andrewwelsby

Several years ago, 2012 I think, Darren McGarvey aka Loki, and a friend and at the time frequent collaborator and producer, Sace Lockhart, approached me to ask about making a no/lo budget video for a track Loki was about to release. I guess the rap artist and producer knew that I had been making audio-visualizations, and dabbled with music videos for several years. 

The music video for Lokis’s the Name was filmed in the Panopticon in Glasgow, which is, allegedly, Britains oldest wooden built Music hall. The story goes it still stands and hasn’t burnt down like other music halls because Glasgow punters peed where they stood, saturating the wooden structure in urine and protecting it from fire. 

The structure and some of the decorations were used in the film and a broad theme of showmanship was explored with a red coat, like a ring master. A friend of Darren’s did some make up, and other pals and performers gathered to play the audience. The film was shot using multiple takes, some of which with me sitting in a wheelchair as Sace pushed my along! Lighting effects were achieved by swinging a builders lamp on the end of a cable – seriously lo-fi!

The film is rough around the edges but remains one of the more enjoyable projects because it’s content and techniques were born from creative problem solving and drawing upon the help and charity of others. I include it here because it’s a nice testament to what can be achieved with some charity and kindness. Enjoy!