Bruce Springsteen Ft.lauderdale,fl 3/09/00 aud/screen 180min a- master-
National Car Rental Center
My infamous bootleg bust incident at the Boss concert.I am filming upstairs,dead center.I had most of this show done when I see 5 cops coming up the stairs.I had a bad feeling that it wasn't for some kind of fight going on behind me.I mean,this was a Springsteen show afterall.But I also had never known cops getting involved with someone bootleg taping a show.Security usually is involved only.Once they started for my row, I stood up and walked briskly to my left and away from the cops and stepped on alot people's toes in the process trying to push my way out of the row of seats.As I flew down the stairs away from the cops,I hit the ejection button to get my tape out and replace it with a blank decoy tape.But as the door came up, it hit my microphone,which was taped onto the cam just a bit off to the side of the door.As it hit the door,it closed down on me and would not eject.It was jammed closed.
The cops caught up with me just as made my way in the hallway.They demanded me to eject the door and give them the tape.I told them the door would not open.They thought I was pulling a fast one and that this excuse would allow them to let me just leave with the camcorder and the footage.I knew they weren't stupid (well,i had some hopes),but I was telling them truth.They didn't believe me and threatened to arrest me.They decided to make me place my cam,mic,batteries,extra tapes,my phone,and walkie talkie (for communicating with a big time bootlegger who flew down from nyc for the possible 2 cam shot) onto the hallway floor.
By now there were many people watching this meaningless ordeal.I finally thought of powering off the cam and then turn it back on to see if that would allow for the door to eject - and it worked.I avoided jail or a beatdown.They made me destroy all the tapes,except I tried to hide the one good tape in the garbage can,hoping to retrieve it later, but they were on to me.They brought the head of security to deal with me,and he was satisfied that if i no longer had any tapes,I could stay and watch the last 15 minutess of the show.I was let go.I waited for the end,and called Kevin on the walkie talkie and told him where to meet me.He wasn't pissed that I failed to get my angle,as he got a great shot.But I was upset that I failed to impress the kingpin of all time bootleggers (20 years and over 3,000 shows taped by him,he was legendary).I would soon reach international popularity as one of the best and most prolific bootleg filmers with the next year.I would also go onto do some great shows and 2 cam shots with Kevin here in Florida and also in NYC.I commissioned a couple of
other 'second' cameramen on and off over the next 8 years where I filmed close to a thousand shows.
The cops caught up with me just as made my way in the hallway.They demanded me to eject the door and give them the tape.I told them the door would not open.They thought I was pulling a fast one and that this excuse would allow them to let me just leave with the camcorder and the footage.I knew they weren't stupid (well,i had some hopes),but I was telling them truth.They didn't believe me and threatened to arrest me.They decided to make me place my cam,mic,batteries,extra tapes,my phone,and walkie talkie (for communicating with a big time bootlegger who flew down from nyc for the possible 2 cam shot) onto the hallway floor.
By now there were many people watching this meaningless ordeal.I finally thought of powering off the cam and then turn it back on to see if that would allow for the door to eject - and it worked.I avoided jail or a beatdown.They made me destroy all the tapes,except I tried to hide the one good tape in the garbage can,hoping to retrieve it later, but they were on to me.They brought the head of security to deal with me,and he was satisfied that if i no longer had any tapes,I could stay and watch the last 15 minutess of the show.I was let go.I waited for the end,and called Kevin on the walkie talkie and told him where to meet me.He wasn't pissed that I failed to get my angle,as he got a great shot.But I was upset that I failed to impress the kingpin of all time bootleggers (20 years and over 3,000 shows taped by him,he was legendary).I would soon reach international popularity as one of the best and most prolific bootleg filmers with the next year.I would also go onto do some great shows and 2 cam shots with Kevin here in Florida and also in NYC.I commissioned a couple of
other 'second' cameramen on and off over the next 8 years where I filmed close to a thousand shows.
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