We played a show a couple of weeks ago at the Saddle Inn, Chester. I intimated to the assembled personages that this was the highlight of my year so far, and I meant it. Just a few hours earlier I was nervously pacing the Priority Lounge of Philadelphia Airport waiting for my delayed flight back to the UK to be rescheduled, worried that I would make it back in time. The fatigue and the jet lag kicked in by about the second song: adrenaline kept me upright. Needless to say my body clock and I are no longer on speaking terms.
There was, however, no way I was going to miss this performance. My New Year's Resolution for 2019 was to dedicate a little more of my time to something I enjoy outside work. I'm lucky enough to have a dream job, but I'm aware that my utter dedication to a professional perfection has resulted in my music being neglected.
The first goal I set for 2019 was to shoot a music video. I'd been chatting about this for a couple of years with two good friends; Julian Croot and Andrew 'Kid Justice' Farnsworth, but we could never agree on a date, a location, or a storyline. Eventually, I suggested G, Julian and I scout locations around Manchester one Saturday in the middle of January. We started at China Lane walking and talking through possible shots, camera angles and movements before sliding over to an alley just off Stevenson Square and then making our way to Jersey Street and Beehive Mill.
G-Influence and I used to rehearse here, lugging gear through the masses queueing for the club mecca that was Sankey's Soap, but the environs has changed so much I barely recognise it. Sparkling new structures erupting along its length. The shadowy, foreboding, and mainly derelict, industrial buildings have been torn down and replaced by utilitarian, residential spaces. A lot of the street's character, or rather a lot of what I remember, has been excised and there really isn't anything that would serve our purpose as an interesting backdrop for a music video. It's all a tad bland. Trudging disappointedly away from the Mill I remember that there is a bridge over the grey, murky ribbon that is Rochdale Canal.
Inspecting the cobbled walkway around the bridge we discover an underpass. It's perfect. Green moss clinging to its old worn tiles. Strip lights buzzing like woozy wasps. Julian immediately selects a camera and suggests we walk towards him and then away from him. With attitude. These initial shots look great. The confines of the location offer a natural frame. It doesn't take me long to retrieve the MacBook from my briefcase and before you know it G and I are lip synching and pulling rock star shapes, pausing to let startled dogwalkers and pedestrians pass.
The captured footage looks stunning and we repair to China Lane to gather more. A short three or four hours after meeting, and content with our efforts, we repair to a McDonalds and call it a day. Over carcinogenic fast food and coffee we determine to congregate again the following week - when Andy should be available - to gather some more footage. Julian wants us to start really early so we can make use of the natural light as the sun rises. I don't say it out loud, but from now on I call him Julian Cimino*.
The following Saturday it's 6:30am and I'm stuck in traffic entering Manchester. I'm happy to defer to the experts, but really? Did we have to do this at this time? The plan for today is to use the top level of a city centre car park: capturing G and I as we perform. I'm the first to arrive, then Julian, who asks me to pose and look awesome so he can grab some footage before the others arrive. The car park floodlights are still on and it's pretty dark and I'm not sure where the value is in this action, but hey, he's the boss.
G-Influence arrives and tells me he isn't feeling great and he's swiftly followed by Andy who insists we call him "Kubrick". Fair enough...
The cold, watery sun is ensnared by an overcast mid-January sky. The familiar dark grey blanket cloaks the city. We start with some shots of The Gents sitting by a table, me reading Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Absolute Edition (natch) and G just chilling like the legend he is. We then switch to the middle section of the song and jump around as we sing the "Lalalala's". Mid "Lalalala…" a security guard appears and asks us politely to move on. As he walks away, he pauses, turns and says, "Just finish the take you're on." We do so plus another couple for good luck and we move back to China Lane where the filmmakers undertake some exceptional focus pulling and execute the Michael Bay 360 degree shot whilst attempting to avoid the street detritus.
Soon we're making our way home and I'm more than happy to leave the editing in the hands of the expert, i.e. Julian Cimino. The initial passes are quite fantastic. I'm happy to have been proved completely and utterly wrong on the use of natural light. The early morning footage looks absolutely incredible. The slight blue of the light at dawn looks completely different and adds a dreamlike quality to the opening sequence as the band logo breaks apart. That was an unbelievably good call. Spot on, Julian!
I have to say I'm really proud of the song and the video. They compliment each perfectly which seems quite a simple concept, but is actually quite hard to achieve. Of all the music videos in which I've participated this is the best. Without question. By far. Working with Julian Cimino and Andrew Kubrick was an absolute thrill. A true pleasure. And you can see the fun we had in each frame of the completed work. We're already talking about what the second video might look like. Hopefully it won't take another two years for it to come to fruition.
With especial thanks to Julian 'Cimino' Croot of PicturedMedia, Andrew 'Kubrick' Farnsworth, and the marvellous Ed, Monica and team for making the Chester show so enjoyable.
The Xtraordinary Gentlemen single Cooler Than An 8-Ball In The Corner Pocket is available now, wherever you usually acquire your music.
See the video here
Behind the scenes and post shoot analysis here
Interview with the chaps here
The gig was a HUGE success by the way. Catch you at the next one?
*In honour of Michael Cimino, Director of one of my fave films, Heaven's Gate. Legend has it that he would keep everyone on set waiting for the light to change and the right cloud formation. I admire his relentless commitment to perfection.
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