June 29
Some more of The Who at Ashton Gate Ground yesterday.
June 28
 Off to Bristol for The Who. I was trying to remember
when I was last at a show here,Triumph I think, around
1980. I drove past Bristol last year for Black Sabbath
in Monmouth. Nice at home but as I drive west the sky
starts getting grey - I wonder if we're driving North...
Easy to get to Bristol. I suggest to Kazuyo (who's
driving me) a quick detour to Stonehenge. 'Why? It's
just a load of old rocks.' It takes as long to get through
the city as coming down the motorway, there are so many
roadworks. The venue is an old style football ground.
I half expect to see people in cloth caps in the crowd.
Roger is there first, he wants to change the set. I
suggest My Generation. The band arrive to soundcheck,
play Who Are You, Mike Post, and that's it. I sit in
the band's dressing room shooting Roger and Simon Townshend
running through songs. Early evening the sun comes out,
just before The Who go on. They do change the set -
no Mini Opera. Instead we get Let's See Action, Real
Good Looking Boy and a drawn out My Generation. During
Baba O'Reilly Pete even started doing a jig, or a mod
dance, depending on how old you are. The last time I'd
seen him do this was the 1975 UK Tour. Plus he looked
like he was enjoying himself, strangely. Roger definitely
was. He dedicated the show to Mike Shaw, The Who's first
roadie, who was there. I got told off by the video guy
for tapping my foot too much during Amazing Journey.
Great show - they finished with Listening To You.
Some pictures of Pete and Roger at their soundcheck
at The Bristol City football ground, Ashton Gate. I'll
put more up tomorrow from todays shoot.
See more of The Who...
June 26
Monday morning and it's cold and raining. I should
be on a plane to LA - wish I was there...
Here's an email I just received - I can even sell Bic
Runga CDs...
Just a small message to thank you both for your
blogs. Let me start this email off the right way:
1 - Mick, I bought 'Star Trippin' through your site,
it is awesome, specially for someone living in a Caribbean
island who never got a chance to read your articles.
2 - I found out about the book thanks to Ross' diary
which I've read religiously for the past two years.
Not only are your blogs an entertaining read, but they're
also very insightful. Based on Ross' reviews, I purchased
Don Letts's Punk Attitude DVD and most recently a Bic
Runga cd. Now Mick has got me curious about Evelyn Glennie
which I plan to check out in the not so distant future.
Your sites have helped me discover new artists and movies
in addition to providing the everyday music freak /
concert enthusiast like myself a rare look behind the
scenes.
Once again, much thanks and continued success,
Jose Velez
San Juan, Puerto Rico
  I've just put up some more Motorhead and Whitesnake.
Here's The Who from last night... More on The Who
page...
More vintage Def Leppard has gone up...
June 25
Nice day in London. Head down to Gatwick late afternoon
to meet up with The Who. We are flying privately up
to Leeds. Everyone wants to watch the football, England
are playing someone or other and moaning about the heat.
David Beckham lives in Spain and he's too hot in Germany?
He should get a proper job.
As we climb the sky is getting greyer not bluer - yuk.
I hate the north of England. We land to slate grey skies
and it's freeeeeeeeeeezing - and I'm wearing shorts.
We all drive convoy-style to Harwood House, a stately
home in huge grounds. The backstage is okay. See Everett
from The Eels wandering around dressed as a World War
II fighter pilot. And the air rage, pill-popping guitarist
from REM, Peter Buck, wandering around banging into
walls - probably looking for someone to fight with...
   I go on stage to watch the Flaming Lips, shoot Wayne
walking over the crowd in a bubble. Everyone raves about
them. To be honest if you take away the extras and the
gimmicks they are frankly shite. Amateurish, disguising
it as music - it was shit. Well, they are from Kansas
- and they murder a Black Sabbath song.
 I go back to The Who's dressing rooms and shoot Roger
Daltrey warming up, plus Zak with a Moon and Entwhistle
t-shirt. Shoot The Who walking onstage. Get a nice portrait
of Pete Townshend waiting in the wings.
 The show is better than Brighton, nice crowd lights.
Get a couple of good PT jumping photos. Amazing Journey
is drawn out with PT jamming - this is The Who at their
best. I shoot the encores from behind Pete's amp. Get
a crowd photo with Roger's mike way in the air. I'm
pleased with myself (it makes a change from panicking
about whether I've got anything worthwhile). It is like
December now, it's so cold.
We all get in the cars straight back to Leeds airport.
I am home by midnight. At least The Who know how to
travel.
June 24
A beautiful summers day. I have a lot to do as I'm
off to LA on Monday, then Boston to shoot Aerosmith.
This is a huge shoot and has taken all last week to
set up. Plus I might go to The Who tomorrow in Leeds.
So off to see my mate Gordon in London, then to meet
up with Bic Runga for a coffee and to give her photos.
I've got to run some errands. Bic's off today so we
go for a wander. Now, I like to shop - I can go to any
city in the world and shop. Bic likes to shop as well
and surprises me by showing me Martin Margiela - great
mens clothes. I didn't realise that they had a shop
in London. We end up in the HMV store via Selfridges
(which has a sale on with every tourist in London inside).
Bic and I trade dvds - I get I Am Cuba, she gets La
Reine Margot. She heads north, I head south - home to
pack.
Just get in when Danielle calls from Aerosmith's management
to say they are cancelling. I am so pissed off I'm not
even angry. This is the band shoot which was supposed
to happen in January. I give up - it gets to a point
where it's not even worth caring.
Feel like going out and destroying London in a Kevin
Shirley way...
June 23
Been digging out photos for magazines of Gods Of Metal
- thought I'd put some up.
June 22
I've had loads of emails pointing out that my vintage
Def Leppard pictures are not in the right order. What
order? The order you can download them for your own
fan sites? Fuck off you bunch of sad whingers and take
your own photos....
And I've had an email saying Mick Wall's book is crap.
I wouldn't go that far, it's very much of the time.
His new intros are good - people forget it was written
for 15 year olds in the '80s, and it's sad that you
45 year olds want to read it. Shows you what a mid life
crisis is...
Dear Ross
Bought the Mick book, he made a living writing, how!!!
Fully intend to send it back, I dont care about
the money just don't want it in my house, love
and hate the diary but cant stop reading it. I
toured with Page and Plant Europe 95 and found
you arrogant and un-approachable, but one or other
of us must have mellowed, good luck and keep writing.
Thanks
Philip Lettieri
I mentioned this to Jimmy Page, who also asked his
guitar tech, Lionel - neither of them knew who he was.
Jimmy suggested "maybe he was in the audience."
Ohhhh yes, I'm arrogant and un-approachable - now fuck
off.
Some recent magazines.
June 21
     Here's
the new Who tour book with my photos.
David Coverdale sent me an email - he told me that
he told the Scorpions about my diary and me saying they
destroyed the Albert Hall, which they did. Funnily enough
Bic Runga also asked what the last show I'd seen which
blew me away was and you know,I had to really think
- it was the Scorpions and Mountain, both were great...
   Here are some more vintage Def Leppard pictures, even
more are on the way...
go there...
June 19
Spent the morning beating Kazuyo for crimes against
humanity (not getting the pictures on my website quick
enough). Being Japanese she doesn't understand kindness
- only hard labour.
Phil Collen came over with Mike Kobayashi. We had to
go through photos for the tour book. We all got bored
and ended up going for a curry. And then looked at some
photos. Then Phil and I watched The Faces and Deep Purple
on DVD - before you all judge, we grew up in the '70s.
We did pick some pictures eventually...
June 18
Drive back with Phil Collen and my agent, Simon. It
seems to me to take forever. No traffic but lots of
roadworks. Home at 3.30am. Phil and I are glad we didn't
stay. The band will still be in the bar - with a hungover
drive to London in a few hours time.
Can't sleep, awake at 8am. At least it's sunny and
I'm in the south - south London...
Felt slow all day. My son brought me a card and a nice
bottle of Rioja for Fathers Day. Then we sat and watched
Big Brother together - I read the Sunday papers while
he enjoyed this great cultural programme. Must admit
I found the Chinese chain-smoking Mancunian fascinating,
she was so rancid. It made her attractive.
 Off
to Brighton for The Who. Took twenty minutes to get
there, then an hour and a half to drive a fucking mile
due to the London/Brighton cycle race. Last time I saw
The Who here was in '79, and the strange thing for me
was that Townshend was wearing jeans in '79 (odd, because
he normally wore white trousers) and he wore jeans tonight.
A high stage, hard to shoot. Got a couple of jumping
photos that I was pleased with. A strange set, a bit
all over the place. Didn't think it was well paced.
But hey! I still like them. And they're still the greatest
rock'n'roll band in the world.
See more...
Saw the tour book, which has all my pictures. I was
pleasantly suprised. Ended the evening eating fish
and chips with Peter Makowski and his Thai girl,
Kazuyo, on the seafront. At one point I thought they
were going to kiss and swap chips. Ugh... Peter was
full of gushing love - and cod and chips.
I've spent the last three days eating shit and from
tomorrow I am becoming truly healthy.
June 17
Hot, Blue and Righteous - sunny, as ZZ Top sort of
said...
Tony Wollenscroft, a human being from the North of England,
is dropping by this morning. I have a photo of me shooting
Lemmy from 1979 (taken by and given to me by Barry Plummer,
one of the original Melody Maker photographers). Tony's
shooting Hyde Park with the Foo Fighters and Motorhead
and he's going to get Lemmy to sign it. I'm off North
again for Def Leppard, although if I'm honest I'd rather
be in Leeds shooting The Who - I had to turn it down...
Read Mick Wall's diary. Michael is going on about the
mighty Judas Priest at The Albert Hall. Now where I
agree the Priest are back etc, they were not back at
the Albert Hall. The Scorpions wiped the floor with
them. A bit like Germany will do to England in the World
Cup. And Mick accused me of calling him homosexual.
I didn't, I said he was bald with a LONE WOLF tattoo.
Michael, you need to look in the mirror and come to
terms with yourself.
Another shock was Jimmy Page telling me last night
he watches the football - he'd asked if I'd seen the
Argentina game. I told him he'll turn into Robert Plant
if he's not careful.
God I hate the football...
Honestly, as I drive up the motorway the sky gets blacker
- it is grim up north.
Arrive at 6.30pm. Def Leppard aren't on until 9.30.
We all watch The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, who,
much to everyone's surprise, are great. Chat to Rick
Neilson and Robin Zander from Cheap Trick. It's good
to shoot Def Leppard with a proper light show.
June 16
A nice day in London, the sun is shining. It's hot and
I'm off to Sheffield. The further north the train goes
the darker the sky gets. I arrive and it's slate grey
- there's nothing worse I could be doing. Okay, I could
be mining, so I'll only moan a bit...
I'm up North to shoot Def Leppard with a full production
in Sheffield Arena. Except there are no follow spots
(which means the band are in shadow until the show tomorrow).
I give up and head home. Noticed a lot of sex shops
up here, next to the curry houses - what a mixture.
And I didn't see a single good-looking girl...
Arrive to a still sunny London at 9pm.
Here's a email sent to me by a photographic genius.
I, personally think your live concert photo's
suck. Bad framing, off exposures. you have the balls
to ask a silly amount of money for prints. What a joke.
Stick to the studio stuff and stay out of the pit.
Yes, I must change my job.
June 15
Sooooooo nice to see another photographer finds my
website so inspirational.
Went into Q and Mojo. Asked for a couple of copies
of the Who special. 'Why do you want it if it's rubbish?'
sneered Neil Jefferies' female tea-maker. 'I didn't
say that.' 'Yes you did, I read your website.' I said
the cover was the worst photo of Pete Townshend jumping
I'd seen. I think Neil's assistant needs glasses. But
it's nice to know she reads the website...
Went to the gym tonight, I've been tired all day -
can't get going. It was empty, about three other people,
all women. Everyone was at home watching the boring
world cup. Unusual being at the gym and not seeing the
Mick Wall look-alikes - bald men with tattoos (yes folks,
look at Mick's site for his lone wolf tattoo, done during
a 90's pre-midlife crisis - why else would you do it?).
I'm going to dig out my "All footballers are gay"
t-shirt. Quite amazing how it upsets people.
Staying in to watch Seven Swords. It's long and has
some gorgeous women. Fuck the football, that's for gay
men with tattoos...
 Here's
the new Thin Lizzy Best Of with my cover
June 14
Went to see The Who rehearse today at the old Hammer
film studios in Bray. The video screens the band are
using were impressive, the best I've seen in ages.
The set list is good as well though I don't know what
they'll keep in it. Did a good Naked Eye. No light
show yet just fill-in white light. Still enjoyed watching
them. See more...
Supposed to go out for dinner with Jimmy Page tonight,
but I'm late and he's still in the studio. The songs
have an eastern feel with a hard edge. The band are
(rumoured) to be called Red Zeppelin. He's possibly
touring the far east first in the new year - we'll
see.
June 13
  At last rain - a bit. It's still hot.
Ended up going out to dinner last night with Rick Fagen
who's GNR's tour manager. Rick bought dinner at Nobu.
We kept seeing people we knew - Munkey from Korn was
intent on getting drunk as Korn have cancelled their
European tour. The service was poor, and slow and expensive.
I go to the toilet. As I'm peeing I am grabbed from
behind and pulled away from the urinal. A voice booms
'Guess who?' It's Kirk Hammet, who has successfully
drunk most of the saki in the restaurant. 'COME ON LETS
DRINK!!!' 'I'm driving!' I protest. 'SOOOOOOOOO? COME
ON.' Kirk then tries to convince me to go to the Kerrang
party, 'WE CAN SEE EVERYONE WE HATE!' I decline his
invite to the childrens party. I leave Kirk as he transforms
into Kevin Shirley.
Kirk told me Metallica have sold 75,000 tickets for
their show today in Talin. 'We're playing Master Of
Puppets.' At least it isn't Load...
June 12
Watched a Woodstock outtakes DVD. It featured a guitar
player with an amazing voice playing a song called Jennifer,
it was like hearing Jeff Buckley for the first time
- it knocked you over, made you stop and listen. By
a strange coincidence Mojo had a review with the singer,
Bert Sommer, who starred in the US production of Hair.
I saw Phil Alexander today who'd got me the cd. I rushed
home to play it - Jennifer is haunting, the rest of
the cd is appalling hippy rubbish. I mean bad! At least
I got it for free...
Bought the Pusher trilogy, can't wait to watch Pusher
III "Angel Of Death", a nice Danish film.
Mojo Classic have got out The Who & The Story Of
70's Rock. Nice colour photos by Ray Stevenson from
the Live At Leeds show. The rest of the Who photo spread
is okay (I'm only being nice in case Mark Blake threatens
me with Neil Jefferies). The cover has the WORST photo
I have ever seen of Pete Townshend jumping (from the
'75 tour), it's not even in focus. Whoever designed
this must be blind or a New Order fan. The design is
supposed to look retro 70's. Well I grew up in the 70's
and it didn't look like Jackie Magazine (which this
is obviously modelled on). Yuck... The magazine is saved
by the best article I 've read in ages about Led Zeppelin
- by Nick Kent (I haven't read the Who one yet). It
shows magazines like Record Collector how to use proper
writers - wonderful stuff...
Re-did some New York City prints - Terry Hack at my
lab, Bayeux, did a great job.
June 11
This hotel is a nightmare - drunk people screaming
all night in the streets.
  Get up worn out, fly home at 9.50am. Get a good photo
of the Millenium Dome as we fly along the Thames.
June 10
Off to Amsterdam to the Arrow Classic Rock Festival.
Meet Def Leppard at Schipol airport. We drive two hours
east in a tiny van with no A/C. It is also the hottest
day of the year. I don't know where we are. I saw a
sign for Arnhem about half an hour earlier, near the
German border. Lots of windmills. Everyone is, ummmm,
tired.
Arrow Rock reminds me of the Reading Festival in the
70's. Everyone friendly, you don't get stopped every
ten feet by some idiot demanding to look at your pass.
Joe and I watch Ray Davies who plays all his hits -
and he has a lot. I go off to see a bit of Little Ron,
also known as Dio, playing in a huge tent. It is packed,
like a giant sauna. Run into Queensryche's Michael Wilton
and Scott Rockenfeld, haven't seen them for a while.
Wander back to the main stage. Leppard play at 7pm -
still daylight. I shoot everything onstage as the stage
is fifteen feet high. Everyone in the band enjoys it
- an easy show.
Def Leppard are now sharing the dressing room area with
Roger Waters. Snowy White is in the band. Joe is impressed.
'He were in Thin Lizzy,' announces Joe. Yes, the crap
Thin Lizzy who made Renegade, a record with only three
average songs. Who cares? Joe does. He walks up to Snowy
(the most boring and dull musican I have ever met) and
sticks out his hand.'Hi Snowy, I'm Joe Elliott from
Def Leppard.' Snowy looks perplexed, like he has to
answer a complicated mathematical question. He nods,
then tells Joe he has something to do and wanders off.
Vivian agees with me - his first band Sweet Savage opened
for Lizzy in the UK on the Renegade tour. Vivian walks
straight over saying 'You won't remember me but...'
Snowy looks vaguely interested for a whole second, then
walks off. Never meet your heroes.
Roger Waters arrives. Now, he looks good, tall and slim
in a black t-shirt and jeans, polite but very aloof.
Sort of like a rock Richard Gere. We were going to watch
him, but he plays for four hours and we've got to drive
back to Amsterdam. Spend another two hours driving back
- we stop to pee in the woods. I don't have a Sureshot.
I should have taken photos - Def Leppard think they're
The Who.
Joe and I agree how much we like Europe, you don't appreciate
it when you're younger.
Arrive back back at 11.30. Everyone is tired. Stay in
my room at the awful American Hotel watching a Dolf
Lungren film called Dragon Bridge. I try to work out
where it's filmed - must be somewhere in Eastern Europe.
It is truly shite.
June 9
Friday, and it's so hot I'm off to sit in the
garden. Here's some Alice Cooper from last Friday
and Bic Runga with her future husband.
June 8
Up at 6am, can't sleep. It is hot, sunny and beautiful,
a perfect summers day - and I'm in the studio today
shooting Johnny Borrell from Razorlight.
Off I go to Chalk Farm. Johnny Borrell is only two
hours late. Then spends an hour in hair and make-up.
Then his PR wants him to go through press photos on
her laptop. And he has lost his voice singing. We were
meant to start at 10.30 - at 1.30 off we begin. Still,
he's nice to everyone so you can forgive him - but only
a bit. Anyway, I do like him, he's easy to shoot.
Speak to Steven Tyler late afternoon. I was going to
shoot him in LA on Monday. He moves it to Boston in
the next three weeks. We are going to try to shoot the
album session.
Spend the evening in doing, ummm, nothing. Watch the
new T Rex dvd - it has all the great Top Of The Pops
footage.
June 7
Been playing my Mountain CDs. The Festival Express
has them doing Hellhound On my Tail which I don't think
is on anything else, and I forgot to say they were better
than Cream at the Albert Hall...
Doug Aldrich has sent me an email. He was VERY gracious
considering what I wrote about him and you know sometimes
I should just shut up... I should point out that Doug
plays really well, I just don't like long guitar solos.
And Doug is far more humble than me.
Just wanted to send you a mail to say a big THANK
YOU for including me in your tour diary! Thats great
man. Seriously, a friend of mine and a fan of yours
forwarded me a link. He said you slagged me off real
good. Normally, I wouldnt bother, but since you are
one of rocks Royalty, and I have been a fan of your
work, I thought I would see.
Let me say, I have had bad reviews in the past, but
your was tops! Brutal! At least I made an impression
on you. How many guys can say that?
And he's a much nicer person than me - a fine human
being.
June 6
It's June 6th - 666 - which, let's face it, is a load
of old shit. Hang on, the Beast is coming. Talking of
beasts go and read Mick Wall's diary entry for June
5th. It was so funny it actually made me cry - read
it on www.mickwall.com
Some Def Leppard from Dublin, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
See more...
June 5
The Mojo Awards today, held in darkest Shoreditch,
at the Town Hall. The venue is old but has a nice vibe
inside. I'm set up to shoot studio portraits in something
that resembles a school classroom. As I'm getting ready
in walks Paul Brannigan, 'Top of the Morning,'  he says,
as he eyes my glass fridge full of alcohol. He is beaming,
I've never seen him so happy - and sober. 'Today is
the pinnacle of my career, I'm escorting A REAL ROCK
STAR - JON BON JOVI,' he exclaims with joy. 'Not like
those children that think they're rock stars. What should
I say, how do I address him?' 'Try calling him Jon,'
I suggest. He then opens two bottles of wine, one white
and one red, pouring half of each into a pint glass
and downs it in one. 'Don't start singing his songs
to him,' I add, trying to give him advice. 'He won't
mind, I'm a big fan.' Paul then starts to recite the
words to Blood On Blood. 'It's about the Jersey brotherhood,'
he confides. 'I'd never have guessed.' He goes off to
the toilet. 'I'm so nervous I need to pee.' He rushes
off to wait for his hero.
Say hello to Terry Hall (another famous PR) and Angie
(organizer to the stars). Both have been ill and both
are better - I wish them both well...
 The first person who comes to pose for me is Chrissie
Hynde, who was business-like but frosty. Next is Corinne
Bailey Rae - pretty, polite and couldn't be happier
to be here.
 A strange figure comes in with a messenger bag, followed
by Colleen (famous Irish PR to the likes of The Prodigy
and The White Stripes). 'Please be nice,' she says -
Me? I'm always nice. The strange figure is Scott Walker.
I take charge and get him to shoot five rolls of film.
He is quite amicable. 'Bejasus, we've got a new press
session.' Colleen is pleased. I think she's more relieved
Scott hasn't jumped out of the window...
David Gilmour is charming, as usual. Six frames in,
his PR, Miss Haversham, raises her voice and tells the
room I've shot enough. 'David needs to do radio promo.'
This is bollocks and I stand my ground. 'Look, he's
the main award winner, and it will look stupid if he's
got one photo and everyone else has a lot more.' I get
my way and knock off a couple more rolls, while she
looks down her nose at me. It was liked being told off
by the Queen - must get some elocution lessons.
 Prince Buster is great. He and Don Letts look cool
together. I tell Don I loved his film on the punk scene.
Don thanks me, and asks if he can have the Jack Daniels
out of the fridge. I get Nick Cave, Rosanne Cash, Mick
Jones and a less frosty Chrissie Hynde, who has been
making a good attempt at drinking Shoreditch dry. She
is much more fun.
 Sir Elton John is professional - fantastic. He knows
what he's doing why he's doing it and just gets on with
it. Sir Elton is GREAT. He comes in with Jon Bon Jovi.
Nooooow I've been banned from shooting JBJ since the
late 90's. I am sorely tempted to pull Jon on this -
every time an editor brings my name up it's a big NO.
What do I do, I shake Jon's hand and spend ages talking
to him. It's nice to see him. Jon tells me I look well
- Jon is a rock star and he's good at it...
The final picture is of a group of half a millon people
who are all the award winners. Primal Scream and The
Jesus and Mary Chain are shitfaced and being painful.
I get a good shot of Sir Elton and Prince Buster (Elton
wants a copy, he used to sell his records when he worked
in a record store). And Elton rushs over to Bic Runga
'She's been singing since she was thirteen,' he says...
As I'm leaving I see one of the Jesus and Mary Chain
throwing up on the pavement outside the Town Hall while
being laughed at by a bus full of children. There is
nothing worse than a drunk belligerent adult....
June 4
Fucking hell, up at 5am, must stop doing this and get
a later flight. I'm tired and Peter is exhausted. 'I
just turned the tape recorder on and left him to it.'
I get Peter upgraded to the front of the plane, he's
still annoying, like my son Oliver - 'Can't we go duty
free shopping?' It's 6am...
I look forward to shooting the Italian alps, this time
at dawn. They are covered in cloud, I don't see a thing.
England is sunny and warm. Off to the garden...
I was going to see Bic Runga tonight at The Spitz,
the other side of London to me. Instead I decided to
see Mountain at The Boom Boom Club, round the corner
from where I live. Didn't really feel like going - at
8.30 tonight I was fried. Peter talked me into it. Get
there just as they start playing Long Red. I go and
stand just behind the PA so I can get pictures across
the stage. If you closed your eyes, the guitar sound
could transport you to the Fillmore East in 1971. Seriously,
it was sublime. You can see why guitarists cite Leslie
West as an influence - he was jawdropping, and he looked
like he wasn't even trying... The band's original drummer,
Corky Laing was there. A cross between Keith Moon and
Animal from The Muppets (I've always hated people who
compared drummers to Animal but that was the best description).
He seemed to be able to play in every style you could
imagine and with force. They finished with Mississippi
Queen.
Del Bromham from Stray was there. He'd driven three
hours to see the show. He knows Leslie and Corky well.
Now I know I've done this for a long time, but even
I can be a fan. Del went and got me a pair of Corky's
drum sticks. I bought two Voiceprint CD's they were
selling, San Bernardino '71 and Toronto 1970, from The
Festival Express tour. I chatted to Corky after the
show, he was friendly and funny - didn't know what I
did. He told me The Festival Express tour was awful,
no fun at all. Said hello to Leslie, the last time I'd
seen him was in New York in '86. Glad I went...
June 3
Up at 5am. Couldn't sleep, never can when I know I've
got to get up. Flew to Milan with Peter Makowski acting
like the tourist he is, wanting to go in all the shops
at the airport. Luckily I sat in business and he sat
in third-world/economy. Slept most of the way, but got
some OK pictures of the Italian alps (wrong time of
day, the light wasn't how I like it). Get to the shitty
old Hilton Hotel, figure I'll go to the gym to wake
up. It was rubbish. One of my pet hates is hotels that
advertise health clubs and you get a running machine
at least 20 years old and a multi-gym machine. I am
crabby and tired, need coffee. Phil Collen wants to
go out so we head to the main train station, an imposing
but impressive building. Like an idiot I don't have
a camera. It has beautiful, grand carvings in stone,
looked like they were done in the thirties. After Phil
and I have two treble espressos each, I feel much better.
Off to the gig - Gods Of Metal - out by the airport
in a field.
Drive out with Def Leppard and stand in a dusty field
in the boiling sun (they moan, I'm quite happy) and
wonder how they happen to be on the bill with Crucified
Barbara, Helloween, Motorhead, Stratovarious and Sodom.
The band were disappointed that they couldn't see Dragonforce
who were playing on Sunday. Take some rare pictures
of Phil Collen with his shirt off. Phil has shaved off
all of his body hair - I never find out why...
Lemmy arrives. He chats with Joe and the band, and
admires Peter's Motorhome T-shirt. Leppard have press
to do, so Peter and I go and hang out with Motorhead.
Lemmy's trailer is so smoky you could cut the air with
a knife. I look for a drink of water but they only
seem to have cases of Jack Daniels, cider, beer and
lots of vodka. Lemmy has his own slot machine - I shoot
him playing it. Walk to the stage with him and shoot
them live. I haven't actually watched them in years
- they were fantastic, very tight. The Italians kept
chanting 'Laaameeee' and 'Overkeeeeel.'
 As I'm walking back to Leppard's trailer I am accosted
by a photographer who wants his picture taken with me.
He tells me he's a big fan of mine and we are getting
on well until he tells me how lucky I am. Lucky? That's
the one thing that will piss me off. 'Oh yes, I am really
lucky to be standing in a field being cooked alive with
50,000 of the great unwashed.'
 David Coverdale arrived. I get a quick a picture of
DC with Lemmy and Joe. Vivian hasn't seen David since
he was fired from Whitesnake. David is all charm apart
from when he implies that I gossip - fucking cheek,
he can talk...
 I am standing with Rick Savage when a long haired Los
Angeles-type introduces himself as being Uriah Duffy,
bass-player of the 'Snake. He has a brother called
Yes. I kid you not, his dad loved progressive rock
(I didn't realise that Uriah Heep were progressive
rock, I thought they were a Jewish metal band from
North London). Uriah looks at me and asks what I do.
I am standing with a camera bag, three camera bodies
and rather large lenses. Rick looks back at him and
says occasionally he takes pictures. I tell him his
boss loves me - he looks unconvinced. 'Go and ask him,
tell him I sent you.' Uriah now starts to look worried.
 Def
Leppard were apprehensive prior to the show. It was
their first gig since Nove | 
