Silversun Pickups & Muse: A Then and Now at MSG
by Chad
Jojo at MSG in 2004
Serious New York Ranger fans will tell you that they dream of skating on the ice at Madison Square Garden. As a kid, hockey was my passion and I’d often talk about what it would be like to get that chance. In 2004, a friend surprised me with special event tickets, allowing all attendees to skate on the iconic ice. In that fulfilling moment, Jojo and I looked at each other, then up at the rafters to take in the monumental memory of stepping onto MSG’s ice. Fast forward to 2010 where I met the same goal, this time with new terms. Photography had me back inside this historic venue to shoot the Silversun Pickups!
Waiting in the bowels of the Garden alongside the other photographers, I noticed that the veterans were playing the-cool-and-calm game. Then there was me, giddy as a child. The clicks and clacks of everyone preparing their camera equipment made me feel like this was my equivalent to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The sound of the crowd resonated inside of the crowded freight elevator, progressively becoming louder and louder as we headed to our shooting location. With each floor we passed, these sounds got closer and clearer. When the elevator finally stopped, we stepped onto a path that lead straight into the entrance of the arena. The long walk down this hallway made me feel like I was a player. It was game time.
The Rafters at MSG
As the pulsating drumbeat of Growing Old is Getting Old began, I looked up at those same famous jerseys – representing the Rangers and Knicks – hanging from the ceiling. The combination put me into the same elated state of stepping foot into MSG for the first time. We were then escorted into the photo pit… with irregular conditions. At most shows, the pit is located at the front of the stage, just before the crowd. This time, it was a challenging shoot from the soundboard, closer to the rear end of the venue. I jumped in and started shooting right away – we were only given the duration of the first three songs to shoot. It is very easy to get disconnected from the music when you are trying to get your best photos in such a short amount of time, but I found myself in the opposite scenario. The show absorbed me and I took photos based on my emotions.
My objective for this shoot was to show SSPU in the vastness of such a grand scaled stage. I wanted to get wider and spread out angles in what was my third time shooting them. The risers of Muse’s stage setup towered over the band but were dressed as skyscrapers, giving the illusion that Silversun were pedestrians playing between the buildings. The lighting was dark as a result and made getting the shots a battle. Despite the overall minimal brightness, the main source of light for the band was a random white spotlight that overly illuminated each band member. Timing was everything and patience was key to wait for the perfect moments that mixed clarity and personality.
Being familiar with the band, I was able to anticipate Brian’s jumps, Chris’ high-hat hits and Nikki’s bass chugs. From this spot, Nikki was the hardest to shoot. If she got light, it only lit up the bottom half of her body. Chris – tucked away towards the back of the stage – was the second most difficult for close up’s. The third song ended and we were told to head to our seats. Sitting only a few rows from general floor, it turned out to be a better shooting area than that of the photo pit. It was my ticket to a perfect angle for any missing shots I needed to fill out my set. I quickly put away the viewfinder to finally enjoy the show through my own eyes and witnessed their most ballsy performance of Lazy Eye to date. I was happy to see the band take control of the roaring Garden. Most acts that play MSG get swallowed up! Silversun handled the big stage with no showy effects, like the pros that they are.
I wondered if Muse could take the intensity of their albums to the live stage? THE stage!? When they opened with their anthem-like Uprising, my doubts were no more. Muse’s tour production this time around could be best described as being theatrical. From the elevated platforms turned LED screens, lasers, and Matthew Bellamay’s outfits, I felt that these guys could be the new generation’s U2. This being their version of the Zoo TV tour. They had the entire section standing up from their seats. I too, had no desire to sit, so I turned on my camera to document the experience. Highlights included Bellamy playing his piano atop a riser and Dominic Howard on a revolving drum kit. Videos were projected onto each side of the risers for a 360-degree view – every song with its own unique, beautiful imagery displayed to every seat in the house. Now, a vivid memory combines these visuals with songs like Resistance, Interlude, Unnatural Selection, and the closer – Knights of Cydonia.
Both bands made a second rewarding chapter possible for me at Madison Square Garden.
Special Thanksto Nicole Orbe // Big Hassle Media
- April 5, 2010
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