Last weekend we had Asia concert here in Sao Paulo.
I really had to be there but I am facing a situation here that shows how many non professionals "run" or kind of "run" the music industry here. In 2008 I covered a concert for a magazine, I mean, I was a press member and was there to promote the concert with an article on the magazine I was representing. What I mean here is that the press role is to publicize whatever happened and my role is to photograph for the article that is being done.
Well, some days after that concert in 2008, I was unpolitely and agressively contacted by the producer, who was demanding that I delivered a CD with high resolution photos for his archive. They say they wouldnt do anything with those photos "and bla bla bla" (terms on the message, which i thought very disrespectful) That got me so baffled that I couldn't even answer the email because I knew I would be rude. So i was postponing my reply for whenever I got relaxed about it.

I kept on receiving rude emails and i can remember the young lady's words (by the way, I have them on an email) asking me "who i thought i was to charge for my work". Anyway, i thought the best thing I could do was ignore that. Till the day I was forwarded this producer's message saying that he was not going to let me work in his concerts if I did not give him those photos. In his mind he thinks that if the press people are there to work is because he is letting them. Also, he thinks he deserves the material for free. Does it mean that I need to "pay a comission" to work? Holy, these guys fill their a** with money in these concerts, they could get the money they earn selling at least 3 or 4 tickets and pay a professional to work for them. What would represent to them 3 or 4 tickets compared to thousands that they sell at a concert?

I know that there are people who may read this and go running to him to gossip. But i dont care. I feel the need to speak up! Specially because I am aware he's been talking trash about me. He's even told that we had agreed on me giving him the photos, which I swear to all the things and people i love in this world I did not agree. We did not even mentioned that possibility.

The funny thing is that before he started to produce concerts we were friends. YES we were friends. We used to coment about other producers who used to do exactly the same thing he is doing to me and we used to share the same opinion: that is an absurd. Some time later he is doing exactly the same thing. Is he a trusting person? Not to me!

I know that he has been damaging my work and my reputation since 2008. And i think if i went to court i could change this situation. But i dont think it is the best thing to do in an environment which I could be named S.O.B. And you know what? I am not.

So I am going to let it be. I was thinking about it these days and I got a very good feeling about it. He has been giving too much importance to me by doing these things and I thank him very much for making me feel important. I did not really know I was this big of a deal to give him this headache. I am also aware that he has already argued with others about me just because he did not want to let me in.

I was really concerned about this situation for my work and job. But you know what? I am the one here who can lay my head on my pillow at night and have a good sleep.
And this is what really matters to me, specially at my age.

I just hope people start to open their eyes and percieve who is there doing a serious work and who is there just fooling around.

I don't think I have much more to say about it, but my wishes of great success to this poor spirit greedy guy. Oh, and to the young lady who accompanies him too.

Let's Rock On!!!!

Cheers!!!