Megadeth: 2009 Endgame Tour
A few interesting stories came about when I covered the 2009 Megadeth Endgame tour stop in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the well-known Velarium. Megadeth headlined the show, with Machine Head and Suicide Silence as the opening acts.
The Knoxville show was scheduled for November 22, but I rushed to request credentials on the 19th. Usually, you should ask for access at least a week in advance, so I knew I might get turned down. My main contact at Roadrunner Records, Megadeth's label, helped me get approved to cover Megadeth—just in time.
On the day of the show, I got to the venue just in time to cover Megadeth, despite my time constraints. I was disappointed, but I was alright with it.
The press pit usually runs along the stage and is about four feet wide in small clubs, sometimes even less. For Megadeth, though, the center of the pit was filled with some of the band’s equipment, so I couldn’t move around to get different shots. I thought I knew that Dave Mustaine almost always sang facing his left, but I ended up on his right and couldn’t switch sides in time. I made the best of it and, once again, tried not to stress.
There were about four or five photographers in the pit, and I recognized a couple as locals. We each found a small spot to work from, hoping to get the best shots we could. There’s one thing I’ve never understood—it happens at a lot of concerts. Some women feel the urge to pull up their shirts and expose themselves to everyone nearby. This happened to me and one of the local photographers while we waited for the show to start. A young woman behind us tapped the local guy on the shoulder. He turned around, she gave him a big grin and said hello, then did the same to me. I guess she wanted more attention, because she tapped us both again on the shoulder, and when we turned around, she lifted her shirt to her chin with a huge smile. We weren’t shocked or offended; we just laughed loudly and turned back around. Then the show began.
At most events I photographed, the rules were always the same: shoot for three songs, no flash, then you were finished. Usually, someone would lead you off the main floor to leave the venue. Sometimes, you could store your gear in the main office and stay to enjoy the rest of the show. This time, when we were escorted out of the photo pit, none of that happened. Security just let us walk around the edge of the crowd, so I did. I even made my way to the middle of the crowd, on Dave’s left side, and managed to get some better photos. It turned out to be an amazing evening.
