About Tainted Imagez

About Tainted Imagez

A burning question never asked is lost knowledge. What you have always wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask.

"Hello, I see the assassins have failed ... again."

What's the last concert Adam went to?

Billy Joel & Elton John

Face to Face

Hilton in Ames

April 1st, 2003

I started this project back in 1997. The first and second shows i photographed were Hanzel und Gretyl at the PIG PEN in Clinton, Iowa & Sarah McLachlan in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Northrop Music Hall. I wanted visual proof for myself that i had actually witnessed these amazing shows. Granted, very few of my H.u.G. pictures turned out, and I was too far away to get any good shots of Sarah McLachlan.
In 1999 i started MEANINGLESS entertainment. It was a dream of mine to review music, and i figured it would be a cool way to get free stuff and meet the bands i like. it worked, and the first PRESS KIT i ever got was from MSO. It was for Marilyn Manson's LAST TOUR ON EARTH release. I was thrilled that an actual record company would send me 2 CDs several press release articles and 3 actual 8x10 promo shots.
what started out as me sneaking camera into venues soon became me walking past the security guards with proof that i was supposed to be back stage. Tainted Imagez was formed when i needed a name for the monster i knew was about to erupt onto the music scene. The names you ask? where did they come from? MEANINGLESS entertainment was what a friend of mine had called what i was doing. Why would i be working so hard at what seemed like nothing? to her it all seemed meaningless. the name stuck.
Tainted Imagez? I have always felt that everything i touch is some how corrupted by my presence to it. but Corrupt Photography didn't have a nice ring to it. Marilyn Manson's cover of Tainted Love had just been released and tainted sounds so much better then corrupt. the files i downloaded were always in the IMAGES section of my hard drive. some other yahoo had the AOL screen name of Tainted Images, so i couldn't use that. Someone i had worked with in the past had replaced the "S" that ended her name with a "Z" and it seemed fit. I took the words, played with them, and made them my own. In a way making the picture, the image, more corrupt then it initially was. I tainted the images beyond any level they had been before.
I've seen literally hundreds of concerts in the past. My first? WHITE ZOMBIE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was 16 and scared to death, I LOVED IT! Some friends and I skipped a day of school our junior year to see OZZY, and i don't regret a single moment.
it has been far from an easy road to travel. I've been trying for years to get passes to see some of my all time favorite bands, and I've been told no almost as many times as I've been told yes. I'm always worried about stepping on the wrong toes and being black listed. it can be a really stressful hobby. in the past few months I've actually has people asking me if i want to photograph and review shows. all of my hard work and dedication is finally paying off. there have been disappointments and i have been discouraged more times then i can count. but in the end it doesn't even matter ... wait ... wrong song. In the end all my hard work has paid off. slowly, but surely, I am becoming a force to be reckoned with. what at first seemed like a dream has become a reality. now if only I'd get paid to do this.

New employee handbook supplement
Effective Date: Immediately

DRESS CODE:
It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing $350 Prada sneakers and carrying a $600 Gucci bag, we assume
that you are doing well financially and therefore you do not need a raise.
If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes and therefore you do not need a raise. If you dress in-between, you are right where you need to be and therefore do not need a raise.

SICK DAYS:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

SURGERY:
Operations of any kind are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you will need all of your organs. You should not consider removing anything.
We hired you intact. To have something removed constitutes a breach of employment.

PERSONAL DAYS:
Each employee shall receive 104 personal days per year. They are called Saturday and Sunday, maybe.

VACATION DAYS:
All employees will take their vacation at the same time each year. The vacation days are as follows: January 1, July 4, and December 25.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE:
This is not a valid excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives, or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour,
and subsequently leave one hour early, provided that your share of the work is finished.

ABSENCE DUE TO YOUR OWN DEATH:
This will be accepted as an excuse. However, we shall require at least two weeks of notice, as it is your duty to train your own replacement.

RESTROOM USAGE:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the restroom. In the future, we will follow the practice of going in alphabetical order. For instance, all employees whose names begin with "A" will go from 8:00 to 8:20 a.m.,
employees whose names begin with "B" will go from 8:20 to 8:40 a.m., etc.
If you are unable to go at your allotted time, it will be necessary to wait until the next business day when your turn comes again. In extreme emergencies, employees may swap their time with a coworker. Both employees' supervisors must approve this exchange in writing. In addition, there is now to be a strict three minute time limit in each stall. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your
picture will be posted on the company intranet under the "Chronic Offenders" category.

LUNCH BREAKS:
Skinny people will get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy. Regular sized persons get 15 minutes for lunch
to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure. Fat people get five minutes for lunch, as this is all the time required to drink a Slim Fast and take a diet pill.

Thank you for your loyalty to the company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience; therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternations, and input should be directed elsewhere.
Have a nice day.

Management Team