Back in November, Manchester indie singer Seb Lowe and his band visited North Shields for the first time, spending two days in town whilst they filmed their latest music video. The project was being produced by local company Crew Gal, alongside students from their ‘Get on Set’ video production course. As a former Crew Gal student, I was fortunate enough to be hired as ‘artist liaison’ on this video, which in simple terms means looking after the band!
The three-piece outfit’s newest release, ‘Little Caesar’, described as a folk-punk anthem, used the metaphor of toy soldiers and childhood play to depict the cycle of war and violence, so the class decided to theme the video around the storyline of a tyrannical Roman emperor and his conflict with the oppressed lower classes.
Day one of the shoot saw forty cast, crew and extras take over The Salt Market, its upper floor transformed into the set of a Roman feast, with Seb, violinist Kate and drummer Joel dressed in flowing togas hired from none other than the Royal Shakespeare Company – Crew Gal like to do things properly!
We were blessed with blue skies and unseasonably warm weather for day two of the shoot, which was fortunate as we were filming outside all morning on the steps on Collingwood Monument. Mid-afternoon, everyone headed over to Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields to shoot the final scenes and it was chilly and dark by the time director Seth Okai announced to a thankful cast and crew, ‘It’s a wrap!’
Once the band had ‘de-toga-ed’ and we’d offloaded the vans at Crew Gal HQ, everyone headed to the Low Lights Tavern to warm up, enjoy a pint and de-brief an exciting couple of days. I chatted to the band about their first time in North Shields and they highlighted the warmth and friendliness they’d experienced during their visit. They were knocked out by the river views and by the buzz of the Fish Quay and commented that the green room at the Salt Market was the best they’d ever been in, with its quirky décor and amazing views. They added that watching a seal playing in the river whilst they waited to be called on set was a first! North Shields, its people and places, seemed to have genuinely made its mark on the band, and as they prepared to head back to Manchester, they were clear on one thing – ‘We’ll be back!’
Curious to see the finished film? Watch ‘Little Caesar’ here and keep an eye out for some familiar local landmarks:
https://youtu.be/XRjfCZx06YI?si=unCCHYbBvu2DrNG0
Instagram: @Seb.Lowe.Music
Photo Credit: Instagram: @Max.hunter.128
For information on future courses at Crew Gal visit www.crewgal.com
