Heading home today.  Am on Continental airlines thankfully.  Say a thousand thankyous under my breath that it's not Abuse Airlines today.  Everything goes well and on time, even my luggage makes it all the way home and intact.  Flying is always a crap shoot and most of the airlines have their "moments" but American Airlines certainly get the award for crappy consistency.

Daisy Buttons barely can contain herself when she sees me arrive home, it's a squeak and purrfest.  Good to be back, it'll be nice to be in one place again for a while.

Speak with the hotel manager and set up special access to the 28th floor exterior level to the hotel so I can shoot the guys up there later. The area goes all around the 28th floor and has a fabulous view of downtown Philadelphia. Looking over the edge is quite nauseating so only do it a dozen or so times (DUH!) and make myself feel bloody awful. Never have been good with heights really but when an opportunity to shoot the band up here is available I'm just going to have to put those fears aside. It's bright and sunny today and really quite a sun trap up there even though there's plenty of cloud cover which makes it perfect for the moody look that I have in mind for the final images.

Phil comes up about 40 minutes earlier than everyone else and we do a session just with natural light. Get some great shots of him leaping in the air and with the tall buildngs behind. Kobayashi kindly is the human refelector holder for the session and does a commendable job. The rest of the guys turn up a little later and we get on with the session. Joe makes up and recites a terrible limerick about me and I attempt a feeble one in response....I think we're losing our touch on the dirty limericks. Shoot this time by overpowering the light and get that tough moody look I was going for. It's been over two years since their last publicity photos were made so they were definitely ready for an update. Get wrapped on the band and Joe and Viv stick around for some solo shots as Rick videos the proceedings. Nicely done session overall and done in a brief twenty minutes which is firmly a band pleaser.

As we leave on the bus to the venue the Ebayers swarm around the guys as they get on wanting them to sign numerous items. Grab some lunch when we get to the venue, the veggie food they have catered is excellent and I trough out with Shepherds Pie and Veggie Burgers. Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick stops in the dressing room to see Viv and introduces himself, funny bloke and a nice dry sense of humor....like him already. See Ricki Rockett and stop for a chat with him and then have a mooch around shooting the crew working etc. Viv wants to do photos with some of his different guitars so he gets himself powdered and spruced up and with the help of Wolfie the Wonder Tech who's teching Viv's guitars and running video of the proceedings we head outside to find a suitable place to shoot Viv. This is backstage, Camden New Jersey and there are no suitable places to shoot Viv so we make use of the big red and very nosiy 18 Wheelers that are lined up in the parking lot. Viv changes out several guitars and I get him in front of the truck and tour buses as Wolfie makes a taunting and funny narration to the video he's shooting..... Finish off with Viv and get on the back of one of the trucks between the cab and trailer him between with his Les Paul as customized by Leslie. Grab a few shots of Leslie and Wolfie putting some lurve on Viv who of course laps it up! Backstage I meet Danny Bonaduce who has come by to see Joe, interesting guy to talk to, just like he seems on tv. He's back living in Philly from where he has his syndicated radio show.

Great opening night, Cheap Trick are flawless, Poison have some sound issues and the Lepps go off without a hitch. One of the highlights of the evening was some chick jumping up on the runway and doing her little stripper strut around Joe. Pilgrim ran onstage looking ill at what had just happened but Joe told him to let her stay on and do her thing.... got some good shots of it too that might make the light of day sometime. Get some dinner after the show and finally get to relax a while and just shoot the breeze. Everyone heads back to the hotel and when I get back Joe calls the room to say see ya. I'm heading back home to Texas tomorrow to get stuck into all the photos so I turn in for the night, it's been a great a very full and busy one this time but worth it.

Rehearsals today just over the river at the glamorous Camden New Jersey venue.  That's not until the afternoon though so I head out to find........yes, a Starbucks to get me a poofy Peppermint Latte.  I open the door for a lady coming out, she says thank you and I say "you're welcome m'am" and she looks at me like i'm from another planet!  The lad at the counter laughs and asks if i'm from the South.  I ask him what's up and he tells me it throws folks off when you're "that polite"...... Christ!...the mind boggles.   Have a mooch around downtown Philly a little, some really beautiful old buildings here, old for America anyway and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way before anyone get theirs knickers in a wad I just mean that they're old buildings considering most are built to last 20 to 30 years and then knocked down and replaced.  Just good to see nice architecture for a change.

Back at the hotel there are a bunch of so called fans waiting outside one of the side entrances.  They're actually a bunch of E-Bayers with multiple pieces of identical merchandise and guitar plates wanting them signed so they can sell them on Ebay..   little annoying as they give the real fans a bad name.  Get to the venue later in the early afternoon and the great crew have set all the backstage area up.  Grab a bite to eat and dust of the cameras and start doing my thing.  I always like to make sure that I get shots of the whole Def Lep road crew as they're the reason that it all can happen and everyone on the crew are so cool and easy to work with.  It makes the job great fun and so much more fluid.

As usual the guys pretty much seamlessly run through the set doing their thing, flipping me off and mouthing kind gestures.  Rick burns sage before rehearsals and shows and the pleasant aroma fills the air.  It's supposed to cleanse the area of bad spirits but personally I think it's a mask for all the Indian food we've eaten recently.  Get back to the hotel later and rest for a few hours before heading down to the bar for a drink with Sav and Malvin. 

We all fly up to Philadelphia today for a couple of days before the tour kicks off just over the river from lovely Camden, New Jersey. Not a bad flight and fairly smooth all the way.  Today is Fathers Day and everyone seems to be sending and receiving texts, emails etc  and from their Dads and making plans and such...... this all makes me quite melancholy and a bit upset by the whole thing.  Thought I'd done well sticking my head in the sand about it all today...  Oh well....

Get checked into the hotel in downtown Philly.  Get a lovely room on the 27th floor with a great view of downtown and the old Philadelphia National Bank buliding which gives me an idea about shooting the band up high somewhere with the city in the background.....hmmm.   Head downstairs and situate myself in in a cozy corner and order some food and a drink as i go over images on the laptop.  Keep thinking of Audrey Hepburn for some reason....  Need to cut back on the cheese.

Get up early and go for breakfast with Phil and then head out for more Starbucks.  I only actually drink coffee when I'm away from home for some reason.  To me tea doesn't taste the same other than at home so I stay off it.   Well, that and I can't really get Yorkshire Tea wherever I go.   It's "a bit poofy" as I was once told by Joe but I really enjoy a Starbucks Peppermint Latte...  Head back to the hotel and get a quick workout in, make some calls and then get stuck into some editing of photos.   After a few hours of making my eyes bleed staring at a laptop I have a quick dust down and meet Mr Collen in the lobby where we're whisked off to a popular Nashville book store where Lorelei Shellist is doing a signing of her memoir book "Runway Runaway".  Lorelei was engaged to the late Steve Clark and her book recounts her life as a runaway joining the fashion world as a model and the her meeting and falling in love with Steve Clark.  Anyway, Phil was making a special appearance being that he and Lorelei are friends and of course Steve was his best friend.  They had a great turnout for the book signing and Lorelei read a few different chapters before a little question and answer session.  Phil got a great response when he made his appearance.  I moved around with a video camera and got some B Roll for Lorelei.  There was quite  along line for autographs and photos afterwards and I was pleasantly surprised when a very nice fan asked me to sign her "Shots From The Sparkle Tour" book.  A great afternoon.

Get back to the hotel and kick back for a while before heading out with Phil for an Indian......really hot food tonight but great.  Later on we head out to the Grand Old Opry as we've been invited by Alison Krauss to come out and see her perform.  This is not your normal kind of show for us rock folk but I have to say that it was an awesome experience and I can't recall hearing a female vocalist more flawless than Alison and her band are first class musicians.  Truly a treat.  We went backstage to visit afterwards and hung out for a while with everyone.  Very different vibe to rock shows but refreshing.

Great day!

Day 2 of rehearsals and I'm doing a photo shoot with the guys.  The heat index is way over a hundred and it's just plain miserable...  Still, one must soldier on as they say and keep a stiff upper lip.  That's one of the good things about working with fellow Brits.....no whining and a stiff upper lip.  I head down to the rehearsal facility early and get the lighting and everything set up.  Phil's son Rory is working on the crew and helps me out with setting up and Nate models for my test shots against the white backdrop for the indoor shots.

We're scheduled for a 12:30pm shoot but it ends up being a 1:45 deal instead after everyone gets hair, make up and wardrobe done with the help of the lovely Gina and Leslie.  I keep using the "Herding Kittens" phrase but that's what it's like trying to get Def Leppard all in the same place at the same time.. One needs a big stick and a loud commanding voice of which I have neither but I somehow manage to corral them onto the spot.   The indoor shoot goes good although it's quicker than we would have liked due to the heat.  We kept stopping to dab down the guys as is was so humid but came away with some good shots.  Get done with that and I send them off for a break into the air conditioning while I move the lights outside to a location at the side of the building.  The idea is to shoot them around these old junk trucks standing in the long grass.  Check the area for snakes (I'm not kidding) and it's thankfully clear and get the lights set up.  Some of the local crew act as my Leppard stand in's as I do some test shots making sure the exposure is right.  Head off and herd kittens once again.  By the time we get them out there the sun is directly overhead and brutal, no whining though.  Lots of cold water on hand with Leslie and Gina to keep the guys powdered and dry and we're done in ten minutes.  The rest of the guys head in and Joe hangs around and we get some solo shots of him in front of a big old steel truck. 

Next up are Sav and Phil.  We do a quick shoot for Jackson guitars which has been over a year in setting up and funnily enough only takes five minutes to do.  Phil sticks around and we get solo shots of him standing on the hood of an old pickup truck with his new Dread custom Jackson, of course Phil doesn't mind the heat being a sun lover and he gets to top up his tan in the process so it's a win win.  Gina graciously takes some video of the shoot for us.

After we wrap the shoot they do a full run through the set again.  Taylor Swift and her band and family are here to visit and see the rehearsal and hang out for a couple of hours.  The heat is really up in the place now with all the lights and gear running.  They've added two new video screens in front of the left and right amp stacks that are in sync with the main backdrop one and it adds a great new dynamic to the show.  By the time they wrap up later on everyone is pretty much knackered from the heat.  Dinner is delivered and then everyone heads back to the hotel.  Meet Phil in the hotel bar and go over the photo shoot pics for the day.

Get up early again and work out.  Meet Phil and go for a stroll and a Starbucks.  Rehearsing today with the new sound and stage set up.  There's a new lighting rig on this tour, much bigger and more moving lights so it'll be something new to learn and work with.  The rehearsal place is an old industrial building as it's the only place local that's large enough to accommodate the full stage and light set up.  Problem is that there's no air conditioning so everyone is sweating like a hooker in church on Sunday.   We get there early afternoon and the crew are still setting up and checking equipment etc.  I never realized that Nashville could be so humid, I mean it was like being back in South Texas, well over a hundred inside alone.  Kudos to everyone though, nobody whined or made a fuss and everyone just got right on with it all.  The guys started running through the set and sounded slick.  They really didn't need to be going through it to be honest but they had to run through to ensure that the new lighting and video set up was in synch with the music etc.  There was no actual stage per se, just the stage edges and runway taped out on the floor so everything was shot pretty much from eye level.  Got some great candids and close ups of everyone, just walking right up to them.  Joe and Viv had very active middle fingers for some reason......."One more song" I think is what they were trying to tell me..

Up early today and get a quick workout in.  Beautiful day in Nashville, hot and dry.  Get all my gear ready and together and head down to the venue with the guys mid morning for rehearsals for todays show closer with Taylor Swift.  Get situated backstage, the guys have a huge dressing room and social area backstage with lots of light which makes the reportage stuff much easier to do.  Have a mooch around and see the crew setting up and getting sound ready.  They're only doing one song at the end of the show but it's a full on production as usual.  Everyone's draggin butt a little from the international flight but are just getting on with it all. 

 Taylor arrives and is feeling a little tired but perks up when she and the band do the run through and doesn't sound any different than usual.  Run around and try to get as many different shots as possible so I can get an idea of the lighting for he dress rehearsal etc.  Phils new Jackson "Dread" guitar really is very luminescent and reall pops when the light has been on it.  Head back to the dressing room and shoot the guys hanging out and chit chatting.  Joe is outside in the fitting room with the stylist picking out what to wear and tells me to bugger off...Heheh.. So nice!  Phil, Viv and Sav are always willing victims and Rick's disappeared as usual.

Shoot the dress rehearsal later, all goes well and the stage looks great.  Joe and Taylor don't miss a beat and are on cue with everything.  Head out later with the Lepps video master Beswick as they hit the red carpet.  It rained earlier and now is as humid as it could possibly be.  Betty Swollocks is with us tonight on the red carpet.  Shoot the guys on the red carpet as they make their way along and are interviewed by various networks.  There are big fans blowing on our side and Beswick and I take turns wussing out in front of them to try and cool down...it's like being back in Texas.

Get some more shots in the dressing room as everyone is re touched for hair and make up.  Viv kindly gets out his one finger puppet show for yours truly...he's such a humanitarian and cares deeply.  I'm so lucky!   Doc McGhee stops in to see the guys and stays a while to chat and hang out and then a little later the lovely Alison Krauss comes by the dressing room to say hello.  Phil tells me that she's a big Def Leppard fan which is really cool.  See my mates Chuck and Rich from Toby Keiths band.  Have a good catch up with those guys.  Just standing around we see Kid Rock, Randy Jackson comes over and says hi, Keith Urban and a plethora of other big country folks I don't know the names of.  Was good seeing Ted Nugent though, hadn't seen him in a while.

The performance goes off without a problem and goes down well as it closes the awards show.   Later on we do a group photo of Taylor and the Lepps in the dressing room.  Some of the press photographers come in to get their shots and are falling over each other like the paparazzi and just trampling over anything that's on the floor in the way including each others camera bags....  Talk about no courtesy, very disappointing.  Get my shots when they're all done and then down tools and have an ale or two until it's time later to head back to the hotel.  Looking forward to my bed tonight.

Up early, a quick workout and make sure everything is packed properly. The drivers come by and pick us up and we head off to the airport.  Security has a field day with my camera bag full of lenses, camera bodies and accessories.  Why do they always ask questions like....."Are you a photographer?"  I'm serious....  I just looked at her and smiled.  Unfortunately the return flight is also American Airlines or "Abuse Airways" as I like to call them. By some miracle the flight departs on time and we head back Stateside.  Am reading "Keith Moon Stole My Lipstick" by Judith Wills, a naive country girl who lands a job at a pop magazine in the Swinging 60's and meets all kinds of minor and major music stars of the time.  Pretty good read so far. 

Get up after a couple of hours into the flight and go for a stroll around the plane to stretch my legs.  Go to the back of the plane to get another scotch and find Pilgrim there chatting away to the air crew and getting free drinks.....swine!  I've been paying for mine!   We connect in Chicago and head onto Nashville where we're picked up and taken to the hotel...  Get a bite to eat in the bar and have a drink then call it a night.

Last day of Download and the Lepps are headlining.  Get checked out of the hotel in Brum and onto the band bus down to the festival.  Another roastingly hot day.  I mean come on, it's England and a festival.....it's supposed to be peeing it down and cold.  Get situated backstage and start taking some candids of the band and crew.  Have a wander around the backstage area and see a bunch of friends.  Nick Bowcott turns up to see Sav and Phil, always good seeing Nick, just a good genuine bloke.   See Jerry Horton and the rest of the Papa Roach guys, Jacoby is his usual sarky self and is full of beans.  Am talking to Doug Aldrich and we see Brian Wheat so we take a photo together just so Doug and I aren't mixed up anymore.  Black Stone Cherry are tearing up the place tday with their unique brand of Southern rock and I catch the boys finishing off an interview.   It's always fun being around these lads, they've gotten quite the following in the UK too.  Brian May comes in to Download to see Joe and the boys and hang backstage and seems like a very humble and down to earth guy talking to everyone in the Def Lep camp. Meet  Dusty Hill from ZZ Top and we talk a while about back home in Texas and other things, lovely guy.   The rest of the afternoon unfolds kind of like this seeing friends and meeting new people, shooting candids of the band backstage etc. Before we know it the guys are getting ready to go on.

Head off to the rear of the stage and shoot the guys heading towards it from the dreesing rooms.  Up front there are 80,000 very excited fans chanting for them... Quite the noise.  Grab a few shots as they prepare to go on and then head down to the pit where there are dozens of photographers down there waiting...  Actually I've never seen so many photographers in a pit at one time but they seemed to be very good and courteous towards each other which made the experience considerably nicer.  After three songs everyone in the pit disappeared and I got on with things without having to worry about bumping into anyone.  With the Donnington crowd you never know but I didn't see one bottle or projectile head towards the stage which was a most pleasing thing.   The guys roll through the set and never seem to change pace from full throttle until Joe gives a very touching speech about Rick Allen and the accident that changed his life.  it was 23 years ago since Def Leppard last played Donnington and that concert was Ricks first since losing his arm.  It was very memorable and you could clearly see that both Rick and much of the audience were very touched by Joes words. 

Shot most of the remainder of the show from the stage sides and behind Rick on his riser.  Tried to stay out of view as much as possible and one of the funniest moments was me blindly sticking my camera over the monitors on stage right to take wide angle shots, Viv obviously saw this, came up to the camera lens and started giving me the finger...  Of course I didn't realize until later which made it even funnier..   Finished the show by going out on stage with the guys and getting a group shot with the huge audience behind.

Quick bite of dinner for everyone and a couple of sly Mars Bars for me and then we're on the bus down the road to the hotel in London for a morning flight to Nashville.