My old friend and former band mate Wolf Howard recently held an exhibition of his paintings and pinhole photography
at The Brook Theatre, Chatham. I suggested to him that we put together a brief film as a bit of promotion
with some background information, interviews etc.
I'm pleased with this nice little film and there may well
be a longer version to come.
The Lovedays- Documentary Trailer
The Lovedays- "Red Letter Day"
The Lovedays perform "Red Letter Day", a track from their "House Of Cards" album. This clip was filmed
at Rochester Castle Gardens on April 30th 2010 as part of the annual Rochester Sweeps Festival.
I hadn't intended to film the gig at all. I was there to enjoy the show and get some interview footage
for the forthcoming Lovedays documentary which will culminate in their performances at Liverpool's Cavern Club
at the end of May but as I had the camera with me and had a good front row seat I decided to shoot a few songs.
I'm glad I did as it turned out to be a fine performance. The band are currently involved in the online Storm
The Charts campaign so please support them and between Sunday 27th June and Saturday 3rd July please buy
the "House Of Cards" single on iTunes.
This track was recorded as a demo by The Dentists in 1992 but never released until 2010 as the opening track
on their long awaited rarities compilation 'If All The Flies Were one Fly' released to coincide
with their reunion shows in London and Gillingham in March.
The Lovedays - "House Of Cards"
I'm particularly pleased with this video. Filmed on location around Medway, it also includes some interior
shots on stage at The Barge pub in Gillingham. I wanted to get a dark, slightly menacing look to those scenes
and I'm pleased with the shadowy results. We shot those scenes pre gig on the evening of the album launch 20th Feb 2010.
It was a really great night with a fantastic performance from the band and a packed house.
I was pleased to be there and to have been asked to produce this promo for their single.
"Monkey Trousers" Advertisement
I Just Want Christmas
Filmed on Friday December 18th 2009 on location around the Medway Towns, this was a bit of a "last minute" video.
I'd been thinking about putting together a promo for one of my Christmas songs but didn't think I'd get time
(or inspiration) this year. And then the snow fell. That was a gift too good to refuse so off I went early in the
day while the snow was still fresh and the air full of the Christmas spirit to get some footage together. I
n the afternoon I put on the Santa gear and filmed those shots in my grotto. The song itself is a little cynical
I suppose, though not at all anti Christmas. It's about claiming it back from the clutches of consumerism and
excess-"I don't want your gifts or your endless lists-I want Christmas" and"Hark the Herald Angels sing glory
to the bargain bin!" are a couple of lines that set the tone.
Merry Christmas!!!
Billy Wears Dresses- "Wonder Boy"
Filmed on and around Penenden Heath in October 2009 this is a promo for Maidstone band Billy Wears Dresses
single "Wonder Boy" taken from the album "Space Hopper Summer".
We had a great morning out-fun for all the family!
Groovy Uncle- "Danger Zone"
Filmed entirely on location on the Scilly Isles (apart from the sunrise which is St. Michael's Mount in Penzance)
this is Groovy Uncle's "what we did on our holidays" feature. September 2009-the weather was extremely kind!
This 10 minute film was shot at The Barge in Gillingham on August 7th 2009 in front of an enthusiastic crowd. I actually filmed the entire gig but the band wanted a short promo to coincide with the release of the new album "Unravelling England" so I edited together a montage of highlights. The only song featured in it's entirety is the wonderful ballad "Old Ferry Lane". The "Please Take My Scissors Away" promo was shown on the big screen in the interval and a splendid time was had by all!
Some fruity language and bawdy humour lies within so tread carefully if you are of a sensitive disposition!
Because I'd recorded the song in mock Elvis style, I needed to have a think about exactly what kind of film I
wanted to accompany it. I knew I didn't want to throw on a jump suit and go down the "comedy Elvis impersonator"
route. That's been done to death, is far too obvious / lazy and, frankly, I'd look crap in a jumpsuit!
I fancied a crack at a bit of animation and looked back to my childhood-those halcyon days of Paddington Bear,
Trumpton, Vision On etc. "Plasticine models it is then!" I thought. Groovy Auntie put together a backdrop
and set and together we made the models- Mini Me, Elvis and the Giant Mouse. Of course it was all filmed
and edited frame by frame and took a couple of weeks to complete from beginning to end. And
I even put a Brian Cant-style voice over in there too!
We filmed this one in late February 2009 in the back garden. Groovy Auntie did the camera work during what proved to
be an overcast and cold weekend. I just wanted a straightforward, head and shoulders shot of me singing
to camera with cutaways of me playing various instruments-including the squash racquet!
Then there is the visual gag of my "guitar shed" to tie in with the garden theme. And I look like a rock'n'roll gnome!
They say "Never work with animals or children". Well, I don't know about animals but my two cheeky chums and stars
of this video were delightful as always. Well, o.k, so Joni had a bit of a sulk at one point but that just added
to the appeal of the film really. Syd behaved like the perfect gentleman he so obviously is and a grand morning
out was had by all! Joni even insisted on demonstrating her dancing skills with an impromptu performance for the
camera. Point and shoot-job done.
A psychedelic stroll through the park with Uncle, this was filmed with Groovy Auntie behind the camera
(for most of the shoot) on several different locations. For trivia fans and film location spotters the
locations were (in Kent): Luddesdown, Sole Street Station, Camer Park, Faversham, Gillingham, Seasalter,
Whitstable, My Back Garden. I particularly like the shot of the horse which came about purely by chance.
I was filming some hand held shots at ground level when I heard Groovy Auntie shout "Watch out! Behind you!"
I stood up, turned around and saw this horse galloping towards me. I kept the camera running and got a really
nice shot as the horse slowed down. Could've been trampled to death but, c'est la vie!
This was the first promo I made. It is simply made up of about 500 separate snapshots of me strung together to give a kind
of flick book animation effect. Fast and furious like the song I suppose.
My first "commission" video. I'm a long time fan of local Medway folk band The Singing Loins and after filming
a few of my own videos, decided I'd like to film a band I liked and admired. I contacted the Loins to see if they'd
be interested and, to my surprise they said yes. Front man Chris Broderick directed and I filmed and edited.
Costumes, a set and lighting were arranged and we filmed over a hot weekend in July. I like this video because
the song is quite theatrical and the black and white look (with "aged" film in places) lends itself well to the
Victorian melodrama feel. I enjoyed the experience immensely and hope to work with The Singing Loins again.
