Smile Empty Soul

It's only 3 guys, so you'd think I'd be able to get shots of everyone in the band.. Well you'd be wrong. The singer stood in the dark part of the stage and another photographer held the only vantage point that may have produced a good shot of him. Actually he may have held that vantage point longer than usual just trying to finally get a good shot. I don't know. Either way my luck landed in front of the bass player. He not only had the good light (relatively speaking) but he was dynamic and a blast to shoot. So I got a seriously bass heavy shoot. Oh well.

After the set a man came up to me and introduced himself as being with Smile and was interested in if I got any good shots of the singer. I told him probably not but I'd take a look and show him what I did get. And that I'd catch up with him before I left. I remember he told me his name was Mel. At some point in Breaking Benjamin the A/C vents leaked on my laptop and possibly permanently shorted out my touchpad. So I couldn't do jack with the laptop after the show as far as showing him anything. Still I'm a man of my word and went in search of him after the show was over to at least exchange email addresses. After asking around the tour manager of Breaking Benjamin suggested that the Smiles tour manager who's name is Chuck could be found on the black bus. I thought I remember his name being Mel but hell I've been wrong before on names. So out to the black bus I go and as I'm about to knock on the door the bass player, Ryan I think he said his name was, comes out and I briefly talk to him, and he invites me into the bus to talk to Chuck. I say "are you sure" since I really don't like interupting people on the bus. But he says it's no problem.. he steps in and yells " Hey chuck I told this guy to come in he's looking for you". Then he heads out maybe to pick up on Breaking Benjamins groupies for all I know. Now this is where it gets strange. This one guy in the midst of the group in the bus looks up and sees me and approaches me I ask him if he's Chuck because he doesn't look like the guy I saw earlier. Rather than answer or listen or anything he says I need to exit the bus right now. and keeps coming towards me. All he says really is how I need to exit the bus.. Which is fine by me except that he's pissed me off cause he's being a complete ass about it and not listening to what anyone has said. So I leave the bus, thinking Fuck this guy and his band whoever he is. (he was indeed Chuck the tour manager). Most people would have walked away at this point but I hate mysteries so I went looking for the original guy and eventually found him upstairs. Mel is the guy who does everying that the tour manager doesn't do. Whatever exactly that entails I'm not sure but I'd assume it'd be a lot. I told him my tale and he apologized for the situation.
It's unfortunate that this one guy, Chuck, pretty much left me a very negative feeling about the band, but everyone else in the band I met were pretty cool. Who knows maybe Chuck was having a bad night and hadn't been able to pick up a spare groupie.

Satyr
11/1/2005