Diary
January February March
April May June
July August September
October November December
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008

June 29

Don't get back from the venue until 4am. I am in the land of Morpheus - my phone rings, 'Oi, are we going out for a beverage?' I look at my watch, it's 5am. 'No Lars, we are not!' How does he do it...

Wake up to a sunny warm Lisbon. Off to Bilbao later with the Danish prince.

Some more of Aerosmith in Hyde Park, London. See more...

 

Some of Chris Cornell in Hyde Park, London. See more...

 

June 28

I'm dying today. Writing this at 6pm and all I want to do is throw up. In fact I've been throwing up all day... Went out with Lars last night and destroyed Lisbon - or rather Lars destroyed me. Jesus, I drank (like a moron) red wine, gin, and rum... Ended up in Lars' room until 8am listening to NWOBHM on his ipod. Saxon, Blitzkriez, Weapon and other "toe-tapping favourites" as Lars calls them.

Fuck, he's just been to my room and looks refreshed. God I'm sorry, please let me feel better - and he's reminded me we were playing Crazy Horses by the Osmond's over and over...

Well I have to admit it was strange seeing Metallica live. Certain things they still do the same and I found myself knowing when they were going to do them. Disposable Heroes, 4 Horseman, and Whiplash (they played it in soundcheck the day before) were great. Am I Evil was rubbish by Diamond Head and rubbish by them - what a tedious song... "Am I evil, yes I am" Maybe it's the hangover. I will begrudgingly admit I had a good time...

June 27

Finally got home at 3am after Bazza, driving with one eye closed (he was seeing double), navigated his way to Hammersmith. He dropped me, turned his car round and said 'I'm not going home, she's locked me out. Where's Cod,
aaaaargh?' and drove back to Wembley...

Tired this morning. I'm off to Lisbon to shoot Metallica, should be interesting - it's only been eleven years...

Here are some pictures from last night at the Wembley Arena.

 

June 26

Amazing what people can get away with - Donny Shiteman has gone back to Boston for five days to get his hair dyed a more vibrant ginger, ready to come back to the Baltics to wow the girls. He even had to "suffer" business class as the airline told him his hair colour might make some of the first class passengers ill. And to think I had Joe Perry tell me the band were concerned with expenses...

Off to Wembley in the late afternoon sun to photograph the "Greatest Rock'n'roll Band In The World" - The Who, of course.

It was the journey from hell, I left at 5pm, at 7pm I was at Hammersmith Bridge, normally a 30 minute drive. My phone rang and it was Barry "Bazza" Drinkwater a few cars behind me. I parked over the bridge and made the mistake of driving with him the rest of the way - he chain-smoked (Jimmy Eyers has serious competition), his way to the grave. Bazza grinned 'Aaaagrh, it's good for you!' I wondered if Bazza and Jimmy had been to school together as they both have the same style tattoos featuring quaint English tribal markings. Bazza finally gets us there at 8.15 and then gets lost as he smokes and hobbles his way around the vast Wembley complex.

Must admit I'm looking forward to The Who. I'm the only one shooting. Pete Townshend even smiles at me (something's not right, he normally glowers), in fact Pete was smiling most of the show. He looked like he was enjoying it the moment he came on. The Real Me was good, very powerful and I even sung along to most of it, just like John Bionelli every night with Aerosmith, except unlike John I didn't get tearful and cry during the ballads. Still, enjoy Listening To You and they are still "Greatest Rock'n'roll Band In The World", and don't let John B tell you otherwise...

Pete and Roger said hello after the show - The Who had a party upstairs. It had good food fish and chips etc and unfortunately lots of drink. At 2am Bazza still didn't want to leave 'I'm on it!' he grinned, eyes rolling in different directions. He also kept saying 'Aaaaaaargh' a lot.

June 25

Some recent pictures of Keith Richards in Germany.

 

Some more from Hyde Park. See more...

June 24

Off to Hyde Park. It rained so much today it reminded me of being in Laos, except it wasn't warm, just damp. Got there just in time to shoot TAB, which features two of Joe Perry's sons. They reminded me of the Joe Perry Project mixed with a late seventies New York style band. Took some pictures of them with Joe as they came off stage.

Photographed Joe playing his new Gibson SG Special. Hung out with Chris Cornell for a bit. He was intrigued by my assistant, Nori, who has one hand, one eye - one of everything in fact. As it was muddy I made Nori carry all my bags and cameras to the stage while walking with Chris. Christopher couldn't work out whether to keep laughing or look in horror. Don't worry, he's Japanese and used to it - they love a good beating. Look what it does for Kazuyo - she loves me.

Chris sang Hunger Strike with his two children in his arms. The set was marred by the incessant rainfall. I told Chris it was just like Seattle which he said onstage. After a while I gave up and headed off to Aerosmith catering where Peter Makowski was ogling Sachiko, a Japanese model covered in tattoos. At one point Peter nearly fainted as she caressed his arm while her boyfriend looked on puzzled.

By the time Aerosmith came on the monsoon had subsided. The second song was Same Old Song And Dance. I enjoyed it despite the weather. They finished with Walk This Way with one of Run DMC, fresh from the 'hood or where ever he's from. Dave Brolan was there with his niece, embarassing her by doing a jig in the mud, 'Just like Ireland,' he exclaimed as he staggered around in the mud. It seemed to me that the show was really quick even though it was the same set.

 

Today was hard work. Okay it wasn't mining but it was grim to work in. Enjoyed shooting Aerosmith, funny how awful conditions can make things work.

After the show Donny Shiteman could be found in the packed bar at the Mandarin Oriental - easy to spot by his glowing ginger hair, surrounded by girls. Russ Irwin came in and glowered at me, though he did introduce me to his girlfriend as 'The guy I told you about'. I'm sure it wasn't anything nice. It's a pity Randle, Donny, John B and Jimmy Eyres don't start a band. Then I could have real rock stars to hang out with, they could hire Russ and pay him in food...

Got home to find an email from Steve Gorman telling me to leave Russ alone. I didn't realise Russ had friends...

June 22

Jesus, all the papers (and I mean the decent ones) are full of is Glastonbury. It's even on the tv on BBC3. I watched Super Furry Animals (crap), then The Fratellis (fucking awful). Someone should bury Micheal Eavis and his daughter in a field of cow shit and do everyone a favour. Fake farmer, he's more of a showman than Harvey Goldsmith and he loves the ££££ more than Jon Bon Jovi (and Jon loves his $$$$). All the security to get in, it's meant to be a festival for the people not a police state - what shit. Anyway, enough of my ranting, I'll probably watch The Who on Sunday. Enjoy the mud - Serves all you sad lot right for going...

I read a well written review in last week's Sunday Independent of a Sid Vicious book by Jah Wobble. He was articulate and spot on. He should write a book himself.

Spoke to Randle Feagin. Rock'n'roll Randle has arrived early in London with some of the Aerosmith camp who couldn't travel on the band's luxury plane as Russ Irwin may be travelling on it from Belgium tonight, and the band were worried about making it across the English Channel with the extra weight. We are talking about having a rock'n'roll party tonight in London. I feel it won't be the same without John Bionelli, or Donny Shiteman and his "new" ginger hair, lighting Jimmy Eyers cigarettes as he chain-smokes at the bar. Okay, I'm being cruel, but I still can't work out what Donny does all day apart from look in the mirror...

June 20

Fifty Dollar Don Bernstine called. I haven't spoken to him since he was a complete arsehole at the Aerosmith Hard Rock Cafe show. He did apologise, but as the old saying goes, a grudge is for life not for christmas. The funniest thing Don told me was that Air France had lost all his luggage a week ago and he's still wearing the same clothes (Hard Rock t-shirt etc). Fifty's too mean to buy anything new - his underwear must smell nice...

Fifty also wanted to know if I'd like to go to dinner, and can I bring Jimmy Page? Anything for Fifty - better tell Jimmy to iron his going-out clothes now.

Some recent pictures from Dubai. See more...

 

June 19

The Mojo awards were at The Brewery, just around the corner from the Barbican. The last time I'd been here was for Steve Harris's wedding which was so long ago I don't remember when (in the early 80s).The first person I see is Iron Maiden's PR, William Luft, guzzling a pint of wine. I ask him for the new Best of Saxon 3cd set Remastered (look, EMI might as well give it away 'cos only someone like Lars Ulrich will buy it).

Set up and find out the toilets are miles away and all I want to do is pee. The first pop star type human I corner is Noel Gallagher, who says 'Let's do the photos now before I get pissed.' He comes into my room with his lovely chain-smoking PR, Terry Hall. We talk about this and musicans moaning. Noel agrees we don't do a real job like a farmer, a labourer or a miner - let's face it to a ordinary person what we do isn't work...

Nick Cave comes in with his band, Grinderman, who are all in need of a good bath and a trip to the barbers. Nick announces to the room 'This is a band!' - as if anyone really cares. Suicide follow, who are happy to be a part of it and play the game, then Seasick Steve who looks just like a farm labourer from the south. I can't work out if he's slow or just southern, he moves at a snail's pace. The Only Ones were nice, Peter Perrett looked gone, frail with translucent skin like a vampire, and I don't mean that in a cool way - the drugs obviously don't work. Shoot New Order, Peter Hook is funny. Joe Boyd was an arrogant knob, completely full of himself, with a gnome-like figure who spoke in a strange tongue (Scottish, or Jockanese). This turned out to be Mike Heron from the highly overated and not very good Incredible String Band. Joe seemed to boss him around like he was his personal slave. I told Joe I enjoyed his book, White Bicycles, and asked if it was out in hardback. 'It is in hardback, it has a laminated cover that's a form of hardback!' looking down his nose as he said it. I thought 'what a wanker - snobbish pseud.'

Also did The Good The Bad And The Queen, Tony James and Mick Jones, who are a pleasure. Iggy and the Stooges with a couple of Velvet Revolver, and Belinda Carlisle. Bjork, who won't do photos without the award in case I can use them! The Doors and Marc Almond, who the Doors push out the way so it's just them in the picture. Slash and Alice Cooper.Ike Turner has the most presence, he looks, well, cool - he has the X factor. Ozzy was on form, being rude as only Ozzy can. Shooting Ozzy our conversation goes like this -

Me 'Ozzy, look in the lens.'

Ozzy 'Fuck off you cunt.'

Me 'Ozzy, look in the lens.'

Ozzy 'Fuck off you cunt.'

Me 'OZZY, LOOK IN THE LENS!'

Ozzy 'FUCK OFF YOU CUNT!'

Sharon comes and stands beside me, 'Ozzy, look in the fucking lens!' He finally does as he's told... Got Ozzy and Amy Winehouse together.

Couldn't work out if I'd got good pictures - I never can. As I wander around the main room tables, hanging out with media moguls like Ted Cummins, I'm cornered by an intoxicated, chainsmoking woman, talking to me like an old friend. I have no idea who she is until it dawns on me her name is Maria and she is the "True Love" of Peter Makowski, who still has a tattoo of her name on his arm that he refuses to cover up. I point her out to Kazuyo who looks in disblief, 'Is he blind?' Kazuyo, love is blind...

The strangest event of the evening was Paul Elliott taking to himself while waking around with a shoulder bag covered with calligraphy that said "I love Ashley Cole, Arsenal Rent Boy, I Love Arses". As I left he was still talking to himself, bag in hand, walking to the aftershow party...

June 18

The joys of travel - my flight home is a) Late by three hours, and b) When it leaves it has navigation trouble, whatever that means, and the flight turns back. I leave Dubai at 5.45am. Home at 11am and the traffic is jammed all the way from Chavwick (Gatwick) Airport and the rain is pissing down, throwing it down like it's doomsday.

I wish I was still in Dubai, instead I'm off to the East End of London (another great toilet, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise) to shoot the Mojo Awards.

Must get in a better mood for the day...

June 17

In Dubai with my agent, Simon, for a meeting. It is HOT and I mean very hot. Tried to shoot the buildings at dusk. Looks okay - really should try it with a tripod. I'm going to make an attempt at shooting some travel before I leave. Need a bit more focus on it.

Looked at my Keith Richards photos. He looks great, in a kind of "rolled under a bus and I'm still here" way...

Oh, and before I forget, it's John Bionelli's 50th birthday today. John wanted to celebrate it at the Rattlesnake Club with the lothario of rock, Jon Lammi. Instead he's having a "romantic" dinner in Paris (the most romantic city on earth) with Rock'n'roll Randle. I wonder if he's taking Donny Shiteman and his chainsmoking partner Jimmy Eyers to make it a loving foursome. It's nice to see romance in the air on tour...

Went out and made a fairly feeble effort at photography. Got stopped by security at the Emirates Mall (it is enormous, a bit like Las Vegas, with a ski slope with real snow) while taking a photo of a KFC sign. I wanted to capture natural Dubai... Started to look at some rugs until the arab sales man started with 'My friend, my friend, I make good price, how much? etc. It reminded me of shopping in LA where all the sales people are on commission. You ask for size eight shoes and they offer you size ten. I know it's California but what do they think - your feet grow in two minutes? Walked around and shot some neon shop signs, then gave up. It was too hot, even for me...

June 14

Flew to Frankfurt yesterday afternoon to shoot Keith Richards. It was baking - arrived at the Commerbank Stadium at 5pm. It was surrounded by people eating sausages with mustard. I called John Bionelli to see if he was still in town, he'd left for Munich. 'But it could be a bunch of Russ Irwin fans eating his leftovers'.

I am taken into the bowels of the stadium, given my own room and asked what I'd like - guitars etc. As soon as I set up in comes Keith. He was easy and I mean really easy, considering where he is in the league of rockstardom. Keith did what ever I asked of him, he was a joy. He had a thin postwar spiv-style moustache - reminded me of Sid James in a Carry On film, up to no good in a mischievious way. Shot him with his 1920's Martin acoustic on which he writes all his songs, and with his 1953 Fender Telecaster. I think I got a nice portrait holding his fedora to finish, I'll have to wait till I see the film (yes, I shot it on film, vintage like Keith). He thanked me for coming.

I got on an earlier flight home, the day couldn't have gone better until I got to security. 'We have selected you for special screening. We need to test you for bombs and explosives'. They really said this, I suppose it didn't help me saying, 'Look Adolf, I'm on your side'. Uli Roth is right, Germans have no sense of humour. Then again neither do most Americans I work with...

I only just made the flight home. It was terrifying. We flew through dense grey cloud while being blown sideways and dropping hundreds of feet. I kept thinking the pilot can see the same as me - nothing! I even considered praying loudly... I only stopped panicking as we landed.

Aerosmith on The Nimitz

Aerosmith in India. See more...

June 13

Had dinner last night with Brad Tolinski and Tom Beaujour, both looking ill with hangovers from the night before. They'd spent a star-studded evening hanging out with Dee Snider and Rob Flynn from the not very legendary Machine Head. Tom was gushing at how much he drank with Rob, 'We were doing shots! I don't remember going to bed.' It might be prudent to point out that drinking like a sixteen year old then spending the night throwing up in the toilet does not impress me. At least when I did it, it was with Nikki Sixx, Glenn Tipton and even Alex Lifeson (or those low-lifes in Metallica) and we were "Krelled" as Nikki would say. I mean, there is nothing more embarassing than a drunken middle-aged man (Tom's nearly fifty). At least I did it when I was, ummmm, young...

Brad was telling me 'You can't stop rock'n'roll, I going to do a cover story with that heading on Twisted Sister, the great lost band from Detroit.' I didn't have the heart to tell Brad they are from Long Island and that's not in Detroit.

Tom asked for a kosher menu and got quite put out when I ordered pork chops (I'm only half a member of the chosen race - the wrong half). We ate at the trendy Soho hotel with David Schwimmer and Jessica Alba in the bar. I left as Tom ordered a double jack and coke and asked them if they liked Machine Head...

 

Paul Brannigan becomes media credible, it's official. I've heard he's celebrated with several pints of snakebite - "Top of the morning..."

 

 

More pictures from India. See more...

 

June 12

Some Spanish rock magazine covers. See more...

And here is an email I've received from B...

Ross,
Yes love your pic; no,dont masterbate to them...as for Randle Feagin being"hott" Id need to see him to comment...regarding Lonn M.Friend, I Cant stand the man.Everything about him is trivial.

June 11

I have had a load of emails telling me how sexy Steven Tyler is in my photos - coming from women and men. I mean, I don't look at photos of Roger Daltrey or Pete Townshend and go 'Yum, he's hot!' I'm glad you like my photos but I do
hope you're not masturbating over them.

Had some hate mail asking why I hate Russ Irwin. I don't hate Russ, I use my eyes and I can't help if he's turning into a "porkerlinski". Honestly I love him (a little, and I mean a little), not real love like I'd have for John Bionelli, or John would have for his heroes Gene and Paul. Now if all you men and women who follow Aerosmith and it's crew of millions need to look for a real "HOT" guy, it's not Steven, Joey, Tom, Joe or Brad, you need Randle Feagin and don't let Donny Shiteman tell you otherwise...

Some more pictures from the desert... plus Rock'n'roll Randle and his mentor

 

Ps The 'Smiths move from Germany to Italy this week - let's hope Russ stays off the pasta...

Had dinner last night with Brad Tolinski and Tom Beaujour, both editors. Tom (one of the richest trust fund Danielstein-type people I know) confessed his editorial hero is Lonn M. Friend. Tom thinks Lonn 'Rocks'. Only an American could think like this. In fact my American ex-girlfriend Maggie Wang thinks Lonn is "Hot", she even read his boring book Life On Planet Rock three times, and his book is drivel.

At least Brad is okay. He's from the Detroit 'hood and like me is normal. Well, I thought he was normal until he told me he's come over for the Metal Hammer Awards...

And here are some pictures of Aerosmith in Copenhagen. See more...

 

June 10

Mick Wall I have to say was quite good on The Seven Ages Of Rock. Malcolm Dome was dreadful, he's an A level nerd, you could even feel the spittle coming out of his mouth when he was manically talking. Sylvie Simmons looked the same as she did twenty years ago - worn out. She did discover Motley Crue, in fact I remember going to a sushi bar with Nikki Sixx in Sherman Oaks around 1983 and Sylvie joined us. Nikki and I had been drinking saki all night in between several grams of cocaine. Sylvie looked at him lovingly. 'Dude,' said Nikki, 'No matter how fucked up we get don't let me bone her!'

I quite enjoyed the early Metallica footage - No Remorse, For whom The Bells Toll, before they turned into Poison. Strange watching them, I was quite a part of it for ten years, on every tour - it seems like a hundred years ago now. Lars was interviewed all styled - trendy hat, trendy beads, trendy shirt, the antithesis of where he began. James seemed to still have a good sense of humour. Bob Rock looked like someone who hadn't let go of the 80s but had let his figure go instead - he looked like Russ Irwin at a sausage-eating contest. The Mighty Judas Priest were frankly embarrassing, cliched. Black Sabbath were the best, self-deprecating and honest "Everybody hated us". And they even briefly showed WASP who I photographed for the Fuck Like A Beast EP, a real work of art. I'm surprised my photo of Blackie Lawless' crotch hasn't been bought by the Tate Modern...

June 9

Went off to London to do chores, including buying glasses (I dropped a pair at Heathrow airport). Ended up buying two pairs, one because the Japanese girl serving me said I look young, and another pair because she said I look like a professor. I'm sure she's in love with me...

Saw Danielstein Hay at The Blink Gallery. He asked if I can get him White Stripes tickets. I said okay until Danielstein being his greedy self said, 'I want all area backstage passes.' He then pulled out a 20 x 16 Jimmy Page print by my "BEST FRIEND" Neal Prestonstein. 'Can you get it signed by Jimmy? It'll be worth a lot'. 'Yes I can Danielstein, but I won't, I'm not the chosen race charity shop for rich Iranians like you'. It's not like Danielstein will give you anything, it's always a deal while he looks forlorn and wrings his hands...

Went and browsed in Borders Books. Got an English Dictionary and Thesaurus (the last one I had I gave to Slash) and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Also bought the new Loudon Wainwright III cd, Strange Weirdos -
music from the film Knocked Up. Don't know who did the photos but there's one on the inside book making Loudon look about a 110, with a belly hanging down - must try that with some of my clients. Speaking of which I had some passport photos taken as I might be going to Russia with Aerosmith.

It was hot and sticky in London. Got home to an email from Aerosmith's manager telling me the band had a meeting and I'm not doing the tour - but this may change again. See, it's fun working for bands, as the Who song goes, "In and out and in and out"...

John Bionelli rang to tell me about the sausage thief. John's in Frankfurt. He'd been looking forward to German sausage and a beer, he'd gone to the sausage stall opposite the hotel with Rock'n'roll Randle where Russ Irwin stood 'gobbling sausage and bratwurst'. 'Do you have a sausage?' 'Nein,' said the stall owner. 'No, I don't want nine sausages, just one.' 'None left!' He pointed at Russ, whose mouth was full. 'Der Junge habe all the Wurst gegobbled!" John was not
happy. 'I thought you were losing weight to fit on the plane!'

Got some emails from Frauleins wondering about Donny Shiteman's strange "ginger" hair. I asked John about it. 'Donny's trying to look youthful, he thinks it makes him like Brad Pitt in the movie, Troy.'

Staying home to watch Mick Wall tell it like it is on the Heavy Metal special The Seven Ages Of Rock. I know it's going to be dire but you never know, Mick might well tell the truth, "Too many bad albums, too many good reviews", as Michael once said about a huge English metal band...

The Arctic Monkeys from my recent sessions in Paris for the cover of Q magazine.

 

June 7

Spent the day in Copenhagen. Sat in the baking hot main square and got cooked. I asked John Bionelli where the Buddha of Aerosmith, Russ Irwin, was. 'He didn't make the flight last night. If he'd come the plane would have been overweight and couldn't have taken off. He's promised to spend the night in a sauna so he can travel with the band.'

Had a quite relaxing day. Ran into Steven while walking around town - sat and had coffee for an hour with him. Flew home at 8pm, photographed the sky - will put some up today.

June 6

Off to Denmark to the land of my ex-treasure (ex-girlfriend), get in mid-afternoon - hot here and humid. Even more of the Aerosmith entourage has arrived including Donny Shiteman on tour (or holiday, depending who you talk to) to have his photo taken with whoever he can, all over Europe. See the rotund Russ Irwin who now is sporting a lot of extra flesh. Aerosmith are a bit like pied pipers, lots of people following them. When they go somewhere it's like moving a large town...

The Aerosmith Army (just like the Kiss Army as John B says) all depart for Arhus at 5.15. We are flying on a new style luxury jet which would make U2 or the Stones green with envy. The food on board would put a five-star restaurant to shame. I take photos on the way, mainly of Donny Shiteman, who seems to be accidently in every photo I take. Arrive to a very green Arhus and shoot Steven and Joe on the runway. We then drive for an hour over rolling green hills through the village of Morke (it means dark town) to Randers, the rock'n'roll capital of Denmark. They are playing the local football stadium.

See more...

It is relaxed backstage, we even have a tent to eat in. On this warm summer night I am standing with John B when the buddha-like Russ Irwin comes out of the portable toilet in his far too tight stage clothes. 'Nice to see Russ has his own dressing room,' says John. I tell Russ about his new fifty chins.' 'You think so?' 'Yes, you need a chin lift. ' I can't lie to Russ, even if he loves pizza...

Good show, best so far. The band clicked perfectly, and I like shooting when it's still twilight. We drive back across the fields - it's still light in the sky at midnight. Back then to Kobenhaven.

June 5

Here's Kaz's favourite family portrait....

Had a rather relaxing flight. I feel safe on Lufthansa, everything is made with Germanic efficiency. Like Messerschmitts, Stuka dive-bombers, panzers, you know it will work properly. I didn't even notice the take off,though that might have been the three bottles of red wine Randle and I gulped while taxiing for take off. What I did notice was the tearful parting between Rock'n'roll Randle and Kazuyo. She was looking distraught at the prospect of leaving her new special friend. Randle was looking happy going off to Denmark to see his hero, chain-smoking champion Jimmy Eyers. I accused Kazuyo of too much loving and not enough looking after The Master (me). 'You're just jealous!' she said, as she lit up her 80th cigarette of the morning (we'd landed an hour ago).

Before we headed to London John B rang Randle stressing about the set list for tomorrow night's show.

June 4

Today is elephant day. Jumbo (I don't know it's Indian name) came to visit. Took a lot of photos of everyone. I wasn't keen. It smelled a lot like Kazuyo. Ended up with Joe Perry standing on top and Steven kissing it or singing into Jumbo's trunk.

See more...

Hung out by the pool with Steven. Played him the Scott Matthews cd on my ipod, and the new Chris Cornell cd.

The hotel, The Taj West End, has a perfect Concierge service. I asked for machetes, 'No problem sir.' By 6pm three had been delivered to my room straight from the blacksmith's...

Had dinner at the Vietmanese with Brad and John B. We watched the barman throw flaming bottles of vodka over his head and catch the bottles blindfolded. John was not impressed. 'He's got nothing on Gene and Paul! He's not a real showman - where's the pyro and he can't sing!'

Flying home at 2am via Frankfurt with Brad Whitford and Rock'n'roll Randle Feagin. Randle has booked the whole of First Class so we're not disturbed, going to have a rock'n'roll party. Being kind Randle has booked Kazuyo in the back of the plane. John wanted to come but has to suffer flying on a private jet with the rest of the band tomorrow. Going to see him next in theCopenhagen 'hood.

June 3

The Evil One's (my ex-wife) birthday, funny how I remembered that today. I think it's because I just got a handbill for the Hammer film The Camp On Blood Island. A story of a Japanese war camp, Kazuyo's thinks it's a family film showing how well the Japanese treat the gaijin. 'You all deserved it, my dad was only doing his job, you should have followed orders!'

Went to do Yoga at dawn with Brad Whitford, to cleanse my inner being from the evils of Aerosmith's party. Wonder whose room Kaz woke up in...?

Went out for most of the day shooting Joey Kramer around Bangalore. Got him with a cow, a bull, an ox and some portraits in the local market. It was eye-opening, some stuff. I even shot someone's feet - asleep under a bench. The locals are friendly and like having their photo taken. Got back and hung out a bit at the pool with Joe and Billy Perry.

Went out this evening for a real Indian meal. Steven, Erin, Brad, plus John B and Rock'n'roll Randle. The restaurant had a swish old style colonial dining room, very large. Food was served without cutlery - we had to eat with our hands. It was great food, but I'd rather have gone back to the Vietnamese. I mean, in England it's no big deal eating a curry, we have them on every street corner...

Steven was shown a tree that had hundreds of parrots in the branches. As we watched the parrots he said 'I smell rain' and the sky opened - thunder, lightning, torrential rain...

Spent the rest of the late evening going over photos with ST in his room.

June 2

Bangalore, I think...

Wake up to lush, tropical India - better stop I'm sounding like the make up girl. Here's what I got under my door from Rock'n'roll John Bionelli -

4.00pm Lobby call
5.00pm 2 TV interviews at gig (JP, TH, & ST)
5.30pm Doors
5.45pm 26 person meet and greet
7.00pm Air guitar contest (I'm not kidding!)
7.45pm Aerosmith
10.00pm Strict curfew.

Nice and hot, not frying pan hot like Dubai, a pleasant 90 degrees - off to the pool.

Off to the show. As JB predicts it is hot, not Dubai hot, more LA hot - pleasant. The band rehearse Taste Of India. I shoot Steven with the local police and go up to Steven and Joe on stage and say 'I know you might find this a strange concept, but I want you to both look into my lens - pay attention and focus on me!' They do, then Steven calls me something which I won't repeat here. 'I can't believe I just used that word - I sound like you!' He did apologise in a Steven Tyler way....

A better show, they opened with Taste Of India and even came back and played one and a half extra encores, the strict curfew stopping the second one. Joe Perry told the crowd the band love the Kama Sutra. Shot quite a lot, Steven and Joe in ST's dressing room and most of the show, following Steven around onstage.

The promoter had a Rock'n'roll Party at the Hotel. Spend the evening hanging out with Brad Whitford. John the moniter man arrived last with his shirt undone looking for girls, 'This hotel needs a Rattlesnake Bar,' he moans. 'Where's all the Asian chicks?' It hasn't occured to him we are in deepest Bangalore. I tell Steven he should dump Eat The Rich and play Fine. I take a photo of Steven and the Richard Branson of India who owns Kingfisher beer. Left John and John junior in the bar smoking cigars with Kazuyo who is out of her mind on pina coladas slurring 'I love rock'n'roll parties.' I leave her lustfully eyeing John junior, Aerosmith's employee of the week.

June 1

The Aerosmith show last night was the hottest show I have ever been at. Not the playing, the heat, it was like photographing in a sauna. In a strange way I enjoyed it. Took me a while to get going as I haven't seen them live with a big show for a while. Got some good arty photos. The set was a mixture of 70's, 80's and 90's Aerosmith, a real mixed bag. The crowd seemed to like it. Steven finished the set bringing on a belly dancer for Walk This Way. Not the best Aerosmith show I've seen but it has to be said Steven Tyler sang amazingly, he gave it everything he had.

See more...

John calls at 3am, 'We're doing photos now'. 'What!!!' 'Yep, Joe wants to do a shoot just like New Orleans' ' Is he out of his mind, it's the middle of the night?' 'No, I'm joking.'. I was worried - I really believed him. I will get him back...

Off to India today with the band.

We leave the hotel at 9.30am. The streets, which are normally packed, are deserted. It turns out that Friday in Dubai is like a Sunday in England. Very strange, no cars are on the road - we get to the airport early. I have Hangman Jury going round and round in my mind. I sing it to Steven, he looks at me like I'm mad - I'd thought he'd join in.

Shoot a bleary-eyed Aerosmith getting on the plane, apart from Joe Perry who is positively smiling - I even get a photo of it. Randle tells me off for spelling his name wrongly, it's Randle Feagin. He then confesses to knowing THE CAVEMAN. Apparently they destroy Jackson Hole together on regular occasions "Kicking Ass On The Wild Side" as John Bionelli would say. I was going to write about Rock'n'roll John B and Randle having a rock'n'roll party on the plane, 'No don't do that ,' said Kazuyo. 'Write that they're holding hands waiting for sunset while listening to Don't Wanna Miss A Thing.' "I just wanna close my eyes and fall asleep 'cos I miss you Randle and I don't wanna miss a thing" - or something like that.

On the flight the make up girl for the band who is Indian and from Bradford tells Kazuyo all about India, how spritual it is, how she'll come away inspired by the culture, and all about Bollywood, 'You have never seen anything like it.' 'What's she talking about?' says Kaz. 'It sounds just like Tooting Bec'.

We arrive in Bangalore as the sun is setting. Going through customs the airport reminds me of Spain in the 70's (a toilet). It is madness outside - people everywhere trying to get to the band. I shoot a beggar, and a girl doing cartwheels and handstands begging. We sit in the most horrendous traffic. Funny seeing oxen and cows sitting on the pavement - it reminds me more of Bradford than Tooting.

The band have a huge greeting at the hotel, drummers flanked by horsemen. Very colonial...

Go to the only Vietnamese restaurant in India - in our hotel grounds. It is beautiful. Sit with Tom Hamilton, Rock'n'roll Randle and Rock'n'roll Johnny Bionelli. Kazuyo joins us with Nienke Klop (Aerosmith's on tour PR). The food was good - even better were the two girls serving us, one called Van from Vietnam and the other from Tibet. John the monitor man comes over from the bar to drunkenly leer at them. The bar at the pool is heaving with girls drinking and dancing to music blasting - The Doors and Queen. I leave John ogling away and try to shoot the full moon clear in the sky.

Here's some more of Joe Perry. See more...