I had an unexpected surprise today when I got a message from the drummer of a local band who wanted permission to use one of my pics from a gig in late 2024.

Damaged Goods supported Kiss tribute band Dressed To Kill at The Brickyard in Carlisle last year and I can remember being quite impressed by their performance.

Apparently they have a new EP which is available via streaming platforms now and they are planning to release a physical copy in the coming months. They wanted permission to use the shot shown above for promo purposes as well as for the cover of the CD to which I agreed as long as they send me a copy (it is always nice to have a copy of your published work).

I know you should aim to get paid for the use of your work but I tend to make an exception when it is a local band trying to do something with their music. I have also previously helped Phil ‘Swill’ Odgers who wanted a shot from a gig by his band The Men They Couldn’t Hang for a promo EP ahead of the release of his next solo album.

That was an ethical dilemma as he wanted me to remove the head of one of his bandmates from the photo which, if it was being used for editorial purposes, would be classed as digitally altered and not a true representation of what actually happened. Having said that, as it was for his solo project, making the change made sense as it was for artistic purposes.

I really enjoyed getting back into my gig photography last year but it was a slow return to shooting bands again this year. But it was good to catch psychobilly pioneers The Meteors at The Brickyard on Sunday and I was quite pleased with the results so expect a post in due course.