To France and back again

After a day off I’m on my way to the heart of London’s West End and the St. Martins Lane Hotel in particular to meet the Americans at noon sharp. They had kindly offered me a lift to Reading, for which I was very thankful. The St. Martins Lane Hotel is a deluxe designer hotel for which Philippe Starck has not only designed the golden tooth-shaped seats in the lobby. Its hotelier describes it as young, cool, happy, light and that it’s like the essence of London all packed together. From what I’ve seen I totally agree, it’s one of the things I love London for: its style in modern design and the art it has to offer in general. London has a completely unique atmosphere that can’t be matched. London has been my favourite city ever since I went there for the first time in 1990, with its art galleries, museums and music scene. And also English is such a beautiful language. It’s always an inspirational trip, coming here. As for this hotel in particular, I’ve been to it first in 2002, when Dimitri Tikovoi, brilliant producer and the man behind Trash Palace, was DJing at the hotel’s stylish Light Bar. He had put on some great stuff and Brian and Michael J Sheehy had been there, too. I remember very well that the snobbish waitresses had completely ignored me and a friend at first – until they had discovered that we knew Brian, and their behaviour instantly changed to ultra attentive and fawning. I find people like that just pitiful.

Okay, back to the actual day. So, today we had a driver who, as he was telling us, has been driving Jennifer Lopez and Craig David a.o. before. We pick up somebody in Chelsea before heading out of town. It’s a really short trip today, no comparison to our journey to Leeds. We cross the Reading city boarder round 1 pm and Stef texts me, “We’re on our way”. Stage time is 7.10 pm, so plenty of time. Again we arrive earlier than the band and after having inspected the dressing room containers we check out the site a bit. It has to be pointed out that the Reading crowd at that point was a very hostile audience, as they kept on booing and throwing bottles at Finland’s poor The Rasmus, who were desperately trying to do their thing on stage. But the crowd just wouldn’t let them as they not only kept throwing bottles but in fact everything they could get their hands on, like grass, mud, food, garbage – just anything would do ! Watched from afar it was a bizarre spectacle, you just saw stuff flying through the air, but for The Rasmus it was probably the worst moment in their young career. After 15 minutes their gig was over. I felt sorry for those fans who had travelled a long way to see them. The Dropkick Murphys and The Streets then went down better with the crowd. Although it showed once more that the live format is not really working for The Streets, in my opinion. All that talking just doesn’t translate to a big stage very well.

In the meantime the Placebo boys had arrived and they were getting themselves comfortable backstage. The backstage area was a lot smaller than in Leeds, no space for their own portable disco which they drag everywhere or for table tennis. With Reading being very close to London, a lot of friends of the band were coming to see them and there is a lot of ballyhoo when Dave McLean, Placebo’s other co-manager, arrives. He’s come straight out of his office in Bangkog, from where he wants to break the Asian market for Placebo. Levi is there too and in a multi-media moment I take a shot of him while he’s filming the band. The 4AD Placebo comic strip makes the rounds and Steve starts his practise – everybody’s looking for something to kill time and their nervousness with. They say, “Reading is London in a field !”.
I give them the advice to pretend they are in France and that everything is just fantastic ! Soon we invent the phrases, “Welcome back to France ! Isn’t the weather just lovely here in France ?” and stuff like that. Just say it often enough and it’ll work…Brian disappears with his girlfriend and two friends to watch some band while Stef picks up a newspaper and probably reads about the weather in, err, France…? Then it’s time again to get dressed for success
(= black) and to put the slap on. Again pale faces with rather serious expressions full of concentration prove the thrill’s not gone yet. I’ve seen similar photos of Bono & U2 in Rolling Stone magazine recently. It happens to the best. Xav has his hands folded as if he’s praying, while Bill has a slash between the containers. When they form a circle and practise group-hug Stefan pulls such a face that this particular moment of unity looks like some severe case of queer bashing on my photo instead ! Hilarious (his face; not queer bashing of course !). I follow them to the stage and the crowd gets louder with each step that we’re getting closer. In Reading the main stage wasn’t too far away from the backstage area, so no posh golf car to take us up a hill today. Up behind the stage, only seconds before their show starts, the boys don’t appear as tense as in Leeds. Still it’s a relief though when they finally march on stage and kick off a beast of a show. Only Stefan is still lurking behind the backdrop and hasn’t entered the stage just yet. “Taste In Men” has long started, but Stef’s still stretching it – up until the point when his bass is about to set in and he spurts to his spot. Nothing wrong with a big entrance, eh !

During the show the sun is slowly going down and it bathes the whole stage in that special glowing, atmospheric light – while rubber ducks keep flying on stage ! Brian once mentioned rubber ducks in an interview and gets bombarded with them ever since. I even spotted a duck banner in the crowd. One of their American friends who’s been watching from the side of the stage quickly picked one duck up when the boys had left the stage – to take home to the USA for Stefan’s little niece. Reading saw the same greatest hits set as Leeds and it was one high-proof power cocktail once more.

Again I absolutely revelled in having the whole day and the whole show for my work and that I wasn’t limited to the infamous ‘first three songs only’. This limit truly is a pain in the ass for every photographer who wants to get “the shot”. The scenario is that you and at least a dozen other photographers are only given three (sometimes only two, worst case only one) songs to shoot at the beginning of the show while being squeezed in the pit between stage and audience. By many this is seen as needlessly controlling, especially at big stadium shows, where the pit you shoot in at the front of the stage is the “security gutter” between the first rows and the lip of the stage. The stage is often 3 meters high or more, so one is hardly blocking anyone’s view, and so apparently the only excuse for this is the ego and vanity on the part of the artist ? I mean, what else could it be ? These days everybody wants to look as perfect as possible on photos. This obviously seems to exclude sweaty faces, smudged make-up and a mess of soaking wet hair. But sweat and madness and contorted faces are visual evidence of a great rock gig and buzzing live energy ! Artists should stay real and should go for authenticity. It’s a pity also because the best scenes on stage are always happening after the artists have warmed up, after they have lost all shyness, i.e. towards the middle/end of show – when the photographers are long gone. When Beck played the Bizarre Festival in 2000, totally confused photographers got rushed out of the pit once the first song had ended. And sometimes you are even forced, if it is an indoor gig, to leave the venue after you’ve finished your job and you are only allowed back in without your camera (this happened to me once with Nine Inch Nails and Placebo twice). Just who set up these rules ? Ridiculous.
All this makes it harder to get outstanding shots different from the mass. Where are the pandemonium shots that we know from the 70s for example ? Like Mick Rock and stuff. It’s all too controlled these days.

Backstage after the show Placebo hear from their managers that it’s been their best Reading performance so far and they’re happy. We’re all in a merry mood and I take some snapshots with a cheap camera just for myself. While we were having a laugh gangsta pimp rapper 50 Cent has taken to the stage. I personally wouldn’t even pay 50 cent to see him ! I guess the crowd had a similar view on this. Somebody had pushed their repeat button and they gave their “booing and throwing bottles” software a glorious second run. After a short while we heard a loud bang that was coming from the main stage. The whole day long Stef had been doing a hilarious 50 Cent impersonation, going “I’ve been shot 9 times ! I’ve been shot 9 times !” all the time. So had 50 been shot a 10th time ? No, it’s just that the crowd had successfully bottled our gansta off the stage and in rage he had slammed the mike to the ground. This left headliner Green Day with more than two fat hours for their show ! Fair trade.

The Americans urge to leave before Green Day are finished to avoid getting stuck in the masses of people, so it’s time to say goodbye to everybody – which takes a while of course. Our driver is already waiting for us and I’m happy and thankful they give me another lift home. The driver has even put old newspapers on the floor of the car just in case we would have the nerves to step in with muddy shoes. How very thoughtful indeed – and how very un-rock’n’roll ! But fear ya not, there was no muddy mud in sight. So we drove back to London, even the best of days sadly comes to an end. At 11.30 pm I was back at the Holiday Inn where I fell on my huge bed, still high on all the day’s experiences…and I couldn’t wait to get the films developed.

I am very satisfied with how the photos and the actual prints turned out from my fly-on-the-wall photography. What I also appreciated was the fact that I didn’t have to bother anybody during the shooting, but that it allowed me to work in a more organic way by just shooting what was happening, in a documentary style. That’s why my photos are very authentic, showing how natural and funny Placebo actually are. These are characteristics that I personally definitely prefer to most of the posed, stiff studio shots.

By the way, the next day I visited two great exhibitions, both at the Hayward Gallery, South Bank Centre. One was Jacques Henri Lartigue, a French photographer who lived from 1894 – 1986. Central to the Lartigue exhibition were 100 large albums on which he worked all his life – a unique and outstanding document of his times, on loan for the first time outside France. The second exhibition was “About Face – photography and the death of the portrait”. A very fine show indeed which raised the central question: “Can we still take the portrait at face value in an age of digital technology and media domination, miracle drugs, plastic surgery and genetic engineering ?”. There were lots more exhibitions that I was interested in – in London you’re really spoilt for choice – but unfortunately I already had to fly back to Germany. Until next time…

Claudia Schmölders

A Fly On The Wall

In August 2004 I was commissioned by Placebo to take ‘fly on the wall’ backstage and on-stage photos of them at two of the UK’s biggest festivals – Leeds and Reading. And who wouldn’t like to be a fly on the wall in such a scenario ? I have first seen and met Placebo in 1996 (I saw them live in Switzerland as David Bowie’s support in February 96 and did my first interview with Brian a few months later) and over the years I have taken many photos of them. As Stefan Olsdal, Placebo’s bassist, once put it, ”Placebo go back a long way with Claudia. On our very first German tour she was in the front row I think almost every night. Subsequently she’s been to more than 50 shows in probably half as many countries and has got an impressive photo library of us through our successive tastes (some better than others) in clothes and guises. She was at this time doing a Manic Street Preachers fanzine called Carpe Diem in which you could already see her talent for photography and also for her intelligent and in depth journalistic style. I think we hooked up for an interview and it would become the first of many encounters. A German tour just wouldn’t be the same without her now.” I think my counter’s stopped at 76 shows all across the globe now…The Carpe Diem Placebo-website then was the follow-up to the zine and it was very popular with the fans and was also supported by Placebo. Unfortunately though due to time constraints I had to give it up, as it took up all my free time to update the site constantly with news and exclusive stuff – you can only do such a thing that intensely for a certain period of time, if you still want to have a life…And I don’t do things half-hearted.

Most of my Placebo photos are live shots as I would always feel uncomfortable ‘pestering’ them with my camera backstage before or after gigs, when they are either tense or just want to relax and party and I always felt you’ve got to respect that. So to have this official job now was great indeed. I flew to London and on Friday 27 August I went to Stefan’s place where we all met since the band had been so kind to offer me a ride to the festival. Placebo’s co-manager Alex was there and some of the band’s friends from Florida, while Stefan finished packing his bag and picked some CDs for the long ride. Our cars to Leeds were supposed to leave from there and so shortly after 11 am, spread over 2 cars, our journey started. The band’s car with Stef on board naturally picked up singer and drummer – Brian Molko and Steve Hewitt – before heading North, too. And not to forget Bill and Xav, who are Placebo’s secret weapons on stage. It turned out to be a very long journey indeed since this was a bank holiday weekend in the UK and all the motorways were jammed. We had a very good driver though who knew his way and he managed to keep our journey down to (still) 5 hours. Alex seized the time to continue work with her mobile that just didn’t stop ringing. This included staying in contact with the band who were way behind us and thus way behind schedule as they indeed had ended up in a traffic jam ! They were due on stage at 6.45 pm, and we were all hoping they’d get there in time. The hours went by quickly as we passed signs that read Sherwood Forest, Windsor Castle and other familiar names. Alex also had a treat for us which came in the shape of new song “20 Years”, which would be released in a few months time. It had a special effect to hear such a slow song in such a fast moving car with the landscape flying by outside. When the boys had to deliver b-sides for the single, Alex says, they had come up with a whole lot of new songs and according to their manager it’s the best stuff they’ve done so far, the best stuff that she’s heard from them.

Once arrived at the festival site Bramham Park we headed for the band’s dressing room containers where Lisa, Placebo’s ‘wardrobe mistress’ (just to use Velvet Goldmine vocabulary) was getting the ‘couture’ ready. Long gone are the days when Brian used to buy cheap clothes on Kensington Market. Now I was surrounded by hangers with Gucci, Agnès B, Vivienne Westwood and Yamamoto pieces on them, to name but a few. Lisa is also the make-up- and decorating-girl, who pimps the boys’ dressing rooms with light chains, candles and dark velvet cloth for a more welcoming and cosy atmosphere. To sum it up, she’s responsible for all things beautiful that make touring with a crew that’s 99 % testosterone driven more human. She shares the female touch only with Brian’s girl guitar tech and admits that touring with just men has its moments…

Time passes and still there’s no Placebo member in sight ! People are getting nervous. More phone calls and txts with Brian. Alex disappears into the production office where the stage times get rescheduled which grants the band half an hour extra before they’re due in front of the crowd. I start to get my camera equipment ready to be prepared for their arrival, while the Florida friends and Alex are having a look at my Placebo shots from the Swiss Gurtenfestival a month earlier. Again The Streets occupy the adjacent dressing rooms, just like in Switzerland. I remember Steve jokingly called Mike Skinner the “new Shakespeare”. Skinner & Co. amble on the main stage 30 minutes late, Skinner states that they’ve left the house at 11 and “Can you believe it ?”. Yes, we bloody well can !

Placebo are always nervous when they play the UK which has something to do with the British press being more unobjective than constructively critical and that it’s their dirty habit to become very personal. It’s also a fact that France is Placebo’s biggest market these days, followed by Germany and not the UK. So they always try and give the best they can, work themselves up a little bit before a gig and simply worry too much in my humble opinion – which makes them human though, thank God. I can only try to imagine what dramatic scenes must have taken place (or not) in that car to Leeds, but when the boys finally arrive way behind schedule there is not much time left for them to worry about the UK as such. Brian arrives swearing which alternates with sighs of relief that they’ve finally made it to the site. They throw their stuff into the next best corner and my job starts while the boys start to decide which clothes they’re gonna wear on stage. You see, lots of decisions to be made ! Also the perfect make-up needs to be applied and that damn hair’s gotta be in place, too. Stef treats his head with a fresh shave while Brian puts on an anti-Bush t-shirt, looks in the mirror and decides against it. Same with the next outfit he picks. Bill, big Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Werner Herzog fan, on the other hand seems a little embarrassed to get dressed right in front of me and my camera, which makes me grin. While it is easy to take photos of the guys it is Brian who cannot sit still for a second and is constantly commuting between the two containers (one for style, one for leisure & pleasure). He ensures me, “I am always like that !” and disappears again. I am glad that I have picked the ideal film for this job – my favourite, it’s a very fast b/w film that can handle the most difficult light, poorly lit live concerts and it’s amazing for point-and-shoot people – thus it can handle a high speed Molko Kid who dashes from container into bright daylight every few minutes. This is also a high contrast film and it’s what I love about shooting b/w film. I like to give the actual prints a touch of sepia, because high contrast b/w can be very cold sometimes, and sepia adds warmth to it. Brian called my recent photos ‘very Corbijn-y’, which of course is a big compliment, but it’s not intentional to try and copy him – that would be foolhardy since Anton is the master. No, high contrast is simply what I like most. As a plus this film also comes with a rich, beautiful tonality, high sharpness and great latitude, it’s a very forgiving film. Its grain is great for the speed and it actually enhances the feel and mood of the pictures, without getting in the way. I have actually met Anton Corbijn once at a German festival in 2000 and had taken my chance to tell him how much I admire his work. He was really lovely and a totally down to earth person in fact, very calm and not hectic at all. He had asked me where I was from, small town in Germany, on which he had replied, “Ah, that’s in Austria, isn’t it ?”. Funny guy ;o) He had also told me about one of his up-coming exhibitions and I had really enjoyed my chat with Mr. Corbijn.

The first thing Steve does once arrived is to start the warm-up of his muscles and tendons in his arms and hands by drumming on a practise pad, that is mounted to a cymbal stand, for a very long time and he doesn’t want any interruptions. He even uses Mentholatum Deep Heat Spray, a topical painkiller, which produces effective warming to help stimulate circulation, relax stiffness and is a fast relief from muscular aches. A lot of times he even bandages his knees before gigs to prepare for his very physical job. After all he is the Animal ! Stef offers him a little distraction in the shape of a high-proof drink just to get in the mood and he gladly accepts. Brian asks to be left alone with Lisa when it’s time for his make-up session and I respect that. He says it’s a very special moment for him, almost like meditation and he needs to be on his own. Well, he would be a lot more relaxed about this at Reading two days later…So I go and watch the gay championships in table tennis instead – means, Stef and Xav were putting on a show with only one ball. I get some good shots.
The sun is shining and we’re very lucky with the weather actually – thank God this is no festival of the muddy type today and I’m really having a great time, enjoying what I do. Unlike Brian, who says he feels really uncomfortable in the place. Soon he takes his beer and walks off – I take a picture of him walking off into the distance with that huge stage ominously lurking on the hill – I really liked the nervous atmosphere, almost isolation, of that moment. All that tension before the show…

When it’s getting even closer to stage time Stef starts his stretching programme to warm up his muscles and tendons (he’s prone to suffer from tendinitis). Also the in-ear monitors are being put into place. Luckily Brian has returned and he decides to have a pee in the corner of two adjacent containers. Everybody screams at me to take a photo of this moment and I am quickly convinced, just in time when Brian turns his head to the right to look more photogenic from behind. And then it’s time for their pre-show ritual: group hug ! Brian, Stef, Steve, Bill and Xav form a circle, scream at the top of their lungs to adrenalize themselves completely while they are squeezing each other so hard that I can’t see Brian anymore ! Although that 5th pair of legs must belong to someone, haha..Something that looks like an electric golf car takes us up the hill to the mighty main stage – these are impressive dimensions indeed. Minutes before the show behind the stage I see pale faces and nervousness at its peak. Brian sucks heavily on his Marlboro and the boys exchange some words with their stage manager. You would believe that after the hundreds and hundreds of gigs they’ve played they’d be totally relaxed, but no, this is the UK and they are nervous as hell. While they are headlining European festivals easily, bizarrely they are still third on the bill at Leeds and Reading. After some tense minutes that seemed to last for ages they finally step in front of a screaming audience and deliver a brutal version of “Taste In Men”. Their greatest hits set list, in anticipation of the album release the following month, leaves hardly time to catch ya breath and Leeds gets seriously rocked by the ‘bo.
I gasp at the amazing perspective I have at the side of the stage while taking photos and the ocean of people’s heads in front of us is just impressive. I have taken shots on stage before, but at smaller festivals. I sneak behind the backdrop and swap sides various times – and it’s quite a distance from one side of the main stage to the other ! Of course I make sure that I am on Brian’s side when it’s time for “English Summer Rain”, cos then Brian always turns round to have a go at his sampler, which makes a nice change from ‘Brian behind his guitar’ shots. They close off their show with a mighty “Nancy Boy”, a song they haven’t played in the UK for 4 years. It’s been a crowd-pleasing show indeed with hymns such as “Pure Morning”.

50 Cent is up next on stage, but I really couldn’t care less. It’s time for some drinks and I’m done with the photo job for today. Time to socialize. Also Steve meets his mother who has come to see him. My journey back to London with Alex and the friends from Florida takes only 3 hours and I’m back in my hotel at 1 am where I crash instantly…

Claudia Schmölders