Band Offers Streamlined Access to Shoot Them in Concert — For a Fee of $150

Hawthorne Heights Band

Sometimes getting access to shoot concerts or major concert events can be tricky. Dealing with publicists, event planners, and even security. But one band is making it super simple to get into the pit with your camera in hopes of capturing great shots — for a fee.

Well-known American rock band Hawthorne Heights has posted an advertisement of sorts on their website, selling anyone the chance to take photos of them at this year’s Warped Tour. The cost of admission? $150.

Are you an aspiring photographer? Come take pictures of us all day at Warped Tour! We will provide you with the access, and experience you need. We will also take your pictures and put them on our Instagram page, and give you full credit for it. This is a great package for anyone who loves taking pictures, whether its for a hobby or professionally.

A screenshot of what the "VANS WARPED TOUR VIP" page
A screenshot of what the “VANS WARPED TOUR VIP” page
A screenshot of what the band's request page looked like
A screenshot of what the band’s request page looked like

The whole thing is pretty interesting for the simple fact it’s so terribly vague, as pointed out by Popular Photography. Sure, the ad says the photographer (or should we say ‘customer’?) will be given “full credit”, but does that mean he/she retain ownership of the photos they’ve taken? Will the photographer be thrown into a corner and expected to work from there? What happens if the shots are horrible? Do they still get used on the band’s Instagram page?

Concert Photographer Female

As of this writing, the link to the advertisement on Hawthorne Heights’ page is no longer working properly, leaving it unclear as to whether or not the offer still stands.


Update: The band has posted a followup message directed at photographers on its Facebook page:

I wanted to say thanks to all of the photographers out there for sharing their point of view, and helping us understand where they are coming from. HH would never intentionally offend anyone, as we work really hard to stay in contact with our friends and fans. We were really just trying to give a fan a very unique experience. See the band from stage, hang out, and document it with your camera. I think the term INTERNSHIP was inappropriate for what we were offering. It should have just been an experience. And for that, we apologize. We work really hard to keep our prices low and keep our contact with our fans at a constant. Once again, sorry for the wording, and misunderstanding. Thanks again for showing us your viewpoint. It helps a lot to understand the situation. Thanks. JT and HH.


Image credits: Hawthorne Heights by Bekah StargazingPhotographer by Rasmin

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