I have looked through this thread and your thread on Talk Business and have offered advice on what you have asked so far, but I honestly think it is time for a reality check.
Paying for a press pass is wrong. Not because of the reasons you think I am going to say (which are valid) but due to other reasons too.
I can see the temptation, you want to combine your passions, have no need to make money from photography and this is the perfect thing. You can brag to your friends that you shot all these cool bands and they are using your photos. I am well aware how powerful this ego stroke can be. The problem is so are the promoters and they are taking advantage of it.
I'll bust your first myth first. You will more than likely not end up rubbing shoulders with the bands, become their tour photographer and live happily ever after. Yes it is a dream of many who start out in music photography, but honestly it doesn't happen and having met some of my heroes, I wish I hadn’t as some were simply assholes. The bands will probably not be impressed that you have had to pay to take photos of them, as they would have let you do it for free.
You said in your other thread, these bands don’t have money etc. Maybe, but I am sure they have thousands of pounds worth of equipment. This is the same as the broke photographer with his 5D3 and 50 f/1.2 While they may claim poverty, they have a lot of money invested in merch, CD’s etc. Many bands just don’t see photography as something worth investing in.
PMN is answering his own question really. He was a sound engineer who by doing that earned the privilege to use his AAA. Friends of bands, managers etc. have always had this privilege. Is it right? Who is to say, but it stresses the importance of creating a network. It is not what you know, it is who. Making relationships with PR etc. is hugely important and delivering on what you say is also important, which leads me to my next point.
Cutting your teeth in s***ty bars, with s***ty bands and s***ty lighting is not simply earning your right to be in the pit. As I said no on handing out the passes cares about you having shot bands in pubs and there is no requirements to show you’re ready for the big leagues. What it does mean is that you have experience working your camera and making the mistakes when it isn’t important.
You are giving these pics to the promoters, great. They will love that (free stuff, who doesn’t?) but are you able to deliver decent shots? The problem is, even though you are paying for a press pass, they will be expecting quality as you have a professional camera and we all know that is the key to good photos. Now if your photos don’t turn out well and, in your situation there is a large chance they won’t, then what favours are you really doing? The promoters will be upset with the photos, the bands won’t use them as they are not that great and you don’t capture the images you want to, so spend time beating yourself up over it. This means your first network attempt fails miserably, leaves you depressed and makes the next time harder. Don’t get me wrong, I hope you get lots of great shots, but the key is knowing why you got a good shot and repeatability in varied conditions, not just shooting thousands of picks and getting a few good ones.
As a music photographer, extra people in the pit makes my job harder, simple as that. People not knowing what they are doing in any situation makes it harder for those around them. Does it bother me? not really, I see it more that people are being taken advantage of, which makes me sad. Seeing people being exploited is not fun (I await the responses that it isn’t etc.) and that people are so blinded that they can shoot some famous people, that those who know what they are talking about and giving honest advice are simply ignored, or worse, told they are wrong.
I am sure you will shoot this show, but I am not sure you will get what you want out of it.
