‘I am red hot kitchen’

Shirley Manson, like Kylie Minogue, is likeable and exciting to watch. I don’t care a whole lot for Garbage as a band (not since their first album, anyway), but their leading lady is just riveting.

(Selection of photos)

A sign outside the venue said: ‘No flash. No professional gear.’ Just before the start of the show, a security guard noticed me taking my camera out of my bag.

s.g.: ‘We don’t allow lenses on cameras.’
me: ‘But all cameras have lenses.’
s.g.: ‘Uhm, you can’t use professional gear.’
me: ‘It’s a 300d, it’s not a professional camera.’
s.g.: ‘OK. But don’t be surprised if we take your roll of film later on.’
me: ‘There’s no film in this camera.’
s.g.: (sigh) ‘Well, whatever’s in it.’

I stayed out of view of the guards for most of the show right up until the end when some people in front of me left. It gave me the opportunity to take some good close ups when Shirley played our side of the stage. Just when I knew I’d got ‘the’ shot (the one above), a big bald security guard told me to cut it out, using the international cut throat sign. I put my camera away then and he didn’t take my memory card. A guy in front of me filmed the entire show with a tiny digicam.