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Placebo
Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy, October 2^nd, 2006

First pictures at Bercy. Meeting at door 32, coming in, 3 songs without flash, everybody gets out. I am the last one, being too slow while storing my stuff in my bag ― I am always too slow when it comes about storing my stuff in my bag ― and I exit the building after everybody, so long after that the PR guy has forgotten to get the photo pass back, as requested by the management. I am the only dude to leave with my pass in hand that night. A souvenir for the newbie.

Franz Ferdinand
Clutch Cargo’s, Pontiac, May 3^rd, 2009

I say “good evening” and that I am on the list with two tickets and a photo pass. She answers that I have indeed two tickets, hands them to me and tells me to enjoy the show. I kindly repeat that there is also a photo pass. She replies that it is not written on the list. I ask her to call the tour manager. She refuses, saying that she cannot. I tell her that is it fine and that I will wait here until a solution is found. She shrugs, rolls here eyes and call the tour manager. Who turns out to be a girl. A French one. A super-nice one. She takes me to the church’s basement, leaves me for 5 minutes and comes back with the photopass and a big smile. Which shows that the Frenchs are not always the unpleasant ones.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Le Bataclan, Paris, May 12^th, 2010

Mathieu hails me as soon as I step in the Bataclan and tells me “I kept a special one just for you”. He then hands me, instead of a photo pass, a brand new All Access one, in exchange of the promise that I will not use it to go backstage to take a shower with Robert. Then the wild night that it was… goes on. Thanks, Mathieu. You rock, Mathieu.

PJ Harvey
State Theater, Detroit, October 14^th, 2004

“You are no on the list”, says he. I ask for the tour manager. He tells me to go and knock at the back door, behind the building, in the alley. I go. I knock. The door opens. I ask for the tour manager. He is a big, tough, not-happy-at-all Australian who tells me that sorry but no, I am not on the list. I say yes, I am. He says he prepares the lists himself, that there is never any mistake on the list and that if I am not on the list, then I am not on the list. I ask him to check the list. He says he will and slams the door at my face. 7 minutes go by, after which he reopens the door, gives me the enveloppe, grumbles “mbrrrre you go” and slams the door at my face again, but more violently.

Editors
L’Olympia, Paris, April 29^th, 2010

Or “that band I was not allowed to shoot because I had two passes instead of one”. A must-see. Still unexplained.

Interpol
Le Zénith, Paris, April 21^st, 2005

Stuck for years on my fridge (which gave it this nice UV-washed tint), before entering my hall of fame. Because it was my first real pass in France, because Interpol and because, pfew, that evening ended well.

The White Stripes
Le Zénith, Paris, June 11^th, 2007

It is a xerox copy of the original. Editor in Chief accepted to let me replace him to shoot the show, but only in exchange of the photo pass itself. I was fine with that as I was sure to shoot them eventually on the next tour. Which, obvsiouly, never happened.

Interpol
Le Trabendo, Paris, September 17^th, 2010

This one has been on my wall for two and a half years, now, and I still wonder every day why it has “gay” written on it.

Muse
Stade de France, Saint-Denis, June 12^th, 2010

Got it back thanks to the communication executive of the stadium, who mailed them to us after taking them back when we left the pit (again, by management’s request). My second stadium after Coldplay’s parc des Princes. Not a big memory, though, as we had to spend 2 h locked in the basement, waiting for a mere 10 min of shooting way too far from the stage.

Printemps de Bourges
April 25^th – 27^th, 2003

The very first one. With a copy of my ID card as photograph, because the one I had mailed them got lost. It gives it a not-that-rock-and-roll look, I agree.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Le Trianon, Paris, March 15^th, 2013

I think everything was said about this one. Thank you, Paula.

Cold War Kids
Le Bataclan, Paris, April 24^th, 2013

The last one to date, 3,653 days later.

Scissor Sisters
Majestic Theater, Detroit, January 18^th, 2005

It is – 17 °C when I exit the Majestic (true story). I get in the car, freezing, and stick the pass on the dashboard. One month later, I remove it and stick it to my wallet, from which it has not moved ever since. Clearly the one I see the most often.