Digital Cameras At Gigs...

Nem · 28 May 2006 at 16:35

'lo all

So I'm going to Manchester Academy 2 tonight to see Thursday and was wondering about taking my camera along. Now I know that in recent years it was a strictly no camera or recording equipment and that was that. But in the last year or so small digital cameras have become a lot more popular.

It says on the tickets..

No professional "type" cameras, video cameras or tape recorders will be allowed in the venue.

So what does that mean? Is a £200 digicam professional, no I don't think so, a £1000 HD Camera is professional I would have thought. So I've just rang the Acedemy so get clarification and all I got was..

No, no cameras at all, not any of any type are allowed.

Ok fine, so thats ok then, but for starters they are not going to take everyone's camera phones off them are they, no. So does professional mean anything which is a camera no matter how expensive / quality, but not a multi function device like a camera phone?

The only thing which really annoys me is that I know tonight if I don't take my camera I'll be stood next to 50+ people all with cameras and they won't get them took off them or get thrown out the gig for using them. But if I do take it I'll be the first to be searched on the way in and lose the damn thing.

Nick

Big Chris · 28 May 2006 at 17:09

hehe, speak to Sic about this subject, he's had a few run-ins of this nature.

SexyGreyFox · 28 May 2006 at 17:46

You will be alright with your phone and no doubt you would be able to sneak a proper camera in but it could be taken off you. The chances of it happening are pretty slim though.

Darey · 28 May 2006 at 20:14

Ive been to manchester academy various times and ive taken a 'proper' camera in and never had it taken off me. Other people take cameras in as well so it aint a problem, mobiles with cameras on wont be a problem either i would say 75% of people there will take a picture/video using the phone.

james.miller · 28 May 2006 at 20:16

the gf has taken her olypus point and shoot to every gig she's been to and never had problems. Ive never had the balls to take my fuji s5500 though, incase they take it lol

Carzy · 28 May 2006 at 20:17

How were Thursday? (You seen them live before?) I saw them at the Astoria on their 2003 (I think) War All The Time tour, and at Reading 2004, were good both times

Raikiri · 28 May 2006 at 20:40

Stick it down your trousers, just make sure the it isnt a zoom lense model :eek:

Chronos-X · 28 May 2006 at 20:50

Although its hard these days to distinguish whats professional and what isn't, most security will prohibit the use of SLR-type cameras (the ones with massive lenses on the front, digital or not) - so if yours is the smaller type, even if it cost £10K it should be alright.

Sic · 28 May 2006 at 20:51

oh my god, don't even get me started on that!! bloody carling academies!!

if it's even a low-end SLR/DSLR, dont even bother...you won't get it in. a small point-n-shoot will be fine...but try and avoid flash as it's really annoying for the band

Me being irate at the Carling Academy said:
USE OF CAMERAS & RECORDING EQUIPMENT

No professional "type" cameras, video cameras, tape recorders or other recording equipment will be allowed into Carling Academy Birmingham or Carling Academy Birmingham 2.

last night, i tried to enter the Bar Academy to see Pure Reason Revolution, 51 Breaks and Love Life Arena. at the door, my bag was checked by the doorman, and i was advised that i would not be allowed to enter the function as i had not received express permission from the bands and management of the Bar Academy. as i'd been speaking to 51 Breaks before the show, they offered to check with PRR and LLA that it'd be ok to use my "professional "type"" camera at their show. both of the bands graciously accepted that it'd be ok for me to use this camera at the venue, and the management were contacted for the final verification...just for me to get a camera into the show (photography is a hobby of mine, and it's nice to have photos of your favourite bands that aren't over exposed/blurred/out of focus). so, after being informed by the doorman that if the bands told the management that it was ok, the manager came down and offered her resounding "no"...even though i'd gained all (or so i thought) relevant permission to be able to take a couple of photos for personal use.

one of the excuses i was offered for being denied entry to the show with my camera was with reference to the "professional "type"" that it is. i thought that i'd offer you a bit of advice with regards to your policy on cameras so as to avoid further future confusion. Might i suggest that you change the (quite ridiculous) "professional "type"" to "Single Lens Reflex, digital or otherwise", as there is no "professional type" of camera. if one buys a camera to use for hobbies, surely this absolves it from any professionality, no matter what the quality of the camera or the subsequent pictures are/is. furthermore, i'd advise you to include The Bar Academy in your list of venues that are included in this term. as far as i can see in the copied section of your venue terms and conditions, there is no mention of the Bar Academy, even though i was assured that the venue was covered by this condition.

as far as this goes, i can completely understand your justification and need for this particular part of your T's & C's, but if someone's entrance has been agreed by all bands beforehand, i fail to see what the problem is, and i'd appreciate (although i'm sure i'll only receive a generic "thanks for your question" reply) some clarification on this. you may find that hobby photographers with half decent equipment will cause a lot less trouble than kids with point n shoot cameras, as we're able to operate without flash. i'm sure you can appreciate/understand my confusion.

i look forward to your auto-reply.

William · 28 May 2006 at 21:13

Carlings are barstewards. You can get compacts in easy though and don't use the flash its bad for everyone, even you, the pictures you get are much better on an autocompact with the stage lighting unwashed by the flash.

If you are standing then you will be fine, seating is dodgier as they can get to you easily and nab yer camera. As to searching it is not going to happen because there are far too many people to search.

To be fair in the audience there is nothing worse than a pushy photographer huffing you out of the way to get his arty shots in.

edit: Maybe a big tall bloke on pills obscuring your view and waving his arms about at a Sigur Ros concert but thats pretty rare.

tom_nieto · 28 May 2006 at 23:29

I had my camera taken off me once at the Islington Academy (also Carling). The bouncer was ok about it and gave it back to me at the end of the night. I think he was concerned about me videoing it as they (Muse) were making a DVD. Oh well, these things happen. I'm also a bad person and bootleg a lot of gigs, but they're on MD and aren't easily copied. In all honestly they aren't all that high quality and I hope that I'll be able to look back on the in days gone by and remember all the crazy gigs that I went to.

THMRK · 29 May 2006 at 01:28

dmpoole said:
You will be alright with your phone and no doubt you would be able to sneak a proper camera in but it could be taken off you. The chances of it happening are pretty slim though.

When I was at Anti-Flag a couple of weeks ago, there was this girl just in front of me who was told to put her phone away because photography of any kind was forbidden. Which I thought was rather weird.

My personal experience is that it varies at gigs. Some gigs I've seen people had digi cams taken off them and others I've seen people with SLR cameras snapping away happily.

On a kind of related note, I once had my MP3 player taken off me because it had a record function on it. Even though I said to the guy you actually need to have a mic connected to it via the optical line in for it to record to a decent quality, he was having none of it and took it off me on the basis it had the word "Record" on it.

Abraham · 29 May 2006 at 10:25

Sic said:
oh my god, don't even get me started on that!! bloody carling academies!!

if it's even a low-end SLR/DSLR, dont even bother...you won't get it in. a small point-n-shoot will be fine...but try and avoid flash as it's really annoying for the band

manchester academy isnt a carling academy
the apollo used to be the carling apollo but it's not anymore

there is no security on academy 2, you'd easily get a DSLR in there let alone a normal digicam
I've never been to a gig there where they stopped people taking pictures at all
unless you're carrying a big camera bag i cant see any problem
a normal digi cam is fine

Sic · 29 May 2006 at 11:04

Abraham said:
manchester academy isnt a carling academy
the apollo used to be the carling apollo but it's not anymore

there is no security on academy 2, you'd easily get a DSLR in there let alone a normal digicam
I've never been to a gig there where they stopped people taking pictures at all
unless you're carrying a big camera bag i cant see any problem
a normal digi cam is fine

manchester's a little further away for me than birmingham. though i did see the mars volta there a few years ago. could've sworn it was a carling, but i've only been once so who knows?! and i carry a camera bag when i take my DSLR...too much stuff

only gig i've been to where everyone's camera stuff was taken before they went in (even phone cameras) was a perfect circle!

William · 29 May 2006 at 11:09

Abraham said:
manchester academy isnt a carling academy
the apollo used to be the carling apollo but it's not anymore

there is no security on academy 2, you'd easily get a DSLR in there let alone a normal digicam
I've never been to a gig there where they stopped people taking pictures at all
unless you're carrying a big camera bag i cant see any problem
a normal digi cam is fine

True, the apollo is full of camera nazis though.

james.miller · 29 May 2006 at 11:11

ive been twice to the apollo, not had the gf's camera taken. there were LOADS of people with cameras there.

William · 29 May 2006 at 11:30

They don't seem to be arsed to get people standing, nor do they search people. But they really crack down on the seats. I think the apollo is particularly bad for photographers nudging the audience out of the way and generally making an arse of themselves in the standing area I don't think you can even excuse that level of rudeness.