We’ll admit it, The Ting Tings write some pretty catchy songs that stick in your head and never seem to leave, but after hearing about an unpleasant incident with the band’s tour managemer at a show in Kansas City this past week, it looks like we’re going to have to second guess our thoughts on the seemingly innocent British duo.
According to a blog posted by photographer Nick Davis on Popwreckoning, The Ting Tings played a great show at the Record Bar last week on April 7, but afterward the band’s manager was extremely abrasive towards him at the show, cornering him and insisting he erase the photos he took of the band.
“The manager entered the patio, and rudely demanded to know why I was taking pictures. I gave him my business card, told him who I was and mentioned to him that I followed all the rules posted regarding photography (no flash). He said the pictures were the property of The Ting Tings and Sony and that he was requiring me to erase the images in front of him,” the blog said.
When Davis resisted, the tour manager began consistently threatening him, saying he would call the cops. The photographer refuted the brooding tour manager’s threats, and left the venue saying he would have the tour manager arrested for false imprisonment if he tried to stop him from leaving.
“I reminded him that in the United States, ‘Ting Tings Tour Manager’ does not actually give him any legal status. The entire time, the manager stayed within a foot of me, at one point bumping into me. He continued to follow me through the parking lot, at the same distance, until I got in my car,” the blog continued.
Davis got out of the show with the photos in tact on his camera, but his blog made us wonder about The Ting Tings and the itch of fame getting to their heads. We highly doubt any of the photos were incriminating enough for the tour manager to freak out about, but we would like to see them if they are. This is the type of behavior we might expect from Michael Jackson’s people, but from The Ting Tings? If this is true, well, we’re quite surprised. We’re hoping the views of the Ting Tings’ tour manager doesn’t reflect the bands’, but if it does, we know who we’re not taking pictures of next time they come to New York.
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April 13th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Just read the Pop Reckoning post and you might want to get your facts right…. it was the TOUR Manager, not the Manager !
April 13th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
doesn’t surprise me in the least. the ting tings have had the distinct stench of corporate grossness wafting off of them since square one.
April 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
This is a disgusting story and I cannot believe the photographer was treated this way. The Ting Tings and their record label should be extremely embarrassed and their tour manager should be FIRED. The band, label and manager should apologize.
April 13th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Hi – I’m the aforementioned photographer from this incident. The pics can be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdavis/sets/72157616415107205/
It’s really a ridiculous situation all around.
April 13th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Thanks for the catch roger, it is a big difference.
April 14th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
oh gag! them again..
they screwed over a band in san diego…they refused to move any gear the band (who have been playing at that club for 10+ years) to the point there was NO room on the stage for this local band….so the locals said fuck those cunts and bailed…
the “ting tings” are couple of douchbags…fact.
karma baby, karma
April 16th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Hmm. Seems a bit crazy and/or harsh.
Although I have heard that Jules the drummer is really super sensitive to camera flashes, so maybe that had something to do it…
And people, it’s unfair to blame the band for this. Yes, they should apologise out of goodness and the tour manager should be ashamed and apologise too.
By the way, those are great photographs. You should be hired as the professional photographer as means of apology!!