Akron/Family@ Castle Clinton

Isolation

Outside of a haunted house

Updated 7-13-08

Last night, I was barred from a show at Avalon Hollywood for having camera equipment. Here is the angry email I sent earlier today. I will update this post with replies once they come.

I’m curious though- what do you as readers think? Should I have been barred from said show? Was that kosher?

Complaint email sent to Promotions@Avalonhollywood.com

To whom it may concern,

I attended a show at your venue last night, and was forced to leave before the show began. I left frustrated and vexed by the security staff, with a bad impression of your venue. I am emailing you now in hopes that some part of last night’s poor management was an oversight and not the way that Avalon Hollywood regularly conducts business.

Some background: I am a New York based freelance photographer and blogger currently in the Los Angeles area until the 15th. Yesterday afternoon, I got a last minute request to cover the show at Avalon from a fellow blogger who is in Los Angeles from Montreal. The venue was interesting and the music sounded good- so I decided I’d make the trip out.

I purchased two tickets to the show, unaware that cameras weren’t allowed  within the venue (there was no sign in the lobby, nor did anyone at the venue mention it). Before the show started, and as I was setting up my camera, I was rudely addressed by a member of your staff, hustled into a back room, and told to leave.

Under such adverse circumstances, I was nothing but gentlemanly, collected and calm, and I followed what instructions were provided to me by security. With that said, security did little to make me feel at all comfortable. While left to wait, I was kept under guard by two security officers in a poorly lit back room. Afterwards, I was shuttled into an alley where I was asked to wait (for what, I do not know), as I heard the band play and the show begin.

I didn’t come to this venue seeking trouble- all I’d wanted were a couple images for the blog I was subcontracted for, and also some for my own. I was nothing but polite to security, and your staff.

On top of all of this, I offered a free copy of all of the images shot to both band and venue. That request was summarily denied without consideration. That is, at it’s core, a poor business move made with little consideration. My offer  represented material gain to your organization (press, promotional materials) at a zero cost.

I left Avalon last night with no images for the blog, not having seen a single song play, after receiving poor and unwarranted treatment from the staff. I asked for a refund (as I am most certainly due, given the circumstances), and was summarily denied.

Under the circumstances, I believe that I was dealt with with little consideration and with no real respect given. I feel waylaid and cheated by the circumstances of last night. I was allowed into a venue, paid a good amount to enter the show, and left with nothing but frustration and a bad taste in my mouth.

That being as such, I would like some form of re-compensation. At the very least, a refund of both tickets and an apology is due.

For your sake, I would like to hope that your organization does not regularly mistreat ladies and gentlemen of the press without consideration for the consequences of such actions.
Michael Dote

Cali Sky

On the West Coast for now. I will return to NYC on the 15th. Expect good things.

Til then, here’s a West Coast sunset: