December 02, 2005

Curious, George: Almost Famous I am going to see the Donnas in NYC next week, and I really REALLY need some help.

My absolute favorite movie of all time is "Almost Famous", just for the line "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." One of the top 5 things I have to do before I die is to meet one of The Donnas. I am going to see The Donnas next week on the Rock'n'Rollerderby tour, and I was wondering if any monkeys had any hints on sneaking a disposable camera into a show (I"m a guy, purse ideas won't work)and getting to a place where I might actually get to meet one of them. I swear I'm not an axe-murderer or anything. I'm just getting to an age where soon I have to cross meeting my musical heroes of my list, to make room for have children on it. So I feel the clock ticking. Thanks.

posted by Fiona's Apple 18 years ago
  • Forget the camera. You don't need a picture to make it real. You know it happened. Don't spend your moment dicking around with a camera when you can be bathing in the warm glow of your idols.
  • cameraphone?
  • Ditto what Mssr. Renault said. Don't risk the boot for some pics that may or may not turn out.
  • Hmmm. I think you can sneak some sort of camera in.. if it's that important to you, then there's no shame in wanting a pic or two (that's what cameras are for..). However, I'm at a loss as to a method. Shall have a think.
  • Get a gilfriend/compadre/associate with big knockers and have her put it in her bra between them. That's how I recorded Floyd back in '88... Well, I took it out first.
  • First off, the Donnas are awesome. I envy you. Second, I have a little digicam, that I bought for $30 at the Walgreen's "wall of off-brand tech". It's called a "Concord Eye-Q Mini," super-small (about the size of perhaps 8-10 credit cards in a stack, fits easily into the palm or into an empty cigarette box), no flash, nearly noiseless. I call it my "UFO" camera, and carry it around with me all the time. The pictures are generally fairly crappy, but as for concealability, you can't beat it.
  • MonkeyFilter: The pictures are generally fairly crappy, but as for concealability, you can't beat it.
  • Just go hang out outside the building in the back after the show. If there is a tour bus, wait somewhere between the building and the bus. There will not be that many people doing that. The group will come out and they will talk to all of you for a few minutes. They will sign things. They will allow their photos to be taken with you. I dated a woman briefly who did that at every show she went to. She had met everyone. I have another friend who has done that with U2. If you can do it with U2, you can do it with the Donnas.
  • You don't say where it is (and I'm lazy) but last month when I was at MSG, they (sort of) checked my messenger bag-type bag but since I had a bag, I wasn't wanded. People without bags were. My partner and I both thought the security was a little funny. But yeah, a camera wouldn't have been hard to sneak in at all.
  • I see that the venue is Irving Plaza. I haven't been to a show there super recently, but I don't remember security being overly vigilant. If you are going to sneak a camera in go with a disposable, so that if you get busted you can just turn it over to security and be done with it. Maybe stick in your sock under some baggy jeans? I've never had my ankles frisked at a show. Most Irving Plaza shows are just standing room, so if you get there well before the doors open and wait online, you should be able to get close to the stage. And I second bernockle's suggestion of just waiting around outside after the show. That works a great percentage of the time.
  • Your best bet (if they don't to a meet & greet by the merch table after the show) is to hang around the walk from the back door to the tour bus after the show. some artists stay and mingle (G. Love), some don't make eye contact and wave as they walk onto their bus (Ani Difranco...) good luck.
  • The only place I haven't been frisked entering concerts has been my crotch. Ergo... Problem is in most venues I've attended lately, there's a swarm of security patrolling the aisles; so turning off the LCD screen and learning a quick 'aim/shoot/hide' technique is needed. I suppose... : ) Actually, when at front row, it's sometimes easier to take pics. Bouncers are too concerned with projectiles and such. And what about a cameraphone? All venues I've been lately had everybody snapping pics with those and the don't get hassled at all.
  • I got to meet an incarnation of The Damned by striking up a conversation with Jed, their lovely merch sales girl. At the end of the evening, I metioned I was going to go wait out back to try and get Dave and the Captain to sign my ancient Smashitup t-shirt, she told me to wait around and come backstage. I got to meet everyone, got my shirt signed, and repeatedly ...er... hugged by the Captain. Not a camera in sight, but I'll never forget the experience. I'd been a fan for 19 years at that point-- only having Rat Scabies there could have made it more perfect. No photos needed. Good luck! Erm...memory tangent...
  • I screwed up the courage to hang around and try to talk to Freedy Johnston after a show, but he was less than pleasant. While he's certainly entitled to be tired and not in a chatty mood, I was crushed and his music has never been the same to me since. I guess my point is, try not to pounce on them if they don't want to talk...it might ruin things.
  • MonkeyFilter: I've never had my ankles frisked.
  • If you're like me, you could hide it on your penis. When I was a younger man, I could never get anyone to frisk my penis.
  • Fiona's Apple, would it make you jealous if I told you that around 1995 I was introduced to the Donna's on several occasions, and even smoked a joint with one of them at a house party they played at? Good.
  • Oh c'mon...like you never heard of blowing the soundman.
  • Some tours and venues don't care about disposable cameras because the picture quality is not going to be such that the shots can be sold. You might call the venue and ask. If not, wear baggy pants and tape the camera to your inner thigh. Medical paper tape comes off with the least amount of pain. Thirding (fourthing?) hanging around the back door after the show. Some bands are incredibly approachable, some will beeline directly for their bus surrounded by a phalanx of goons, and some will send the phalanx of goons out first to threaten and/or manhandle any waiting fans. The level of fame of the band has no correlation to this. Back in the day, I used to tape shows by taping my recorder to my chest between my boobs, and hiding the spare tapes in my boots. Once inside, I'd retire to the ladies' room, reassemble the recorder, insert tapes, and put the whole thing in a tiny, spangly, innocent looking evening bag which I had made just for this purpose. I once assisted a friend in a rather ambitious scheme to videotape a Guns N' Roses show - they were known for having especially rabid and Neanderthalesque security goons. It took four of us, entering seperately, each with some part of the camcorder taped near the personal bits, and me with my trusty min-recorder in my bra. We put the reassembled camcorder in my friend's top hat, ran a wire to the controls taped to his hand down the back of his neck and down his arm, then synched the video to the audio from my recorder afterwards. The results were not bad for a bunch of drunken kids.
  • Don't you hate it when you read an old thread that you previously missed - and you get to the end - and you're left hanging, wondering what the hell happened? We'll probably never know what happened. Did Fiona's Apple stalk the Donnas and creep them out? Did he get pictures? Did he fall ill and miss the show? Maybe he's a roadie for them now? Heck, The Donnas released a new album two weeks ago - - I NEED ANSWERS, STAT!!