Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live in Lawrence KS

B.R.M.C Live in concert April 26th 2008 in Lawrence KS



I got to hang out with B.R.M.C for most of the day and do an interview with Peter Hayes . Since one of my photos was used in the advertising for the current tour I had all access. I will say everyone I talked to in their camp was very cool, thanks Grant for everything. This is the third time I've shot them in one year, so my goal was to come up with some sort of new look photography wise. Each of the three concerts had different lighting. This one was the hardest to shoot due to a lot of strobe lighting. I think I got a few good ones, now I can make one good best of set for the Baby 81 tour. The concert was great as always, I always enjoy seeing them live. I really feel they are one of the best groups to see live. They play long sets and really appreciate their fans...and their fans travel from long distances to see them. I know people came from Florida, Colorado, Washington D.C., Oklahoma and probably even farther. I did a short interview with Peter before the show. He was really cool and candid about record companies, fans, and music used for advertising.

Me: You have put out a lot of music in the past couple of years and have toured relentlessly. Do you ever get worn out or do you look at it as feeling lucky to be where you are currently, being so creative and having lots of fans?

Peter: Honestly, yeah you get a little tired, but finally its grown out of that, and holy shit, were able to survive without huge record sales and record companies...they left us again anyway. Yeah it comes down to fans keeping us alive. There is a certain pride in it now, its really sinking in.

Me: Are you where you thought you would be when you first started out as a band? Where do you think you will be ten years from now?

Peter: Ummm, I guess I imagined it would somehow, I don't know what I imagined...now I'm kinda just happy as fuck. For awhile it just bugged me that we were just judged as outcasts. All the albums have been pretty well recieved. I guess I just look at it as being proud to be an outcast and that we haven't really caught on with everyone. Somehow we are the biggest little band around, a lot of people know the name but maybe they don't know the music.

Me: Your music is used a lot in commercials and television shows. How closely do you follow what is used and is there anyone you have turned down?

Peter: Yeah, from day one we turned down just about everybody. I don't regret that but thats one of the main reasons we don't have a record company right now.

I don't really much like talking about it but I guess it will get out one day. We turned down at least three million dollars from commercials ...at least that, from the first two albums. Hell, we turned down Miracle Whip. They wanted to use the song "Spread Your Love", can you imagine that? Record companies can't understand why we wouldn't want to do that. "Whatever happened to my rock 'n' roll was supposed to be used for a car commercial for their new rack and pinion steering or something...we did the tv shows and stuff like that, I think the only one I regret doing was "The O.C.", no offence to them, we actually got some fans from that, we would rather support things that aren't really pointless. We were up for one of those iPod commercials a couple years ago but it went to The Fratellis or someone like that got it. It's kind of depressing going out on tour for a couple years and some bands get to be huge off one song. Next thing you know they are playing to 30,000 people at a huge festival and they go apeshit for that one song.

Me: Since you say now you don't have a record company would you ever do anything on your own kind of like what Nine Inch Nails did, releasing music from their own website?

Peter: Thats basically what we are looking at right now. Putting it on our website as a higher quality file, don't charge people more money for it like fucking itunes...how they make you pay more for a higher quality download its crazy, I saw that one coming.

Bands are going to need press and people to talk about them, but why not straight from the band, you could sell it for five bucks, iTunes sells it for $9.99 why I don't know.

Me: What have you been listening to lately? Or who would you like to see live?

Peter: I wouldn't mind seeing "The Raconteurs" or "Nine Inch Nails"

Me: What are your plans after the current tour?

Peter: Not sure really, since we don't have a record company. We have a few new songs we have been working on. I don't know we might do something with Live Nation..but they want part of your merch and all that. I would really just like to put a download on the site for five bucks, ya know?

Set list from the show:

666 Conducer
Berlin
Aint no easy way
Weapon
In like the rose
Red eyes
Awake
6 barrel
Heart and soul
Faultline
Visions of johanna
Shuffle
Windows
20 hours
River styx
Suddenly
Need some air
Punk song
Likes of you
Spread your love
The show
Steal a ride
All you do is talk


Openers The Duke Spirit played a great set. Liela Moss is a sultry rock n roll singer. I was really impressed with them and their new cd "Neptune". They told me they would be coming back later in the summer with a headlining tour.





For full set of photo (still more to come...film and polaroids) go here:
BRMC APRIL 08