April 21st, 2008 | mychemicalfreak | 11 Comments | Email My Chemical Freak!
No. 1 Rule: No Cameras
By: Ashley K.
Yesterday was the big day. It was the day of the first of two My Chemical Romance in Detroit. The big shows were at the newly renamed Fillmore Detroit, formerly known as the State Theater before big sponsorship Live Nation purchased it. Expectant fans showed up at the show with their cameras in hand and were ready to have a good time. What fans got was a little different.
The doors for the show did not open until 6:30 but kids were ready long before then. The line outside of the Fillmore stretched around a block. The sight of this line would make you question what was going on in the city that day. As fans arrived they would trudge along all the way to the back of massive line to wait for the exciting show that was to come a few hours later.
Any fan arriving would be nervous to see the show but would be excited of the prospects of getting some pictures and videos of the show with their digital camera so they could remember the night for years to come. But that is not what fans got. As soon as fans arrived in line, they were informed by burly security guards that no cameras were allowed in the venue. Many thought they could get away with just putting their cameras in a coat pocket or pants pocket.
Right at 6:30 the line started to move forward and fans started to pour into the Fillmore Detroit theater. But before fans could enjoy the show, they had to go through a bit of security. To ensure that no cameras got into the show, security proceeded to frisk fans as if they were criminals. Some felt violated by the extreme frisking that they had had to go through just to see their favorite band.
This left fans to wonder why cameras were not allowed in and who wanted this rule enforced. Confused fans questioned if it was the corporately sponsored theater or the band that wanted to ban cameras.
First, if a fan was to venture online to a ticketing website, such as Ticketmaster.com, they would see that nowhere on the My Chemical Romance page did it say not to bring cameras. This rule was also not present on tickets that fans received and it gave them the idea that they were allowed to bring cameras.
Second, if cameras were allowed in that would be free publicity for the band. The amateur photographers would not be making any money from pictures taken, and the band would also not be making money out of the pictures taken. Therefore it would be a win-win situation for fans and the band if cameras were allowed.
Third, when fans purchased their $35 tickets to see the band they were expectant to be able to take pictures at the show. It is felt that the dues have been paid and the fans should be allowed to take pictures. It gives off a very arrogant vibe to fans when a band makes fans pay to see them perform, but will not allow them to take pictures of any kind.
Fourth, the stem of the camera debacle could have been the corporately owned theater. But what reasons would they have not to allow cameras? Usually a theater will do what the “Artist Management” wants them to do.
Therefore, there are still questions unanswered to why cameras were not allowed into the My Chemical Romance concert on April 19th in Detroit, Michigan.
11 comments ↓
April 22nd, 2008
2:48 pm
maybe it was the location and no cameras are allowed in it
April 22nd, 2008
5:27 pm
i was there … on the 19th. everything she wrote is true, and it was complete B.S. i personally think that Live Nation was talking, MCR hasn’t ever so strictly enforced the “no cameras allowed” rule.
April 22nd, 2008
6:48 pm
no offense, but that’s not much of a “review.” anyway, it must’ve been a venue thing, because in Chicago last week there were cameras everywhere & security was really lax about checking people.
April 24th, 2008
11:25 am
Okay you guys. It’s not a REVIEW. It was just something I wrote when I felt that the LiveNation venue had been unfair. It’s not a personal attack on the band, probably now I would write this a little differently then I did.
April 24th, 2008
11:33 am
Ok.. so other than the camera stuff.. How was the concert.. Isnt that the main thing? In my mind it is.
April 24th, 2008
12:10 pm
Its ok I probably shouldnt have deemed it as a review. Sorry. And this is her opinion on the whole situation so lets be nice
April 24th, 2008
2:02 pm
Dear Dee,
The concert was great! They were really lovely live and it was a lot of fun. I just wrote this because I thought it was a little bit different then all the other reviews on here. Of course the band did a great job at the show, like they usually do
April 25th, 2008
4:41 am
It was a bit different review. I just like reading peoples accounts of the concert as well as their own personal views on some happenings at the concerts. They wont be coming anywhere near me this time around so… Im living vicariously through others (as usual).
Sorry you didnt get to take your camera in but Im glad that you ahd a good time.
April 28th, 2008
1:53 pm
I ended up going on the 20th, but the security gaurds who caught me with a camera let me take mine and my friend’s out to our car (and held our place in line!) I have no idea if they did that for everybody or not.
I thought that it was funny that even though EVERYBODY’s cameras were taken or put away, almost everybody was taking pictures on their phones, so it’s not like their was a real difference.
I think that I heard one of the security gaurds who were doing the “frisking” looking for cameras said it was a venue thing.
May 13th, 2008
3:15 am
I have been reading your great website for 2 hours now, wow there is alot on here! Sorry this post is so long
Anyway, about the whole camera thing. This is not the only time this had happened. There were no cameras alllowed back in March 07 in Denver . I was able to get mine in in my purse, and so did a lot of other people, because they did not search you that good. But I took my camera out and had it out for about 5 minutes and this tall guy with no STAFF shirt or anything come up to me, grabs my arm takes my camera and open the door thing where the memory card is and took my memory card, I never saw it again. Then, just this last Tour in denver there were no cameras allowed and again they were everywhere inside…but no one was told to stop using them or to put them away. I had mine out almost the whole show. But i was so worried they would take it that my video came out like crap. And one more story and the worst…At Stubbs in Texas there also were no cameras allowed. They again did not search very well and I even saw a couple of people walk in with a camera on their wrist in plain sight. When MCR started I watched out just in case and 1/2 way through took the camera out. I had it out maybe 2 minutes when the stupid bitch security that works at Stubbs came up to me and told me to give her my camera. I came all the way from Denver, CO. for that show and had all of my pics from the whole trip on that memory card (including The Used the night before at Stubbs), there was no way in hell that I was going to give it to her. I told her I would put it away and she starts screaming at me “NO, give it to me”. I was pleading! and missing the show. Then because I would not give it to her and was trying to show her the other cameras and camera phones (the guy right in front of my was taking video with his phone as I was getting yelled at) that were also around the Venue she decided she was going to kick me out. She started pushing me out toward the gate exit an my boy-friend was pist and yelling at her which was not helping. I was not yelling except to talk over the music. We got to the exit and the chicks boss was waiting there, and they had every intension of kicking me out. I was pleading and just so ready to cry. My BF was still making everything worse so I told him to go away. Then I was calmly trying to tell these fucking people that I only took one picture and that I came from CO. But they did not care. Then MCR’s tour manager shows up. I start talking to him about the same thing. And the bitch that started all of this is like “See, you shouldn’t have fought us”, well because I did I was able to keep all my pics except the one thing I did that night, the Tour Manager made me delete it. I was able to keep my camera and take it to the car and come back in. But by the time I got back they were playing Helena. I missed at least 5 songs thoughout this whole thing. So this is not a rare occurance, Stubb was just like the Detroit show and if you go on You Tube there are a lot more people bitching about what asshole these guys were. So, in conclusion I think it is the people working with MCR that decide this. I think people like the tour manager ect. make the decisions, but it depends on the venues staff to make sure people abide the rule I guess. I will never take my camera to an MCR show again! But I still can’t wait to see them again, I am so hoping that they go to Red Rocks next time they come to Denver!
February 2nd, 2009
11:26 pm
Just going through the archives, and it’s never too late to post information. Bottom line is that venue policy can override artist policy.
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