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May 14Saw Brad for breakfast, with a whining Pete. We all went to see Matt Sorum and Max Noce at the Sorum Noce store. Did some photos for a feature Pete's doing. Matt and Max gave me some nice black t-shirts with their logo. Sat by the pool for a bit, said hello to Billy Bob Thornton. Kazuyo shit her pants and begged me to take a photo of Billy Bob and her. Spent the rest of the day at The Wiltern Theatre with Metallica. Shot soundcheck with Flea playing Fight Fire With Fire. I asked him if he knew Prisoner Of The Night (a Saxon Classic), he looked baffled. James played the riff... Got Flea and James to pose for photos in the basement hallway. Went out to shoot the Billboard, the fans were friendly. Forgot I'm known for shooting Metallica. Saw John and Darren from Scars On Broadway. And ran into Dave Grohl, drinking (surprise,surprise). He's got a nice surprise for you at his Wembley Stadium show. The show was good to shoot, although I found the lights a bit weird. I realised I know the songs and what they're going to do. As I've now got a Nikon D3 I dug out my old 85mm fixed lens, I LOVE this lens. It's great to shoot with and I haven't used it for at least five years. You think more without a zoom lens. Got loads of good stuff, shot behind them at the end with the crowd. Dave was still drinking and headbanging at the side of the stage, he was off to the Rainbow after to drink with Lemmy. 
 
 
I headed to my hotel with Kaz, Brad and Peter, who couldn't get into the gig as he didn't bring any ID and couldn't pick up his tickets and passes. He went to Denny's for a burger then stood outside the venue and listened to concert - the bits he could make out. Don't worry folks I got him a set list. May 13
Spent today working. Los Angeles is back to being Hotter Than Hell (I promised John Bionelli I'd say this). Started with the Stilettos, all-girl heavy rock-metal - well, decide for yourself.
Then did Metallica, for a whole load of different things.
Had a late dinner with publishing mogul Brad Tolinski. He was honoured to meet Peter Makowski, fellow Catholic and Pole. I spent the evening ogling the waitress, as usual. We decided to write a series of books on all the people we know, after their demise. Called Dead People - I think we might have to come up with a better title tomorrow. More pictures of Rush in Los Angeles. See more... 
 
 
 
Loudon Wainwright III from May 6. See more... 
May 12My phone rings at 6am, I think it must be an emergency from London. It's John Bionelli 'KISS ARE DESTROYING EUROPE ' He shouts down the phone. John has been up all night watching youtube. He tells me the set list, the type of blood mixture Gene Simmons uses to split blood, the raps between songs - he goes on and on. Jim Survis, Joe Perry's tec, is working for them. 'It's like being on tour, without going on tour - if only Aerosmith used pyro and spat blood!' Oh yeah, Dream On - boom boom boom-bang-bang-bang... John's calling tomorrow after Rock'n'Roll All Night And Partying All Day, plus another night of youtube.
Rock'n'roll John Bionelli, in love with the God Of Thunder and the Love Gun.
PS John has a photo of Gene and Paul above his bed - so he doesn't feel lonely... Matt Sorum called and invited Pete and I to the Key Club to see The Stilettos, a young boys wet dream, a rock version of the Pussy Cat Dolls. Saw Scott Ian, Corey from Slipknot and various other celebrities. I had to have a fight with Pete to get him to leave, he was in heaven - for a moment he thought he was back in Thailand. Paul Cook was telling us about the Sex Pistols new set list. A few new cover versions which I'm not going to spoil by telling you... okay, they might do I'm Eighteen. All three of us have been laughing at a stupid German band called Tokio Hotel. A new metal boy band who walk around the hotel with German bodyguards dressed in black. With a video camera man following their every move. Excellent... Saw Chris Robinson at lunch time as well - I'm sure he'd love Tokio Hotel.
And here's THE CAVEMAN, a crawling world champion...
The Sex Pistols from Los Angeles. See more... 
 And the very gay Dragonforce 
 May 10Pete Makowski has arrived, and having Pete around is like dealing with a ten-year old. Okay, a ten-year old can deal with LA better than Pete... Had dinner at Ago with Karen Sihota, servant number two. To my amazment I saw Maggie Q, an Asian superstar. She was stunning, I was gobsmacked. I'm dreaming of her now, it was worth flying to LA just to gape at her... Saw the new issue of Billboard which has, "GASP", an Iron Maiden special. Turns out it is a boring grovelfest from all the agents/promoters/merch companies etc, buying ads to show how wonderful Iron Maiden are. Biggest surprise is an ad from Kevin THE CAVEMAN Shirley with his blow-dried hair (copyright Bob Rock), he's used one of my photos with a nice credit. I'll have to find out how much they blackmailed him to buy an ad. At least THE CAVEMAN supports me... If you want to get value for money Maiden, buy the new Guitar World Legends - all photos by me and it looks good. No boring features on how the corporate machine works. You can even learn a few riffs. Went to Rodeo Drive and had lunch at a place called The Cheese Cake Factory (only in America would a restaurant be called this), had Buffalo Wings. Got to tell you folks, they were fantastic. The last time I had them was with the Black Crowes in Buffalo in the early nineties, nothing beats them except a bucket of KFC. That's my culinary guide for today. Was supposed to be going out with THE CAVEMAN but he's banned from seeing me - by his wife... Paul Cook invites me to the Roxy to see Russell Brand. I pass as I hate comedy, I've never watched any of it since Porridge (an English TV show). I saw Russell two nights ago fully made up in the bar of my hotel hanging out with Morrissey. Paul knocks on my door and I end up going to the bar with him and Pete. May 9Tried to wake and and feel better by running. Saw Paul Cook on the next treadmill looking quite fit. After running for half an hour feel as if I'm going to throw up. Give up. See Billy Duffy as I leave - rather an Anglophile day. Still feel rotten though... Some pictures of Rush from the Nokia Theatre. See more... 
 
 I like the one of Geddy screaming in red light, he looks like the devil. Neil Peart is from the soundcheck playing Ghost Of A Chance, all from the first night of the LA shows. The couple were amongst the more sober in front of Geddy. I'll put more up on Monday... May 8I am sick, got a stomach virus feel weak and tired as if I've been beaten up - that'll make some people very happy... As it's May heres what I've been reading and listening to...
May 6Glorious weather in England, shitty in LA - don't cry folks, it will improve. See Loudon Wainwright III, one of my heroes. Take some pictures around the empty hotel pool. Loudon takes me for lunch at a place called Hugo's, who do good burgers and things like a Yogi shake. I go with Andy Curran to see Rush who are playing at Nokia Theatre in downtown LA. Go and watch the soundcheck, take a few photos, great to see them again. Neil Peart looks healthy - he's lost weight. Alex tells me they really liked the photos from Europe. They've added sixteen pages to the tour book, plus the new live cd, and it looks impressive. Go hang out backstage, see Bob Rock with his blow-dried hair. At first I thought Bob was Kevin THE CAVEMAN Shirley come to have a rock'n'roll party and tell everyone about the new Judas Priest cd. Bob and Kevin are very alike, same hair, paunch and friendly - Kevin is a bit more larger than life... Went out to watch and shoot a bit of the show. The crowd was wasted, on Alex's side fairly well behaved, but Geddy's side was a different matter. Middle-aged men so fucked up they didn't know where they were. Stumbling around in circles, playing pretend drums and air guitar and bass. The strange part I don't get was that they mostly tended to not look at the stage, just bother everyone next to them as if it was their show. How can you say pay $1500 for a ticket then not have a fucking clue what you went to see? It was as if they'd regressed into being three-year olds with speech impediments who found their parents booze. One, who was about six foot five, kept leaning into me pointing in the air going 'Uuuuugh' or 'Yaaaaguh', then saying 'Yoooooour in the waaaaaaaaay.' In the way of what? Someone should film the crowd, horrifying. Imagine watching it in say thirty years - 'Welcome to America, the most civilised country in the world.' I did manage to finish the night in a civilised way, drinking Dom Perignon with Donovan Lundstrom, Rush's very suave tour manager... Michael Schenker in Battersea. See more... 
May 5Can't sleep as I know I have to get up - get up at 6.30, tired and SLOW. Off to Heathrow for a quick eleven hours to Los Angeles. The airport is empty, it's almost a pleasure going through it. I'm too tired to shop. The first thing I'm doing on arriving is getting a hair cut - I'm turning into a hippy... My flight is empty, really empty. I feel as if it's my own personal 777. But the air hostess are so old, they make me feel like a young child. In fact, they treat you as if you are a child. The simplest request is taken as if you've asked for the impossible. Coffee with milk and not cream? 'Look, what's wrong with half and half,' says granny! No wonder the asian airlines rule over this.This lot truly don't give a fuck... I read yesterday's Observer Film Quarterly. It has Keira Knightley pouting for Julian Broad, a photographer I like and haven't seen for a couple of years - we normally run into each other in Los Angeles. I can't stand the way Keira moans about being famous. I mean, get a real job - spoilt cow. In the same issue is the worlds most overrated photographer, Sam Taylor Wood. Sam says Fudge Pack Mountain and There will Be Blood are great films. Fudge Pack Mountain makes her cry, which is typical of a female artist (I use this term loosely) who surrounds herself with the likes of Elton John and co. The whole issue is a waste of a good tree. Back to the real world of Dave Ling and Classic Rock. Only nine hours to go.... I wake after a six-hour nap dreaming of The Sleep Of Arthur At Avalon by Edward Burne-Jones. He was still painting this the day before he died. Flaming June by Leighton is beautiful, it stopped me in my tracks after walking around the Tate looking at Holbein portraits. I came back to Flaming June three times - it lured you in. In the same room is Richard Dadd's painting of the Faeries, painted while he was locked away in a mental institution. To me this is art, real art. Sam Taylor Wood needs some lessons. I 'm thinking of painting, used to do it a long time ago. Read Mick Wall's diary from May 1st. I'd like to clarify - he did have sex with an air hostess after I'd got us upgraded to First Class, and he got so fucked up he was kissing her in front of the whole cabin. He did it again with a different girl then passed out and ignored her. She became "Upset". Oh, the joys of being young. I'd better stop in case he writes about me... Really I don't care, being young was a LONG time ago... Get into a warm Los Angeles mid-afternoon. Walk into my hotel and see nearly everybody who works for Rush. And Charlie Hernandez production manager to the stars. I end up with Andy Curran, famous bassist and AR man, in... Ago May 4
Michael's looking for a drummer. He asks me for some suggestions. I get him to pose with his guitar case and Flying V in the empty road leading up to the Power Station. He was EASY. I told Kazuyo he can be a bit crazy. 'He's nothing compared to Steven (Tyler), he's CRAZY...'. And my beautiful assistant is quite right. Michael's only faux pas was when he asked if the very sexy Kazuyo Horie was my wife. I think Michael had left his glasses at home - or he's crazy. Tried out the Nikon D3 which I'd just got. The 14mm lens is good. Not mad on the focusing but mainly shot black and white film. May 1Spent yesterday shooting Jimmy Page for a magazine cover (I can't say which one), but out soonish. Jimmy looked the best I've seen him in photos in ages, it's strange to think of him with dark hair now. Also first shoot I've done with no guitar throughout. He looked like a rock star. Come to think of it, he is a rock star... The Bank Holiday weekend is just about here and it's supposed to be nice - I'm off to Los Angeles and San Francisco on Monday to see the Four Horseman...
New issue of Classic Rock with a truly great cover and Dave Ling's classic Wishbone Ash feature. Slash again on the new cover of Mojo .
Got this email - for those of you wondering how I make a living.
An editor asking me to give them a free picture - I don't think so...
Here is a special edition of Classic Rock, only going to out to the discerning collectors amongst you...
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Sunday and it's hot and muggy. Met Michael Schenker by Battersea Power Station at 5pm. I decided to shoot here as it's where Michael and Phil Moog posed for the cover of Lights Out. Michael tells me he was twenty four when he first left UFO. I get him to sign some photos from Hammersmith Odeon '78. It seems like a hundred years ago - well, it's thirty. Old age is coming - I never thought I'd need glasses...
