I still can't believe I got a photo pass for Steve Vai! Vai is the nearest thing to a living God for me, I've been his number one fan (along with millions of others!) for the last 20 years... what an amazing concert this was. Thankyou DPC for helping me get to this point!
All the photos are here: //www.EyesOpen.co.uk/VaiManchester2005 You can read my review on the Vai forums here: //www.vai.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=176921&highlight=#176921
omg i'm so jealous, i've been a huge fan ever since the crossroads movie with ralph machio (karate kid) hahaha, he can flat bust out the solos! great pics!
excellent images! Last time I saw him touring was with David Lee Roth. Does that show my age? :) Been a fan though... If he gets a chance to see them he should love these images.
Wow!! I am not a Steve Vai fan (I've got a different musical taste) but these photos are absolutely amazing! They really capture the feel of the show...I can hear the guitars screaming from where I'm sitting!
Great shots man! Glad to see afer all these years the Vai still pulls the same guitar faces - it's part of his charm! :) Finally got myself a copy of Crossroads a few months back - love that movie!
Thanks guys! I last saw Steve with Dave Lee Roth a good 15 years ago, but his tours with Zappa were a bit before my time. Besides, I've never been a Zappa fan!
Personally, I would never take a camera to a big gig like the Cream concert unless I had a photo pass. It's just too much hassle, considering that the photos are unlikely to be fantastic without being in the pit. I would just enjoy the music!
Thanks guys! I last saw Steve with Dave Lee Roth a good 15 years ago, but his tours with Zappa were a bit before my time. Besides, I've never been a Zappa fan!
Personally, I would never take a camera to a big gig like the Cream concert unless I had a photo pass. It's just too much hassle, considering that the photos are unlikely to be fantastic without being in the pit. I would just enjoy the music!
Agreed. Nosebleed photo's would probably look totaly stinky anyway. It's just a very rare occurance that those boys play together...so I thought......hmmmmm
My gosh those are fantastic- "Passion and Warfare" is so incredible! I haven't kept up with him since then, unfortunately ;)
Really amazing pictures. Now you must tell all. What equipment? What venue? How did you get the photo pass? What do you do now with the pics? We gotta hear the business end of the story! :D
Yeah, I love the final bit of Crossroads. Shame about the rest of the movie, LOL.
Equipment... I used my Minolta 7D with my Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX lens. At some point soon I will buy a second body (5D?) with a 24-70mm F2.8 lens, as those 3 songs I was allowed to shoot for really went by fast! So I didn't have time to change lenses unfortunately. I've only had the 70-200mm lens for just over a week, and WOW I love that lens. It is sharp! I don't know how I've lived without it covering so many gigs this summer.
I got the pass by offering a review and the photos to a web site that reviews festivals that I did some work for this summer. I haven't been paid for these photos, but the free ticket and photo pass for one of my heroes has more than made up for it. And they'll look great on my portfolio. I'm hoping that Steve's management agency will buy the photos however, but I don't know how likely that will be. I'm still not making huge amounts of cash at this, but I'm being very patient and trusting that my hard work and passion will pay off at some point.
heyah, bob, just ran across this while meandering around ;-)
what a great collection of shots!!! i mean, HOT DAMN! most of them look like studio work, as opposed to being shot live. simply incredible. with a portfolio like this, you are really setting yourself up to be busy beyond words. stunning...
