And I will hope to get that million dollar photograph out of the thousands taken.
Or at least enough that are not blurry because someone knocked over the 5'2" paparazzi.