It seems to be fairly common for people with cameras at gigs to bounce flash off a black ceiling. Whilst basic physics suggests that this is rather stupid, it doesn't really harm anyone. But bouncing the flash off the audience is extremely annoying. Tonight I was nearly blinded by this photographer who either had no idea where his flash was pointing or was deliberately trying to blind me. It's easy enough to laugh at someone who turns up at 'Upstairs at the Garage' with equipment that looks sutable for a safari (because it is laughablely unsuitable to have two big cameras with lenses that look as if they are a substitute for the middle-life-crisis sports car ), but whether you are a band or just in the audience beware of people with more equipment than intelligence. Fortunately the bands were good and my eyes recovered after 15 minutes.