PRE-2020 BACKSTAGE RIDER
20 lines of coke
15 spliffs
5 bottles of Jack Daniels
4 cases of bear
2 fireman’s buckets filled with red and blue M&M’s
POST-2020 BACKSTAGE RIDER
Lots of Covid tests
2 packs of face masks
10 bottles Hand sanitiser
It felt good to be on my way to photograph real live musicians again. I had 5 concerts to shoot during the second half of 2021 but they didn't feel anything like normal or the way they used to be. This was the first concert of the year by The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and it kinda did feel like it used to....until I got there!
The orchestra had played the night before, but I was joining them on the second of three nights. One musician had already dropped out at the rehearsal stage after testing positive for Covid 19. But it was only 4pm the day after the first concert and two more musicians had tested positive. Once again deps were found and the gig was going ahead. The beauty of jazz musicians of this calibre is that they can sightread what's put in front of them.
As restrictions are being lifted, and in some parts of the country being scrapped altogether, I've been seeing first-hand that things are worse than ever out there. People are not bothering with masks more and more, even though, unlike England, we have not had the mad government instructions that all restrictions are over. Do what you like. Tounge kiss as many strangers as you feel is appropriate.
Day 3: I'm editing the pictures from the night before when I get an email to say that this evening's performance has been cancelled.
Guests Joe Locke (vibraphonist) and Kenny Washington (vocalist) flew in from the US to perform with The SNJO. Months of writing arrangements for Joe, concerts postponed from 2020, and in the end, the plug had to be pulled due to Covid. It's only going to get worse in my opinion!
The music was brilliantly arranged by Joe Locke and the musicians played flawlessly as always!
This was an amazing start to the year for The SNJO which was cut short. I hope this project can be resumed at a later date!
ALL SHOT WITH THE X-PRO2 & THE 50/2 (75mm FF equivalent)
One of Fuji’s most underrated lenses!
