(Short documentary film about musician Gavin Clark)

The following is an edited version of a message which Shane left on the FORUM:

Now the madness (of This Is England) has finally died down, I will be making my first short film since Northern Soul in the next month.. It is a documentary about Gavin Clark (of the bands, Sunhouse and Clayhill) and his new Solo accoustic album that we are recording in his Living room at the moment.

The idea came about a few weeks ago when I dropped in to see Gavin after Clayhill's tour of America (supporting Beth Orton) and found him sat with the Yellow Pages looking for a job delivering Pizzas! It turned out that the Record company had ran out of money after the last album and had dropped the band that very morning. The idea of Gav delivering pizzas again at 37 made me wanna puke up and I got in touch with Mark (my producer) about trying to get the funds to make an album and short film that could get Gav known to a wider audience and hopefully get him re-signed as a solo artist in the process.

Gavin Clark

Now me and Gav go back a very long way and I have always been baffled as to why his work remains largely undiscovered. My own tinpot theory is this: His home recordings (just him and guitar) are amongst the most beautiful and touching songs I have ever heard, but that maybe the process of then taking those songs into a studio with a band somehow takes away some of the raw emotion. So I asked Gav if he had any new solo stuff that I could listen to, he set the Tascam running and left the room. When he came back in I had a great feckkin lump in my throat. I was like "This is what you need to release, This is You!".

So the idea was born and the Album is underway. The filming is gonna take place over the next few weeks and will culminate in Gavin playing his first ever Solo gig in the living room where it all began. Analogue blogs to follow...

CURRENT STATUS
The filming and the edit are completed.. Currently awaiting further news about the date and method of it's release!

You can keep track of further developments in the SHANE'S SHORTS section of the FORUM

KING OF THE GYPSIES