My apologies for the lack of input this month, it's been an intense month full of work, more work with a little extra work thrown in for good measure. Spent the first week of the month out again with Def Leppard. Had a blast with them as they rehearsed in Nashville with Taylor Swift for the CMT Crossroads TV show. An unlikely match that at first you would think wouldn't work. I'm happy to say that my first thought of "Oh, that's a strange match" was very much wrong. The fact is that the Lepps along with Taylor and her band gelled really well together performing each others songs. The rehearsals at the sound stage in Nashville and then at the Acuff theater were a lot of fun on both sides of the camera. Everyone had a great time and I got some excellent photos in the process although I did get my bottom pinched several times by various and unknown females on the front row. Saucy beggars! Went out on the town after the filming of the show and tore it up in Nashville with a couple of the guys from Def Lep and most of Taylor's band as well.. Much much fun was had and anything past that would be more than what I swore to...hehehehe...

Everything is pretty much under wraps at the moment with the photos but I'm sure you'll be seeing some of them here and on the Def Leppard official website shortly. The Crossroads show airs on CMT November 7th so look out for it then. Plus, there'll be another little surprise coming shortly that a number of you will like I'm sure.

After we got done in Nashville we headed up to sunny Detroit, cultural capitol and pinnacle of refinement to rehearse and film a live TV performance for the NHL. As we drove through downtown Detroit I was shocked at how many old buildings were boarded up, razor wired off and abandoned. I felt pretty sad especially knowing what a power of industry the city once was in it's heyday. It sucks that we're getting our asses handed to us by foreign car manufacturers but the truth is that they build better cars than we do these days. The mess that the auto industry here is in is the auto companies owns faults... They want 25 billion to be bailed out?!!! Let the OIL companies bail out the auto companies and use our tax dollars on something better like putting Americans back to work. Saying that, I do still love the Jeeps that I have. The Fox theater was a beautiful old building, probably built in the 20's and very ornate inside. It's a pity that there aren't more historical buildings like this here in the States. We tend to build to last 20 or 30 years and then knock it down.... A pitiful mindset and a guarantee that this country will still be way behind the rest of the world when it comes to historical buildings.

Anyway, I ramble and blabber... Rehearsals for the guys were long, very long in full make up and stage wear. I have to say that the highlight of rehearsal was Joe having to pretend that a big black coffee urn was the Stanley Cup. The look on his face holding that was pricelessly funny. Maybe if the NHL had the actual cup on hand he wouldn't have put it upside down on the night of the show... Hockey fans everywhere whined about him doing this but he'd never seen the bloody cup before and to be fair, a cup is narrower at the bottom and wider at the top... All went well though and the crowd loved the performance.

So I've just spent the better part of over two and a half weeks sifting through over 3,000 images, sorting, categorizing and editing. My eyes sting, my arse is numb and my back aches. Other more well known photographers have minions and re-touching people to do all this work for them but not here... I just have Daisy Buttons who sits by my monitor supervising the proceedings. Still, at least the whole thing from start to finish is my work eh. ;O)

The new Guitar world has three ads this month featuring my work. EMG pickups, GHS Strings and Jackson Guitars.. Sweet!

 

By the way, as I write this drivel that you're using to pass your time, I'm firmly ensconced with a numb bum at 33,000 feet en route to Connecticut for a photo job with the lovely Miss Taylor Swift who has personally requested my presence and photographic services for a couple of days. I hear that the weather there is cold enough to freeze the you know what's off a brass monkey.......GOOD! I'm sick of the heat in South Texas...bring on the icicles! I just hope that the driver is on time waiting for me at the airport as it's a late arrival.

Keep your eyes peeled for more ramblings here soon.

ASH

 

 

As I write this the Lepps and Snakes should be tearing it up in Tokyo about now. Spoke to Rick Allen on Skype earlier, the jet lag was hellish apparently but I know both bands were chomping at the bit to get out there and show 'em how it's done!

Here's a couple of photos I took of Joe Elliott and "The Cov" during the UK summer tour. These were done for promotion for the Japan tour that's happening right now.... hope you like 'em.

ASH

 

September 4^th- Couple of new magazines this month. Firstly, my very first cover feature for Modern Drummer magazine featuring the most talented Todd Sucherman from Styx. Todd is a fellow fan of all that is Keith Moon and shares not only this passion but also has quite the twisted sense of humor too. Have a peek at his words in my "QUOTES" section of the website.



Secondly, Guitar One's Guitar and Gaming magazine did a feature on my ol' mate Marcus Henderson of Guitar Hero game fame. They did a pretty nice job with it as well. Special thanks to Jimmy Hubbard at Guitar World for setting this up. Top bloke is Jimmy!