b'Director Interviews UKHow did you get involved in the Freddie Mercury Concert? Were you ever approached by thoseThey really didnt think it was funny at all inIt was produced by Jim Beech, RogerSome directors talk about putting bands?America. I mean, they really really didntTaylor and Brian May, although it wasan artist in a comfort zone. Do youHammer time: Ann Wilson in I did Bon Jovis concert in England, butthink it was funny.done for the BBC, and they refused toBecause you are a big comic bookwork that way?What About LoveI wasnt traveling that much to America. It Some directors said there was ahave a BBC staff person do it and insistedperson, do you find that you use a lotThe comfort zone comes a week was the first time that America got its ownpoint in their careers where they werethat I do it. A real all-star cast, and itsof light and shadow and contrast likebefore the shoot. The comfort zone scene going, and didnt rely on the Britsseeing just what they could get awayan amazing thing to watch, much as thata comic book?involves being sensitive enough to to do it. Why pay for some old fart fromwith. Did you ever feel like that?ran as individual videos on MTV for quite aYes, that thats not easy, especiallyestablish in your mind what their comfort England when youve got your own peopleNo, I never really felt like that, because Iwhile. Did you see Guns N Roses onon videotape. Easier on film. zone is, and not exceed it. You cant out there doing it?really only had two or threewell, I had thethere? You know, people either love orYou also worked with Rush onget them outside their comfort zone on Back to AC/DC, you did Bignaked China Girl on the beach, but thathate Axl Rose. Hes an incredibleDistant Early Warning. the day of the shoot and then hope to Gun, which was a tie-in to Arnoldwas obvious. We allowed for that. But thefrontman, and he definitely studied FreddieYes, that and a live concert. Theybacktrack because they will already be Schwarzeneggers film Last Actionone that surprised me was Cover You InMercury. They all did. are one of those bands that have a longuncomfortable. All these things are about Hero. What are the challenges ofOil. I just couldnt believe that a countryWas it gratifying to have worked onhistory and are somewhat divided. Youthe atmosphere. If people are having dressing up Ahnold as a schoolboy?could be so upset about a girl in a bikinithat concert considering you kneweither get Rush or you dont, you know?a good time, if people are comfortable, Basically the challenges were thatcovering herself in black oil. It just didntFreddie?They are a different band, so withyoure going to have a good music video.hed decided that he wanted to talk to me,occur to me. Yes, in retrospect, it was gratifying. AtDistant Early Warning, Price WormsleyNow do you look back on that era and I was in England in a restaurant, soYou directed one version of Frankiethe time, that was a nightmare. It was thecame up with the idea for the operationswhen you shot these videos as fondly this phone call comes through, you know,Goes to Hollywoods Relax video.very early days of shooting huge concertsroom from Dr. Strangelove, which isor a magical time? Mr. Schwarzenegger is on the phone.There are several, was this one was awell or doing them properly. And nothingwhat that was. That was the inspiration,Every genre has an up period. Im on a public pay phone in the back of alive club performance.bwas made easy. and then the idea of someone on aThe Ealing comedy lasted from 1948 to restaurant, how the hell he found me I doThat was done to replace the one thatHow so?farmhouse where everything starts to fall1959/1960, right? The Hollywood film not know, and he said, Im an actor, sowas banned. It really shows the maniaNever enough cameras, this andapart. It was supposed to be a bit of anoir lasted from 42 to 50, Hollywood what do you want me to do? And I said,surrounding Frankie at that moment in popthat, I need more lighting, what do youshaggy dog story where it never reallymusicals lasted throughout the thirties I want you to make a complete idiot ofhistory. The Frankie mania didnt last long,want lighting for, its in the daylight, ugh.resolves itself.We shot in some studioand forties and that was it, more or less, yourself, which is not the sort of thing youbut it was good while it lasted.Nothing was easy. I just remember it beingin the East End of London, and we wereas a general rule. English war movies say to Mr. Schwarzenegger. And he said,What do you recall from your twoexceptionally difficult. And things wentvisited about halfway through bylasted from 51 to 59. Every genre has its Ill do it. (laughs) I said, I just want youvideos for Elvis Costello?horribly wrong which were covered up,Margaret Thatcher on a fact-finding to make a twat of yourself, and he said,I did Radio Radio and Olivers Armybutat one time Def Leppards computermission about the English filmday, has its period, and the music video Okay, yeah, good idea. Once again, thefor The Kenny Everett Video Show, as if itwas being rerouted or something. Blah blahindustry, and there was one guy whoperiod was 78 to 92. Does that make good ol British lack of diplomacy, knowwas a music video. I did Radio Radio veryblah. It was a very arduous thing to do. Butwas sort of a writer guy who used tosense? what I mean?early on. 1970s. I did one for a band calledmost rewarding. And its still rewarding,go around with Rush with hair down toWhich videos do you think show It must have been fun to tell999, there were the first two unseenpeople still remember it, I have to say.his ass, and she assumed he was mewhat David Mallet brings to a music wardrobe to fit a schoolboy outfit for aBoomtown Rats videos, there was ElvisYou shot Everytime You Go Awaybecause he had hair down to his ass.video project? former Mr. Universe. Costello, and Zhay Zhay. Olivers Armyfor Paul Young, the version in aShe pinned him to the wall, and spentI Want To Break Free, Radio And the big gun was a big dick,took about an hour to do, in a tiny littledungeon. How was he to work with? ten minutes talking at him. He couldGaga, The Great Pretender, To Be A obviously. And being American, it hadstudio. They wouldnt have lasted much Hes a very very good man, and didhardly get a word in edgewise, andLover, You Shook Me All Night Long, to have a safety rail down the side, solonger. They didnt have a huge attentionthat to be obscure, but in the end it wasthen she said thank you very muchAshes to Ashes, Chain Reaction. Lots it looked like it was wearing a ribbedspan. too obscure. Paul and I went and picked itand left. And this guy knew nothing. more, but I dont know. condom on the end. But it wasnt originallyLets talk about Boomtown Rats Iup, and he said,I never did understandHow funny. You have a bunch ofYou have shot so many live supposed to have those safety rails downDont Like Mondays, a groundbreakingwhat it was all about.I said, neither did Ihelicopter shots, stock footage. Itconcerts in your career, what is the it, but because it was Mr. Schwarzeneggerclip.but it seemed like a good idea at the time. just looks like it was fun putting asecret to shooting performers and carrying Angus Young up the thing, ofIt was groundbreaking because it was soYou did just one clip for Rickkid on a missile. bands live so that you stay true to course it had to have a safety rail, whichmuch earlier than everything else. I didSpringfield for Dont Walk Away.We did the same sort of thing forthat bands style?Ann Wilson is a pity because the dick doesnt lookAshes to Ashes for David Bowie in theThats beautifully shot. Who was the DPAC/DC for whatever that was, the onePut yourself into the mind andon Hearts quite as much like a dick. When it startedsame two weeks, and it was really the firston that?with Angus on a rocket.instrument of every single individual it looked exactly like a dick, we gave it thetime, apart from Bohemian Rhapsody, thatThe DP on that was Nick Knowland. AllYou shot a couple of videos formember of the band, and then come upWhat About glands in the front and everything, and aany real landmark ones had been done.the Billy Idol ones were Tony Mitchell.Diana Ross. How was that? Therewith something. Become one of the bandLove videolittle hole, but it slowly got AmericanizedThe children part of it was from Village ofThey were all either Nick Knowland, Tonyhave always been stories. in your own head.Im afraid.the Damned, but I give a lot of the credit toMitchell or John Metcalfe. Well, everyone said that sheI watched your AC/DC concert No Do you think that notion is true, thatBob. How do you generally work withwas crazy and you had to call her MissBull. It was fantastic. David Mallet had a Americans seem to have much moreAnd the green screen moment at theyour DPdo you go for a specificRoss and all this crap, and all IYou should look at the Donningtonnickname at the lighting idea at the outset?problems with sex than the English? end?Yes, you just say, lets do it like this.remember is the first time I called herconcert, which was 25 years ago, nowtime: Miss Mallet. In those days, they did. We did an AC/ Almost all of that was Bob. End of story.Miss Ross, she said, Dont call meon blu-ray. It was shot on 35mm film, onThe name referred DC video called Cover You In Oil, andMiss Ross. Dont be silly. Im Diana.30 cameras, and it cost a million dollarsto him being a bit of they wouldnt even play it late at night.And when we finished filming, she sata night. And that was 25 years ago, soa diva when it And all it was was sleazy girls underneathdown on the camera crane with thethat was a lot of money.a car lift, like Bruce Springsteen, but theycrew, and began just gagging aroundWhat band will you shoot, eithercame to life on the were down there, draining the stuff allwith the crew, and this was at 3 in thevideos or live, until you drop dead?video set. He liked over themselves and not reallymorning. Thats all I can tell you aboutAC/DC, although Ill shoot anyoneeverything over the masturbating, but lets put it this way, theDiana Ross. She was the opposite ofwants me at my age, Im happy to do it.tophe probably oil draining out of the car gave themwhat everybody else has said. I thinkBut AC/DC, because I believe they are pleasure, so, covered in black engine oil.David Bowie "China Girl" she had a good time.the best live band anywhere.could have worked in Hollywood in 1939.52MVTMISSUE #1ISSUE #1MVTM53'