Taping Etiquette — Rule #3

You show up, wait in line, and as the doors open, you're ready to hustle to get the prime taping spot in the venue. But as you get ready to walk in, you hit a snag.

"I'm sorry sir, you can't bring that in, we're not allowing recording tonight."

Things like this happen for two reasons: one, the band was unable to communicate their wishes in regards to taping to the security staff (or whoever's job it was to pass the information on to the door guys failed to do so). Two, sometimes a venue has a recording policy that almost always supercedes that of the band.

Relaying The Policy
There are two ways to deal with this. The first and easiest is just to accept it — take your gear back to your car, or better yet, go back to your car and pack your stealth rig. The second, and more complicated, approach is to ask the security person to clarify the policy.

The one thing to remember is that the security person you're dealing with more than likely doesn't have a vested interest in anything but their $75 for the night. So asking them to go above and beyond in order to clarify something might not do any good. The first thing to ask for is a supervisor, sometimes they may know something that the door people don't. If that fails to resolve the situation, ask for the supervisor to conact a member of the band's crew, usually the soundman or tour manager. They can set the security people straight, but keep in mind, the soundman or manager has a job to do, and dealing with tapers usually isn't something they can devote a lot of time to. It also never hurts to keep a printed copy of the band's taping policy with you so you can show the person at the door.

Most importantly, be respectful. If the answer is a firm "no", and they tell you why — the band's recording a live album, the venue policy, whatever — then the answer is no. Remember, taping is a privilege, not a right. You can choose to stealth if you wish to still record for your personal use, but be prepared to be asked to leave (and erase your tape) if you're caught.

Hopefully this guide has given you an insight into the etiquette expected of a good taper. When everybody plays by the rules and cooperates, you can be assured of two things: everyone goes home with a good tape, and the band will never second-guess their decision to let people tape their shows.