The Spiral: Rob's posts [part 9]
June 3rd, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
>Great pics. How is it decided which ones go on frc?
Well, usually I try to pick ones that people would want to put up on their wall - like there are always a couple good ol' meat-and-potatoes rock shots of TR, as those tend to be very popular. And usually I'll try to include a full stage shot if I have one, and as many with the crowd in them as possible, because really that's what I think people who went to the show would love to have, a nice print where they can see themselves in the audience.
A lot of the photos look kind of similar night-to-night on FRC, but that's kind of the idea. The site isn't meant to be a big gallery of tons of unique NIN photos, it's designed for people to get photos from the show they went to - so of course there's going to be a similar shot of the stage and audience every night, etc. It's a bit boring from my perspective - at this point I'd rather take weird artier pictures than the standard-issue Trent-screaming-into-the-mic photo, but you kind of need those for FRC. So I usually post the artier shots here on The Spiral.
If you look at the "Top Sellers" on FRC, there are three different Trent Jesus poses in the top 10. People love the Jesus pose.
June 4th, 2006: NIN Official Camera Policy
NIN Official Camera Policy
There's been some discussion about this in various threads - namely the Tour Photos thread - and a lot of confusion over what exactly NIN's policy is regarding bringing your camera to shows. So I asked NIN management what the official camera policy is, and it was explained to me like this:
NIN does not allow digital cameras, professional cameras, or audio/video recording devices at the shows (unless you have a photo pass). Disposable cameras and cell phone cameras are fine.
Simple enough - but here's where it gets more complicated: NIN management instructs venues to enforce this policy only at the door - as in, they're not supposed to let you in with a digital or professional camera. If you do happen to get in without security noticing your little digial camera and you're snapping photos during the show, security isn't supposed to enforce it. Ultimately, NIN management doesn't really give a fuck if you get your digital camera in and take some pictures - the idea of keeping them out at the door is simply to cut down on the number of cameras that end up at the show. However, as many people have already experienced, local security will interpret these rules however they want, and honestly most of them are too dumb to understand anything beyond "cameras = bad." I know this because I get pestered and/or mauled by security guards at least five times every single show when I'm carrying my camera.
The bottom line: Venue security is erratic in their interpretations and enforcement of camera rules, so nothing is ever certain. But If you want to bring a camera, your safest bet is a disposable or a cell phone camera. If you want to try and sneak in your digital camera, technically you're fine once you get it through the door, but ultimately venue security is going to do whatever the hell they want. It's kind of a crapshoot. I've been to shows where I swear everyone in the audience had fancy digital cameras and was snapping away to their hearts content, and I've been to shows where people were being screamed at for so much as holding up their phone like they were going to take a picture.
So good luck out there, fellow photographers.
June 4th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
>Absolutely awesome pics, Rob.
Speaking of pictures, any word on the 'official' camera policy for this leg of the tour?
I just posted a new thread about it in the tour forum.
June 5th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Here are pics from Dallas:
June 5th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More from Dallas:
June 5th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Last night in sweaty Houston:
June 5th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More Houston:
June 6th, 2006: Grueling schedule for the last leg of the tour?
>I pity the Crew.
The band has the option of playing and then choosing to ride the bus to the next location, or taking a plane and flying in to catch up on sleep.
Or even better, when the shows are bunched in to nuggets of metropolitan areas, the band can have a main base in one city and just fly back and forth in and out for the shows always sleeping in the same town.
The crew on the other hand, pretty much has to sleep on the road, set up all day, then right after the end of the show take it all down again and get going to the next local.
But one could argue that that is the life you are anticipating when you become a roadie.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for our crew. I'm not a road person - touring isn't really for me, I do it with NIN because it's an extension of my job with them and they're a great group to do it with. What I mean is, most of the work I do is much more suited to sitting in a studio glued to a computer, and not having to constantly lug my gear around, setting it up and taking it down over and over again, as I do on the road. I don't think I'd consider touring with another band in the future. It's a lot more grueling than people think, and I even have the luxury of traveling with the band, who are given the most comfortable travel schedule possible under the circumstances. The road crew, on the other hand, get into the venue really early in the morning and set up a seemingly impossible amount of equipment for a simple two hour show. They work their asses off all day, and then load out late into the night, only to have to sleep on a bus and wake up shortly thereafter to do it all over again. And best of all they all love what they do and have a great time doing it. Next time you're at a show and you're reasonably close up, take a really good look at all the shit that has to be set up and taken down - all that rigging, those giant screens, dozens of lights, motors, chains and pulleys, power supplies, mixing consoles, music equipment, dozens of equipment racks, computers, and miles and miles of cables, all connected to each other, all having to work flawlessly for the show to go off. And then remember that you can't even see half of the equipment, there's a lot more running behind the stage. Think about what a massive task that is to do over and over again - every day I look at it all and it blows my mind. I think about that whenever I'm groaning about lugging my G5 around.
June 7th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Last night, 6-6-6 in Alabama. Shit got weird:
June 7th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More from Birmingham:
June 8th, 2006: Aaaaaaa Party!!!!!!
Aaaaaaa Party!!!!!!!
I just noticed they divided the forum into sub-forums and added a couple forums the mods had suggested. Nice. And then, I was stunned that no one had posted in here. This is the party room, the inevitable dumping grounds of all idiotic threads on The Spiral. So by all means, live it up like this guy.
June 10th, 2006: "The Hole" Webcam Discussion Thread [split]
Shitty internet connection tonight. I tried during soundcheck, but it was totally shot. Maybe tomorrow...
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Pics from Atlanta:
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More ATL:
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Last night in Raleigh:
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More Raleigh:
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Someone had asked for pictures from the 4-01-06 Vegas show, since for some reason they haven't shown up in the media section. Here they are:
June 10th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
>Anywho... ROB, if you're still around :) did you happen to take any pictures of the El Paso show, i think it was the one before the Las Vegas show. I'm guessing there were no pictures taken cuz there was going to be video footage of that one, but i was just wondering :)
Check the media section.
June 11th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Good times last night, with the lightning storm stopping the show for a bit. Here are some pics:
June 11th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
More from Charlotte:
June 12th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
>here's an etiquette question... should i post my show pictures in this thread, or in the actual past show talkback thread?
i've been posting in the show thread, but was curious if this is a huge faux pas.
Makes no difference. I'm sure people discussing a specific show would love to see pictures from that show - this thread is for people who just plain want to see pictures, no matter from what show. So put them up in one or the other, or both.
June 15th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Virginia Beach, VA:
June 15th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
Washington, DC:
June 15th, 2006: Tour Photos and Video
>I believe it was during THTF when Ally threw a keyboard in the general direction of Aaron. Aaron threw it to the side of the stage. Then at the beginning of HLAH, Ally stood on his keyboard/stand. Everything was still fine. I believe what happened was he was singing/playing so aggressively that he simply pushed everything over. At least that's what I could see from my vantage point. His stand must have been off balance since he threw that keyboard at Aaron. I thought it was hilarious that he just stayed down there singing. But I guess that's just part of the job; what a great guy!
Actually, it was Aaron who pulled down the keyboard stand. He does this thing sometimes during HLAH where he climbs up and hangs on Ally's keyboard stand - this time it finally was too much, and came crashing down. Looked like it hurt. So Ally had to sing on the floor, and later Aaron took revenge on the keyboard. It went something like this:
