Whitesnake here in my hometown today.  Going to head to the show and hang out with the guys and shoot the show.   Talk with Doug Aldrich late morning about doing some pics but the weather is a bit warm at about 110 degrees and really frickin' windy so we decide to nix an outdoor shoot.  He and the guys just aren't used to this kind of heat with humidity.  Head on out to the hotel downtown and hang out with Uriah for a couple of hours before going down to the venue.

Grab some dinner with Chris Frazier in catering and chat with him a little.  A little bit later Lord Coverdale summons me into his dressing room and we get caught up.  Every time i've seen him recently it's been on the fly so it's good to sit down and take time to chat.  Amusingly he asks me "how the hell do you manage the heat here?"  to which I promptly reply "a generous daily application of baby powder to ones undercarriage".  Shoot the guys getting ready and get pics of them in the dressing room doing vocal warm ups with David and then head out front to wait for the show to start.  See my photographer mates Rick and Taylor there in the photo pit.  My friends Vanessa and Melissa are at the show too, they did the San Antonio show last night as well, they are devoted!

By the time the band hits the stage it's more humid than ever and the wind is full at it but the guys put on a valiant show and brave the relentless breeze.  The crowd were a bit tame at this show and it took DC a while longer to get them riled up and singing along but eventually they got with it.  A good show given the circumstances and horrible heat.  Hung out with the guys for a little while after the show and then decided to nix shooting Judas Priest and called it a night.

A few pics from the show.

                                

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

 

June 26^th- Today is the final gig in the UK tour that I'm doing with Def Lep. See well known music journalist Peter Makowski in the hotel lobby and introduce myself. We chat a while and I tell him I've been reading and enjoying his scribblings for years. He's a really nice guy and has interviewed just about everyone. He's here to do an interview with Joe before he leaves for the venue. Hang around for a while before leaving in the bus with Viv and Rick for the venue at Wembley. Get to there and scout out a place to shoot the guys before they go on. They're so cool about doing little impromptu shoots and never seriously complain. I wish all bands were this easy and fun to work with.

Phil and Sav Make it in and Joe a little later. Do some shots with Phil in the long narrow hallway outside the dressing rooms with the wide angle lens, get a couple of great shots from that and then do the same with Viv who despite flipping me off at every opportunity rather seems to enjoy doing pics.

Pop my head round the Whitesnake dressing room door and go hang with the snakey lads for a while. Poor Uriah is distracted by being in the middle of changing out his laptop screen as Chris Frazier sat on the other one and buggered it up. He manages to slice his finger open in the process which wasn't really that good for a bass player to do.... Wish the guys a good gig and rest of the tour. I'll catch up with Doug and Timothy again soon in California, especially Doug as it's his turn to buy dinner!

Head back to the dressing room and Phil is outside talking to Ross Halfin who he introduces me to. Ross was very cordial although he seemed perplexed by my Texas/Yorkshire accent. Get a chance to talk a little more with him later and get a pic together of the old and new rock photographer generation. He later smarts off about me in his blog which makes me laugh, he'll cut himself being so sharp... Great stuff Napoleon!

Could hardly believe my eyes when I see Jimmy Page and Richie Sambora backstage. I get a chance to speak with both for a while and tell Jimmy how proud my dear mate Spencer would be if he were alive. Jimmy is very gracious and looks upwards, raises his hand and says "hi Spencer"... It sounds sappy but I had to fight tearing up at that moment knowing just how surreal and blessed that moment was. Jimmy said he was impressed when I told him I'd done a shoot recently with his hero Buddy Guy, not often you impress one of the most famous guitarists ever! I take a couple of shots of Jimmy with Rick Allen and his wife Lauren and Rick reciprocates by doing the same for me. What a nice and very humble guy.

The Black Stone Cherry boys tear it up at Wembley tonight and get a raving crowd reaction. Whitesnake do the same. I'm glad Whitesnake are adding new material into the set as it pumps new life into the bands live show and set list.

Hang out in the dressing room while the guys get ready and do their vocal warm ups. Joe is on form again tonight and full of his usual humor and funny one liners. I tell them ten minutes until shoot time and soon enough and on time which never happens with other bands they head down the hall to line up for a quick pre show shoot. I'm using a ring flash for the shoot and to be honest it's a bugger on the eyes as it's so bright and leaves you seeing circular lights for a while. Poor Sav is most susceptible to this so I keep it short and after a couple of minutes we're done.

Showtime! Head out to the stage area and the crowd is buzzing out there...Tons of energy tonight. There's a plethora of photographers waiting in the pit and it kind of takes me by surprise but I guess it should be expected being that it's London. Three songs in and it's just Ross Halfin and I left to shoot. Ross stays in the photo pit for the whole show as I move between the pit and moving around on the stage and behind and next to Rick on the drum riser. He's gotten used to me being there and hams it up for the camera which produces some great shots. It's truly amazing to be so close and watch how he plays and has adapted considering he has one arm. The pedals and triggers that he uses work great and seamlessly.

It was hotter than hell up on the stage but the guys didn't lose their game once. Joes vocals were on form and the guitars spot on. At the end of the encore they guys head down the ramp again. Joe is wrapped in a Union Jack flag which makes the shot look different from the others I've done. It's been a really good time and I'll miss being onstage working with the guys.

Head back to the dressing room to eat and have a beer with the guys and hang out for a while. There are a lot of guests and some family backstage so I star saying my goodbyes etc. Later on Joe, Sav, Mark, Malvin and I get our ride back to the hotel and I say see ya to the guys. I'll see them again soon though, this time on my turf as they kick off their summer US tour in Texas!

June 25^th- Arrive in London early on.... Traffic Jams... The hotel is in Knightsbridge and the traffic is utterly horrible. I worked in and around London many years ago and hated every single moment of it! Stinky, polluted, expensive, congested, noisy and just not me at all.... Like Houston, only with a mass of British history..... Check in to the hotel, shower and sleep.

Wake up later in the day, check my emails, and edit a few pics... Eat three Mars Bars, sleep some more, wake up with cabin fever and then head downstairs to the hotel bar and order a meal and a Guinness... They have a soccer match on in the bar full blast and there's a bunch of noisy fans who collectively feel the need to scream together every time there's a near goal. I give up after about an hour of this, finish up my pint and stop off by the hotel shop to stock up on Mars Bars and a Crunchie and head to my room and the land of nod..... zzzzzzzzz The less I see of London the better.

June 24^th- Wake up pretty early get some breakfast. Recently I reconnected through Facebook with an old old workmate from my days as a sales rep for Cadbury when I lived in England. It had been over 13 years since I saw Lee last when I left the company to emigrate. He saw on Facebook that I was on tour in the UK and was in Sheffield today. I got a call to the room that he stopped by the hotel to see me so I headed down to the lobby to meet him. I was great to see Lee again and we caught up over coffee and tea on what had been happening in our lives. He'd been promoted and had a family, I moved away and became a rock photographer...... a huge contrast in lifestyles yet we both still gelled and reminisced about old times. It made me feel great that he took the time to come by and say hi. It's the little things in life like this that really matter more than the material. I intend to stay in touch with Lee, he's a great genuine guy that doesn't change. The hour that we caught up has been a highlight to this trip.

2pm and we're on our way on the bus up the road to sunny Newcastle. As we get further up the A1 it gets darker and more grim. By the time we arrive in Newcastle it's characteristically raining and overcast. Newcastle was one of those places that just made me feel depressed at the mere mention of it's name and time away seems not to have changed that. The venue is kind of dreary and out of date. I'm supposed to do a shoot with Joe and David Coverdale but there's nowhere decent to set up a shoot. Pop in to the Cov's dressing room and we decide to shoot him and Joe in there later on.

Set up a light in DC's dressing room and am offered a nice vintage whisky whilst setting up and as Lord Coverdale gets ready. Joe comes on in and the banter and innuendo between the two starts as I begin shooting. It's hilarious and reminds me of a cross between Blackadder and Monty Python, Classic!! The two of them together are like a couple of rude school boys. After I get done with the comic duo Viv Campbell and I find a spot in the stairwells of the building and do a quick shoot with his silver sparkle Gibson guitar. The walls and flooring in the stairwells is a nice vivid blue which makes the pics pop with the ringlight. It's like a bloody rabbit warren backstage and the Def Lep Dressing room, Hospitality and Production are each on a different floor! Ray Charles designed this layout I'm sure, not a whole lot of fun with a bunch of heavy photo gear up and down the stairs.

Each show we've done the Black Stone Cherry boys have gained momentum and added hundreds of new fans. They're on fire! Whitesnake go on after and hit it hard and nail it spot on! By the time they're off the stage the venue is a blistering steam bath of humidity and frothy fans. They're wound up and primed for the Lepps and as the intro music and video rolls they start going wild. Start off the first couple of songs down in the pit and it's so hot that it feels like I'm back in Texas. Run around the back of the stage and up on to the drum riser next to Rick where he plays up to the camera for me. Stand right behind him and get some great wide angle shots looking out into the audience. It's a full house and looks great but the place is so hot. Joe says later that it was the hottest gig he's played ever which is something considering they've played just about everywhere. Great crowd tonight and the loyal superfans are on the front row again showing their support. They keep stopping me to talk about my work. Great to be appreciated and told good things about what I do. Seems that the fold out Def Leppard tour book/poster is going down well with the fans as I am asked to sign several of them tonight. Nice to have fans too I guess.

After the show the band splits up between the two tour buses. I'm on board with Phil and his girlfriend and Joe and his wife Kristine. Poor Kristine is having trouble getting in and out of the bunk and I get some pics of her comical struggles whilst Joe is in the one above me. I tell him "No Spooning" tonight and he just smiles and winks. I'm actually ready to get my head down and rest as the last several days have caught up with me and I'm drained. A long drive down the road to London from Newcastle........ About seven hours.. I think our bus driver bought a sack of coal in Newcastle and decided to store in it my mattress, wonderful!

June 23^rd- Manage to sleep on through the night. Grab some breakfast and head down to the hotel gym for a workout. Jean along with Phil and his girlfriend arrive to work out and I get on with it whilst watching Phil and wondering how a fifty year old bloke could grate carrots on his bloody abs!! SWINE!!!! Heheh!

We head down to the venue about 2pm. There are hordes of fans already lining up outside the venue entrance and also at the backstage gates. Drop off my gear in the dressing room and have a wander out to the gates area and see four of the girls from the Def Leppard website forum. They've come from various places around the States to see the guys. Walk out and say hi and pose for a few pics and a chat with them. Great people and loyal to the band as you can be.

Pop into the Whitesnake dressing room and hang with Timothy and Doug a little. It's always good with these guys as they're so nice and real. Doug and Timothy are personal friends so it's especially good being able to spend more time than a few hours in a trip to LA like usual. Chris Frazier is zapping his shoulder muscles with one of those electrical pulse devices with the sticky patchesrns out he has spinal problems also like me, not good news for a drummer. It must be turned up well as he has a good ol' twitch going on. The backstage area is starting to fill up with family members of the guys. Rick's parents arrive with a bunch more family members and Sav's wife and kids turn up shortly after that. Set up a light in one of the hospitality rooms and do some family shots for Sav and then for Rick. Rick's Mom and Dad are very sweet and were especially kind to my Mom the other night in Manchester.

Have a walk out into the venue and see my friend Cindy from Phoenix with one of her friends. She's on tour with the Queensryche guys right now but took a day off to come see the boys play to the home crowd. See Kristine backstage and get a big squeeze from her. She's very cool to and funny as hell to hang out with, never a dull moment when she's around and Joe's daft sense of humor fits perfectly. I was told that it's one big family before I came out on the road with these guys and it turned out be thankfully very true.

Tonight's crowd are tuned in and electric and the guys in all the bands are amped up as they know it's a home crowd for the Def Lep fellas. As usual, Black Stone Cherry take thousands of unsuspecting Def Lep and Whitesnake fans by total surprise. They're a refreshingly sonic kick in the teeth. I got an advance copy of their new cd last month and it is better than the first one by far! Makes me happy that the Kentucky boys are gaining such momentum. Whitesnake are on and DC is at his Peacock song and dance routine at full throttle. The energy reserve though is most definitely for the Def Lep guys. I forgot to pack my earplugs into my case for this show and lived to regret it dearly as the boys ripped through hit after hit. My ears still buzz now as I write this and wonder if I damaged my hearing tonight.

After the show there's a lot of family craziness with the band, get some more shots in the hallways and then find the quiet room at the end of the hallway where the techs are hanging out and having a beer and some downtime. Crack open a cold one and decide to hang with Wolfie & co until all the family fuss dies down. Later on Joe, Kristine and I get in the car to head back to the hotel. There are still fans outside the gate waiting at 1am so Joe tells the driver to stop and being the trooper he is he gets out and does autographs. I get out to help stop stampede and after ten minutes we get back in and head back to the hotel bar. The rest is............ hehehehehe.... ;O)

June 21^st- Up early to Belfast. The airline has a stupid weight limit on hand luggage so Rick Allen kindly lets me offload a couple of heavy lenses and my laptop into his bag so I'm allowed to take mine onboard. He's a gent! The bloody airlines in the UK are getting worse enforcing their rules, they're succeeding in driving their customers away more than anything else......SWINES!

Bumpy flight in from Manchester but we're on time and get checked in okay. It's cold and raining but Belfast seems like a nice place. I told by everyone that it's a nicer place than during the time of "The Troubles" which really doesn't take that much to imagine. Head down to the venue and shoot the crews setting up the stage and sound. Get some good shots of Rick mooching around in the general admission area. Pop in to David Coverdale's dressing room for a bit of a chat, he's on form as usual. Grab a few shots of him in the hallway with Doug and Uriah and then with Rick Allen. Quite the raconteur he is.

Great crowd in Belfast, actually the loudest crowd so far. I went up into the roof of the building tonight on to the catwalks. This mindless act of photographic determination almost caused me a couple of involuntary bowel movements as the walkways are metal grills that you can see right through! Right through to the crowd and stage a hundred feet below. The poor bloke guiding me up there has to do his best not to laugh at my spasmodic stumbling and baby steps as I hold the railings and attempt to shoot with two cameras around my neck. If you're looking to sweat off a few pounds quickly then this is the way!

Late leaving the venue and getting to the hotel.... Crash on the bed tired and thankful that I didn't yakk up on the Balmy Belfast crowd below.



Pics of Ash Working : Photo Credits to JAYNIE (Thanks!)

June 20^th- Catch up on a few messages and get some breakfast. Head down to the hotel gym again and get going into a good workout. My Ipod is running on shuffle and Whitesnakes "Still of the Night" comes on. A few seconds into the intro part of the song the gym door swings open and Mr. Coverdale makes a grand entry....."Ash Baby". Un frickin' Canny!! Spend some time catching up with DC whilst we work out. It's good as we haven't seen each other in quite some time and he fills me in on the latest happenings. See Uriah from Whitesnake for a little while, he's wearing a pink t shirt that shows a Unicorn shagging a Dolphin! Something tells me that he didn't have regular mushrooms with his cooked breakfast this morning......



Get my gear ready later and the tour bus picks us up from the hotel to go to the venue, the Manchester M.E.N. Nice big dressing rooms for us and a big white wall in the bathroom for doing photos of Phil and Sav for Jackson guitars. Take some shots of the guys onstage at sound check, Viv continues his ongoing tradition of flipping me off as I walk around and shoot. I have to snap myself out of it sometimes, the band sounds incredible. My Mom and two best mates are coming to the concert tonight. Mom has never been to a concert before so I'm kinda wondering what her reaction is going to be.



Head out to the box office at 6pm to take Mom her tickets and passes. I wait around a little while and see some of the folks from the Whitesnake forum that I know but haven't met. It was really nice to meet them in person. I see Mom and my mate Staffy turn up and greet them, they both did a double take like they had to be sure it was me. Was kind of funny seeing that. My mate Kev couldn't make it as he got caught up at work having to fire someone or something very thrilling. It disappointed me for him as I know he's a big fan of Whitesnake and Def Lep. I walk them both past security and into the venue and up to their seats. They're at stage right on Phil's side with a great view of the stage. I come back later on and take them both backstage where I introduce them both to the Def Lep guys. She's gushy over Phil and thinks he's dishy. I introduce her to Joe and he says "So you're responsible for him!" as he points to me! Love it! Take them both around to the Whitesnake dressing room and get The Cov to come out and say hello. He's his usual charming self and full of hospitality. We pop into the band dressing room and see Doug, Timothy, Reb and Uriah. Timothy and Doug come on over and give her a big hug and we do some pics... Staffy is unusually quiet and I don't think he can believe it all., I'm surprised his thumbs aren't steaming away as he's the king of obsessive texting.

They head back to their seats and I head back to the dressing room while the guys are getting ready. Find a white wall and set up some lights and do a photo shoot with Joe, then Phil, Sav and lastly Rick. Right in the middle of shooting Rick I have a major Dejavu moment which really throws me off my game for a moment. Strange how that happens where the exact moment is something you've had before. I seem to have had quite a few of those this year....strange. Joe is in a great mood and we exchange filthy limericks whilst we shoot. He graciously poses for the Peanut Gallery on my website and we get some great shots! I'll post the outcome in the Peanut Gallery real soon.

Shoot some video of them warming up and then head out to the stage to shoot the show. The audience are a lot more alive than in Birmingham and the band clearly feed off this with a performance that is the best one yet! Get offstage and pick up dinner in the dressing room before we're due to leave. Mom and Staffy really enjoyed the show and are still buzzing from it all when they leave. Meet some sweet Def Lep fans from the website forum outside the venue gates before we jump on the bus and head back to the hotel. Hang out and unwind in the hotel bar for a couple of hours with Joe and Uriah from Whitesnake before the day catches up and knocks the crap out of me. It's been a great one!
 

June 19^th- After getting into Manchester in the wee hours we check into the hotel, I check email, shower and hit the hay... Totally zonked out I manage to sleep through until about 10am. Start uploading some of the pics from last nights show in Birmingham. Am really pleased with the results. Got on stage with the guys and walked around to some different vantage points and to the end of the runway thrust stage. Need to be careful though as Sav turns around really fast onstage and the headstock of his bass can be deadly! Am still tired but for shits and giggles I head down to the hotel gym for a workout. Viv Campbell is in there being put through the paces by the Def Lep trainer "Jean". He's fit a as a butchers dog and is so intense working out that it makes you tired just watching.

Head downstairs to the bar at the hotel later and hang out and eat some dinner with Uriah from Whitesnake. Everyone is pretty much doing their own thing today so we just hang out a little. Have a few beers and then head back up to the room and crash...

So after a sore arse from all that flying (quiet in the peanut galleries!) and the time change I arrive in Glasgow a couple of hours late. Get through immigration quicker than I ever have I'm very relieved to find that ll my luggage and gear has made it on through to the right place and everything is intact. Grab a cab and head to the hotel. Got checked in, showered and got a couple of hours sleep. Saw Viv Campbell and Rick Allen and said hi. Was feeling a little shagged out so I went out for a walk around Glasgow and took advantage of the cold June weather. I haven't had to wear a jacket in June in years! We're burning our asses off in Texas by mid April so I'm VERY grateful for the cooler climate of the UK. Got caught up on a few emails, checked my cameras and went downstairs for a meal in the hotel restaurant and bar. Couple of hours and a few Guinness' later Malvin, Def Leps tour manager and Mark come into the bar for a beverage or two and we put the world to rights and they give me a brief education on some of the characters I'll encounter in the music industry... Great guys and very funny. It was a good start to the first day of being here back in the UK.



Head off to the venue mid afternoon with Malvin, Rick and Viv and meet up with the rest of the guys except Joe who's late as his flight is delayed. Get sorted out and get a space in the dressing room for my gear and head down to the stage to check out the venue. It's strange being there actually as this is the first time as a music photographer that I've officially worked outside of the US. The venue is a little smaller but the staff and security are a whole lot more organized than stateside. The band starts sound check and still no Joe... Walk around onstage and get some great shots of the guys sound checking... About 30 minutes into the check I'm on the runway and I turn around and Joe's walking on... He gives me a big hug and goes straight into the song the guys are halfway through. They sound great! Get some dinner and hang with the guys in the dressing room as they prepare for the show. Phil and Viv have their trainer "Jean" with them and he sure puts them through their routines. I head downstairs to an area behind the stage with Phil and Jean. Get some photos and video footage of Phil training doing his martial arts workout... At 50 Phil punches and kicks harder than someone half his age. I'm pretty fit but don't have anything on him! See my mates in Black Stone Cherry and hang for a while. Tell them that I think the crowds are gonna love what they do, turns out later judging by the crowd reactions and the other bands that I was right... They are a powerhouse of energy and sound. Love those Kentucky boys! The Whitesnake boys are happy to see me and give a warm welcome... Bump into "The Cov" in the hallway who gives a huge squeeze. He invites me into his dressing room and we catch up a little before I get back to the Def Lep room and start shooting the guys doing their show prep.
  

Well the Lepps filled up the arena in Glasgow and the crowd were electric! Saw one of the Whitesnake forum members I knew and her husband which was very cool. Anyhow, the guys went out and did their thing. Shot the whole set pretty much about half from the photo pit area and then from onstage with the guys for a different perspective. Had to get my timing right when onstage though as they more around so much and I almost got clobbered by Savs bass. Viv likes to flip me off and swear at me and Joe just likes to swear... Too funny! I couldn't be working for a cooler band! They added a couple of new ones into the set list, 9 Lives, C'mon C'mon and Bad Actress. I think I like C'mon C'mon mostly out of the three. When they did the encore they headed to the end of the thrust stage to thank the crowd and I ran out and got them with the audience in the shot as well, quite a rush being out there in front of thousands! Here's a few shots.

ASH