NICK CAVE FILMING

Yesterday I was interviewed for Do You Love Me Like I Love You? - a series of 14 films being made by Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth to be released in conjunction with the remastered Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds back catalogue. The filming session took place at a recording studio in London.

The two artists will take the films and edit them into montages relating to each album or song. They’re filming in London, New York, Berlin and Melbourne.

I had a great time, and met several interesting people. I was told that the Bad Seeds’ superb bass player Martyn Casey had visited the studio the previous evening. Cor blimey. Casey’s bass playing is one of the best aspects of the Bad Seeds’ music. The bass on the opening to the live version of Tupelo is incredibly powerful.

The filming experience was both facinating and strange. Make up was applied (I asked to be made to look 20 years younger and three stone lighter) then I was shown into the studio. Ten minutes were taken to adjust lighting, check sound and so on. Furthermore, I was told on three separate occasions that I was “very photogenic”! (No, really! I couldn’t believe it either!) I suggested that this is something Jane says to all the boys who step in front of her camera, but she assured me that this isn’t the case at all. Ahem.

I had to talk directly to the camera, in which I could see my own reflection, which was very strange. I became very conscious of what I was saying; if I felt I was making a good point but fluffed a word half-way through - as most people do in everyday conversation - I knew they wouldn’t be able to use it, and so I had to start again. I also wanted to avoid saying things like “um”, “er” and “y’know”.

I think the end result was OK. I hope that something from my contribution is included in the end product.

Only time will tell.

NICK CAVE DVD CONTRIBUTION!

I’m delighted and excited to have been asked to make a contribution to the filming of Do you love me like I love you? - a series of films produced by acclaimed British artists Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard to coincide with the remastering of the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ back catalogue.

The two British artists have been commissioned to produce a series of short films that will accompany each of the studio albums when they are remastered and re-issued by Mute.

Each film will be a simple, powerful collage of people talking directly to camera about the songs on that album. The artists want to capture passionate, open people talking candidly about the songs they love from the band’s history; discussing the first time they heard a song, what it means to them, how it makes them feel, the stories the songs tell and the ways in which the band has soundtracked their lives.

The films will feature famous, infamous and unknown fans.

Iain and Jane developed the idea and will be conducting the interviews, directing and editing each film. They’ve spent the last six months working with the Bad Seeds on various video projects including the four promo videos for the new album “Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!’, live studio footage and a set of seven, one-minute ’seance’ clips on YouTube. They’re artists who have worked have worked together for 14 years making videos and performances that cross-reference art and music.

David Tennant’s Doctor and the technobabble gabble

I just read an old post in which I said David Tennant’s Doctor “didn’t cut the mustard” for me. Well, I’d have to say I’ve changed my opinion. I do rather like his Doctor now. He does humorous character stuff particularly well, although he can really gabble the technobabble sometimes, leaving us all a bit fuzzy-headed.

Paris reflection

Scrap. Undated.

Paris airport: I let my head loll back, and was surprised to see myself reflected in the glossy copper ceiling. It was very close to me, and my image was large and clear. I felt uncomfortable with my reflection.

Our weekend with a Jensen Interceptor

For my 40th birthday last December my wife bought me a voucher for a weekend’s use of a Jensen Interceptor from Great Escape. We redeemed the voucher this weekend, and spent 48 hours with a beautiful 1973 Interceptor Mk3.

Our Interceptor

Back in the day, the Interceptor was bought by the rich and famous, and generally considered a step above contemporary vehicles from manufacturers such as Aston Martin. Even Eric Morcambe had one. I’ve always loved this rare car, and have seen only a few in my life. I love the body shape, the understated styling. It’s like a combination of the best of British and Italian, with an immense 7.2-litre Chrysler V8 to haul it along.

In this eco-conscious world, and an environment of soaring fuel prices, the engine in this car is simultaneously fantastic and ludicrous. It’s often said that V8 engines “burble” - a sound that appeals to most red-blooded males and a few red-blooded females. The Chrysler in the Interceptor doesn’t burble; it doesn’t even gurgle – when pulling away at a junction it delivers a positively open-throated gargle that turns heads and frightens dogs at sixty yards. It’s supposed to do 12-14 miles to the gallon, but I guess that means around ten. I spent £70 on fuel over the weekend, which was actually less than I was expecting.

Occasionally, at low speeds the vehicle can sound almost agricultural, chugging along like a tractor as the eight pistons thump around in the lump at the front, as if barely awake. The Interceptor seems happiest at 30-40 miles an hour. With a 3-speed automatic gearbox, above around 50mph the car feels as though it needs another gear to drop into, which seems odd given the size of the engine. It’s great to tootle along at 20-25 then give it a slight burst: “garrrrggggllllle”. Overall, the Interceptor’s a very positive drive and easy to steer - it just goes where you point it, with no surprises.

The interior features wonderful vintage switchgear and instrumentation by Jaeger. Each switch has a single function: horn, wipers, de-mist, and so on. There’s just one delicate stalk off the steering column, and it’s for the indicators alone - no multiple, multi-function columns here.

The seats were soft and luxurious, and even though those in the rear look small, they were (I’m told by my kids and an adult friend who sat in the back) very comfortable.

We picked the car up on Friday, which was quite nerve-wracking to begin with as I was scared of damaging the car somehow, or being the victim of someone else’s carelessness. By Sunday, however, I was very comfortable with the car and thoroughly enjoying it.

We went to Ragley Hall, and saw the room in which the ball scenes from Dr Who’s The Girl in the Fireplace were shot. We got caught in the rain only once, and had a fantastic weekend, enjoying admiring stares, frightening dogs and turning heads.

Great Escape has several classic cars available for hire, so if you fancy a weekend as enjoyable as the one we had, forget about the price of petrol, give Graham a call, and hire the kind of car you’re never likely to own for 48 hours.

Images from our weekend can be seen here.

Old but gold - perusians from the scraps file

dream - 20/3/06: moving tamworth castle, which was situated in Little Church Lane and looked like a puritan church - had to get inside before those who wanted to leave it where it was, and move it by hand down Gungate.

[note: dreams scraps scribbled down in the bleary-eyed first light of dawn - no apologies for errors/typos/poor punctuation, etc, etc, maintained here for purposes of authenticity]

“my god” (it’s full of stars, etc)

Dr Who - The Lost Earth

This was a great episode overall. A nice balance of drama with a hint of comedy thrown in here and there. And a tear-jerking Rose-and-the-Doctor-meet-again scene. Ahhh.

The new Davros was stunning, I thought: true to the original(s), but very slightly enhanced. Nicely done. I also liked the invasion scenes. In fact there’s a scene in my first novel - The Affinity Trap - which is visually almost identical to the shot of the Dalek spaceship passing above the houses and zapping people in the streets. Only in Affinity it’s called a purifier gunship, and it’s “cleansing” the streets of those unfortunate enough to live outside the luxury of the gigantic habitat towers.

The doctor regenerating? I didn’t see that coming. I suspect it may only be a partial regeneration, rather than a full makeover. We’ll find out next week, I guess. Although I did see a rumour, I think it was something in an interview, implying that David Tennant wouldn’t confirm that he’d be in the next series. It could all be fluff and bluster. Who knows?

I wasn’t too sure about all the other characters – Sarah Jane, Torchwood, UNIT – coming back in, but it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do and worked well. Oh, and if you’re wondering what kind of car Sarah Jane drives it’s a Nissan Figaro. They were made only in 1991, and any you see on UK roads are grey (ie unofficial) imports. My wife’s got a grey one; she loves it but I hate the stupid, poxy thing. I absolutely refuse to drive it unless there’s no other choice. I tell people that for me, driving that car feels like going to the shops in a dress. And I went to the shops in a dress, just to check.

Dr Who - Turn Left

Well, this seemed to drag at odd moments but was a great episode overall. I particularly liked the post-apocalyptic chaos, the Nobles being shoved off to Leeds and so on. My one gripe would be the huge plastic beetle, although it was in the best Who tradition. And who wasn’t moved when the dying TARDIS sighed at Donna’s gentle touch?

important - jellyfish?