My tour with Tommy Lee/Motley Crue!

[Rukes]

It started off as a trip to Toronto to hang out with my friend Deadmau5 as we went to see Motley Crue play. Unfortunately, they were filming the new Motley Crue DVD there, so I wasn't able to get any pics (same thing happened last Motley Crue show in LA, where they were filming the new music video. Can I pick the worse dates or what?).

Anyway, as a surprise, Deadmau5 played an afterparty at the venue, so we told Tommy that he was in Ireland (which he actually would be doing the next day).

After that, I was faced with the question: do I stay with Deadmau5 and leave the next morning, or do I wing it and jump on Tommy Lee's tour bus for the rest of the trip? I chose the latter, and even though I was pretty much freaking out if it was the right choice when the bus started to leave (due to lack of sleep), it ended up being well worth it!

I was able to get a personal All Access pass, which meant I could go anywhere at anytime. As you can see in the last gallery, that even let me go on stage for the epic shot of the night! The general photo pass was actually just the first 3 songs from FOH, so unless you had a 300mm+ lens, you wouldn't get any close-ups!

For the first gallery in Albany, I concentrated on getting close-ups of Tommy (one of the main goals was to get a good "poster shot" for him) from the security pit. The second gallery in Scranton, I concentrated on more zoomed-in closeup shots, while in the final one in Pittsburgh, more epic shots.

Deadmau5 "Motley Crue Afterparty" - Toronto, ON - 8/29/08
http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue2/motleycrue2.html

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue2/slides/motleycrue2%20031.jpg

Motley Crue @ Saratoga Perfoming Arts Center (Albany, NY) - 8/29/08
http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue3/motleycrue3.html

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue3/slides/motleycrue3%20011.jpg

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue3/slides/motleycrue3%20026.jpg

Motley Crue @ Toyota Pavilion (Scranton, PA) - 8/30/08
http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue4/motleycrue4.html

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue4/slides/motleycrue4%20021.jpg

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue4/slides/motleycrue4%20034.jpg

Motley Crue @ Post-Gazette Pavilion (Pittsburgh, PA) - 8/31/08
http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue5/motleycrue5.html

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue5/slides/motleycrue5%20099.jpg

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue5/slides/motleycrue5%20102.jpg

[René Damkot]

#2, 5 and 6 are very nice.
Good set!

What's with the energizer bunny? Tribute to perryge? :lol:

[S.Horton]

Could be a reference to the LR 6.5 thread, too.

@OP, nice gig!

Enjoyed them all!

[johnstoy]

Lucky dawg... You were near me, within 40 miles in Scranton... Great set...
Love the wide angle shots.

Did you use the 16-35mm f2.8L II on any of these?

[bndgrl]

Great shots! I'm completely jealous!! What a great opportunity!

[Lightstream]

Motley Crue @ Saratoga Perfoming Arts Center (Albany, NY) - 8/29/08
http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue3/motleycrue3.html

http://photo.rukes.com/motleycrue3/slides/motleycrue3%20011.jpg





This shot is absolutely magnificent in conveying the power and presence of the venue, and the massive crowd. Truly awesome use of the wide angle. I'm a big fan of the UWA and I'm inspired by your work. Now I know what to do instead of bemoaning that I'm trapped behind the crowd.

Which camera, which lens? Guessing 16-35 from your sig, but on which body?

[Aweitzel]

[quote=René Damkot;6231377
What's with the energizer bunny? [/quote]

Could be that Tommy Lee is a drummer and so is the bunny.

[sspellman]

Hey Drew-

Sharp work as always!!! Did you use a tripod on the incredible crowd shot? BTW-ask Tommy WTF is up with the sh*tty FOH requirement!

-Scott

[bacchanal]

I was able to get a personal All Access pass

That's what you call "livin' right". None of this rules/limitations bs. :p

[madmanscam]

u usong some 14 mm on a full frame is it....or is that a fisheye lens so well covered.

[Rukes]

A majority of the shots are 16-35II on the 1Ds MkIII, it's my walkaround lens. So all the wide shots, even the one on the stage at the last show, are using it. I used the fisheye for the few fisheye shots and the 70-200 2.8 IS for all the zoomed shots, since I had room to move anywhere. I would have liked to use the 85 1.2 more, though...

As for the Energizer Bunny, someone brought it to him as a gag to maybe rip it's head off on stage but tommy said "No, he's a drumming buddy, I can't do that!" so he made him his mascot and he's going to bring him along to every gig from now on!

[amareica]

6 is amazing. Love it!! I opted out of shooting this show due to having to shoot from the soundboard. It was a complete bummer because this is the first band I ever fell in love with and I've yet to shoot them. I looked into renting but...luck was not on my side and all the 300s were out at the two places I've worked with. Thanks for sharing! (I checked out your other sets too, good stuff! Is Tommy hanging with Daisy from ROL?)

[rgibbs]

Great set!! 3 & 6 really rock!!

[90c4]

Great shots! #4 wouldn't be nearly as interesting had it not been shot through the fans' arms. Well done on all of them.

[PhotoJourno]

#6 is the money shot. You just took a group photo of how many people again?...

Last Photo on the PA Concert, man on the far left, who is he? He's packing heat.

[JasonWilliam]

Awesome work!! Stunning actually.

So you literally just jumped on the tour bus and the rest is history? Hehe right on man. Way to take the initiative!

[Lightstream]

A majority of the shots are 16-35II on the 1Ds MkIII, it's my walkaround lens. So all the wide shots, even the one on the stage at the last show, are using it. I used the fisheye for the few fisheye shots and the 70-200 2.8 IS for all the zoomed shots, since I had room to move anywhere. I would have liked to use the 85 1.2 more, though...

As for the Energizer Bunny, someone brought it to him as a gag to maybe rip it's head off on stage but tommy said "No, he's a drumming buddy, I can't do that!" so he made him his mascot and he's going to bring him along to every gig from now on!

Cool, thanks :)

Great story about the bunny too!

[35mmNewbie]

Great shots! I'm completely jealous!! What a great opportunity!

I completely second that.

[kennthom]

are you meaning bassist nikki sixx

[phenom_1819]

Great photos and what an awesome opportunity. Jealous, here...