chuckography

Uh oh, caught in the act!

 It's one thing to "sneak in" a camera at a music concert.

Most people today carry cell phones so no longer bother with a ""real" camera.

Sometimes you're not sure because the sign says "no flash please."

The ticket might state "no cameras or recording devices."

The Paul McCartney concert last Thursday in the Atlanta suburb of Duluth made it very clear, the singer - who just turned 75 years old - had no problem with fans taking photos.

When you went through security at the Infinite Energy Center
door, you were asked to place your keys, camera, and phone in the basket. All were returned a moment later.

The smiling crowd complied and we all were pleased with this nice, comforting welcome!

I had been to this Arena before for a Jack Black Tenacious D concert and remembered the steep stairs to the floor level.

So, I bought a tall beer before I ventured down to my 10th-row seat, careful not to slosh and spill my brew.

When the usher escorted me to the proper row, I asked if my memory was correct of beer & bathrooms on this floor level.

She smiled and pointed toward the back, letting me know I didn't have to climb those stairs again!

It was a festive crowd of old and young, some with nostalgia and others new to the McCartney scene since the Beatles.

Many knew him from Wings and there were some probably not aware he was in another band before that!

I had seen McCartney in 2011 in Charlotte and wanted to see if the years since had slowed him down?

Before that, while working as a staff photographer for the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, I covered the Beatles 1965 concert as well as the morning zany press conference.

This night I quickly felt "slowing down" was NOT the case and sat back - with my camera - to document how a legend continues to grow and build upon itself.

Himself.

It was quite a well-scripted musical performance. As usual, he started out wearing a coat and open collar but that lasted for only a few songs.

Then he doffed the pale blue coat and started rolling up his sleeves.

He planned a long and energetic night and delivered ALL of that to our delight.

Accompanied by a hard-working drummer, a talented keyboard artist, and two guitarists, the evening was going swell.

The key light stayed on the star of the show and my camera tended to show all the others slightly darker.

Hey, the crowd came to see Sir Paul.

Earlier I added a link to a review of the show so pertinent details appear there.

Click and look, there even is the set list of the 39 songs covered in the three-hour show.

Here is my favorite shot of the night!

A very-spirited, finger-snapping Paul obviously getting good feedback from the audience.

There were more than 3 dozen songs and I want to stress he was on stage, performing on every one of them.

That would be a strain on a much younger man!

His enthusiasm is very evident and I am glad I captured that moment and am able to share it.

Speaking of sharing, I saw a family a few rows in front of me, all costumed as the Sgt. Pepper Band members from 50 years ago!

The videographer roaming the audience doing insert footage noticed them too and they were invited up on the stage to chat with Paul toward the end of the show.

Needless to say, they were ecstatic!

I believe they said they had come down from Kentucky for the show.

Paul asked the 11-year old if she had made her costume and she answered "no."

He quipped "You should have lied!"

When they came back to their seats, I gave the dad my card and suggested he email me and I would send some photos of them with McCartney.

The Mom did and I sent several the next day.

A short lady standing in front of me had an interesting REAL FAN tattoo and I asked about it.

She said he had signed her and she had a tattoo artist make it permanent. Well, that's what she told me.

I did notice her white sneakers had THE on the heel of left one and BEATLES on the heel of the right one. And four familiar faces on the front.


 I enjoyed the show and am pleased to have pictures I wanted to share.

I have had a blog for 10-years and it's a great place to share my various adventures with others.

Be sure to click on the link and the photos for more details.

Here are some other shots added to the end of this posting. Thanks for stopping by.

* Here's a link to the YouTube capture of LIVE AND LET DIE, the explosive WINGS song.

This was twice as long - and loud - as what I saw in 2011.

Labels: Beatles super fan, caught in the act of taking photos at a concert, Duluth Arena in a suburb of Atlanta, One on One tour by Paul McCartney, Sgt. Pepper Band family

posted by chuckography @ 5:58 PM