Diary of a Flasher: Behind the Music

Photo by Jipsy

Jose El Rey takes a moment to be lone before his performance.

​To read past installments of Diary of a Flasher, click here.

This week was a rock fest here in South Florida. First Slayer, then Def Leoppard? Besides going to the show to hear the music with fans, I'd love to cover it. But I didn't ask, I didn't know and now I am left with "I wish I did."

If you didn't realize it already, I love capturing behind the scenes for anything, but a rock act, that's just stories being shot and I love telling them. I once hung out with Longwave and The Strokes (right when they were blowing up) after a show in Brooklyn. I didn't know who were The Strokes, just that they were the band my friend was opening for. The few shots I took were of me and my friend and people I never saw again. But still interesting shots that I've never posted of this one night after the bands played.

A few years later, here in Miami, I wasn't aggressive enough to walk into the Juliette Lewis and The Licks waiting room after their show at the now defunct Studio A. Missed that opportunity. But now, it's almost my mission, requesting to go back stage, to even hit the practice sessions and hang out before a show for some of our local bands, even trying to jump on that tour bus and hitting the road, capturing the sweat, the blood and the tears.

I did manage to catch some of Death Print's pre-movie performers, the nerves, the prayers, the sweaty palms, the quiet moments and while I share some with the publications I work for, some stay back, adding them to my collection of "behind the music" folder.

Visit Jipsy's web site at nefariousgirl.com.