By Martin Currie, Steve Pool, Peter Applerock, Lee Furness and Frankie Currie
Over the years, a small group of local film makers have produced many music videos for local bands. Here are a few of them:
UNDER CONTROL by PAUL VENKMEN
Paul remixed the song and shortened it for us slightly, which made all the difference. My sincere thanks to the poor guy, who had to climb what seemed like every staircase in the city.
VOODOO TABOO by THE MAGI
Our first Pitsmoor music video, starring the wonderful Stewart Gibb Lodge. The Magi were typical of Sheffield bands, in that they didn’t want to appear in their own video. We persuaded them otherwise, and we shot in a recording studio for a day, and all over the area on day two. You may recognise the interior of the Burngreave Cemetery Chapel. A punchy little video, what’s the song about? We’re not quite sure, to be honest.
TAKE A MESSAGE FOR MARY by THE PITSMOOR LADIES UKULELE CHORALE
Another band that I owed numerous favours to. The jail set looks pretty good and well thought through. It was cobbled together from window security bars that were in Abbeyfield House and held together with cable ties. The whole structure would wobble alarmingly if touched. A great little video for comparatively little effort.
THE HARBOUR by INDIA MCKELLAR
I think this is probably the best song we have been given to work with. It also turned out that despite her nervousness, India was an accomplished performer and so the shoot went very well, probably the best music video that we have ever made.
LONG TIME COMING by 10 MILLION ALIENS
We owed this band a couple of favours, as they had played for free twice. So when they released an album, we were perfectly happy to make them a music video. We shot at Victoria Works, in Kelham Island, which has a very nice high-ceilinged performance area. The band were very happy to dress up and the shoot went well. Their album is called Road Trip and is almost impossible to describe. Highly recommended.
THE WALTZ by THE WILLFUL MISSING
This band turned out to be yet another one of those who didn’t actually want to appear in their own video. We negotiated access to the lead singer for 30 minutes outside Sheffield station, and this turned out to be enough. The whole submerged Sheffield thing sprang naturally from the lyrics and the whole video was pulled together by Dave Parkin, our soggy actor, who was very relieved when we switched the underwater river shots to a nice heated private pool.
THE KING OF CROWS by BRAVER THAN FICTION
We suggested certain sections of the song should be edited out as it was quite long but were told that the band absolutely refused to do so. The ensuing clash of egos continued throughout the shoot, to the point where we almost didn’t notice that we had actually made a pretty good video, and the song was fine as it was.
THE LAST BATTLE by HAZE
A prog-folk-rock song lasting nearly eight minutes, I was worried to begin with. However the band were very happy to appear in their video and cheerfully dressed in whatever ridiculous costumes we asked them to. Our favourite location was Sheffield station, which we invaded with half a dozen knights in shining armour. The station manager was less than pleased but couldn’t quite work out what rule we had broken.
Room for a rhyme…
As through bifocal glass I peered suddenly, a mouse appeared later on, away he went it wasn’t much of an event but unimportant as it seems still it forms this poems theme not everybody gets the chance to do things of significance and small things are important too as are the many people who live quiet lives, most of the time and seldom make it into rhyme, and so once more I merely say a mouse was here then… went away.
GOT A BASS GUITAR? Don’t play it much? Then join the BASS ORCHESTRA for a one off performance at TEDXPitsmoor on 9th June in the evening. Other musicians needed too. Call 0114 275 8875.
Check out SYFN and 2W2MI on YouTube for more Sheffield music videos.
