Taranberk wrote:
A public balcony overlooking the entire area behind the stage was even left open for most of the actual sound check.  Security was pretty lax, and the kind hotel staff very helpful providing directions and info about exactly what was going on (and where).  Also, once the show started, fans were allowed to come down to the front to quickly take a photo or two and return to their seats.  Security did draw the line, however, when a couple of female fans tried to turn the front area into their personal dance space.

I thought I was back in the 80s again when, near the end of the show, people got up from their chairs and boldly went to the edge of the stage.  Not wanting to lose my birds-eye view, I joined the throng before things got too tight.  Despite the human proximity (which also helped fend off the cold), I kept a determined hand balanced stubbornly on the edge of the stage.  I continued snapping photos as fast as I could with that one hand, hoping auto-focus would capture a few good moments.  Then a big guy climbed half on top of me to lurch up on the stage (reminding me of a killer whale taking a bow at the end of a show at Sea World).  He grabbed Justin's metal-framed set list, falling back on the concrete and dropping it, before popping back up like a feisty jackrabbit and running off, security arriving only seconds later.  They fanned out to hunt him down, but I don't believe they caught him.

And that’s my color commentary on the evening…

Anyway, I shot 644 photos and, possibly due to the wind, didn't get as many clear and flattering pictures as I normally do...but I did get a lot of very unusual ones.   And so I will start from the beginning with the rest of the photos and you can view the concert as it happened.

Looking forward to the shots from behind the stage, Taran!  I'm sorry you were used as a stepping stone for a very rude fan trying to steal the set list!  Hope you're okay.