VOODOO HUSSY

by Jez Bond

It’s a rainy Monday morning and we’re beavering away with emails and paperwork.

I have never written my blog in the morning, it has always been a dead of night affair. However I wanted to use today’s column inches to write about the on site events of the weekend, so here goes:

Late last week Jules Taylor, stage manager at the RSC, and I were supposed to be going for a meal to catch up (years ago we had worked together at Watford). It was the day of the tube strikes so I called her to suggest that we reschedule. Whilst on the phone – I was in the park walking the dog, she was in the middle of a forest recording strange sounds with the RSC – she mentioned that she was urgently looking for a location to shoot a music video but so far had not found the right place…

Other than contractors, the design team and a few personal tours, we’d never let unrelated parties into the building before. Subject to securing the relevant insurance and to managing the project efficiently, with a keen eye for health and safety, I agreed for the band to use the space.

Fronted by Big Brother star Shabby Katchadourian, Voodoo Hussy are a young fresh punk rock band. This was the shoot for the video of their new single ‘Say You Love Me‘.

 

When Melli and I popped by to see how they were getting on it was great. Finally some creativity in the space. It really changed the energy of the building – in fact I made a point of asking them not to paint over the graffiti they sprayed on the walls. How long it will last I can’t be sure – but it would be nice to think that the rather apt ‘Love Me’ might remain in the backstage corridor for countless actors and creatives to walk past on the way to the stage.

Jules did a fantastic job – ensuring there was an updated list of who was in the building at all times, providing fire extinguishers and first aid kits as well as cordoning off danger areas, covering holes and putting up key signs. I had every faith in her and was at ease from the start but arriving and seeing the effort she had put in to ensure a smooth ride was great.

Without sound proofing yet in place my main concern had been the noise levels. Conscious of the neighbours I had stipulated restrictions on hours and that no amplified music be played on the Sunday. Jules ensured that the music ended by 10pm on the Saturday and, as they were able to fit in all the set-ups, they didn’t have to return on the Sunday at all.

Check out Voodoo Hussy here www.voodoohussy.co.uk and look out for the new single filmed exclusively at The Park Theatre on their youtube channel soon http://www.youtube.com/voodoohussy