The 8th music video for British band WEAK13 titled You Don’t Love Me was filmed in 2011, produced by Nick J.Townsend and directed by young filmmaker Martyn Kilvert with the assistance of his brother Daniel Kilvert. It was all shot in one day and it was a big challenge for Nick, Neel and Wesley to set up.
“We had to gather about 80 people of different looks, who were all notified 30 days leading up to the shoot, to meet up at one location within a 3 hour period. The location was Base Studios in Stourbridge England. The music video had to be filmed infront of a real crowd and then inbetween takes a boxing ring was assembled next to the stage where a mock fight club style boxing match took place. Most of the extras cast for the music video were either musicians, models or close friends of the band. It was a very talented crowd as some big names in UK underground music were on set to make cameo appearences in the music video. These include band members from Eight Great Fears, Left For Red, Mudball, Through The Ruins, Isolated Atoms, Spearmint 6, Frozen Theory and Last Judgement. Plus solo artists and diva’s Becky Rose and Laura Broad. There were many British alternative models on set including Raven Brookes and Roze Thorn, plus a real full-time professional Dominatrix by the name of Mistress Satine. It was a fun day on set and I think the music video shows a lot of that”
- Nick J.Townsend
There was also a guest appearence at the beginning of the music video from USA radio broadcaster Annie Christ who does an intro for the band music video. In the crowd of the music video was another radio broadcaster, Andy O’Hare from the BBC. The WEAK13 tune You Don’t Love Me was recorded by producer and engineer David Davies
One of the funniest scenes in the You Don’t Love Me music video was the mock fight sequence involving a man being beaten to death by a black 24 inch rubber cock. Also, during the filming of the fight scene Bassplayer Wesley Smith instead of joining in kissed almost everyone on set in the boxing ring including former stage actress Margaret Williams who appears in the music video wearing a 70′s afro wig.
The music video You Don’t Love Me for British band WEAK13 was filmed at a rehearsal and live recording studio called Base Studios which is located in Stourbridge England. The photos here were taken by photographers David Morley and Stephen Owens. The finished music video can be seen here below on YouTube
Behind the scenes
The painter who appears in the official You Don’t Love Me music video is the artist Mike Flight who many years ago was Nick J.Townsend’s former art teacher at College. He was invited by Nick to take part in the music video as he’d been very inspiring to him during his late teeneage years and wanted to say thanks back by allowing him to show others what he does best – Art.
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SPECIAL MOCK ‘LIVE’ VERSION of YOU DON’T LOVE ME
Months before the You Don’t Love Me music video was made, a mock live music video of the same song was created before the official music video was filmed. It was shot and directed by horror filmmaker Thomas Lee Rutter who previous directed the DNA music video for Weak13. It was only made as a quick bit of extra fun whilst waiting to start filming the official music video for You Don’t Love Me. The mock LIVE music video features alternative model Raven Brookes and engineer Ian ‘Crazy Mule’ who recorded the entire ‘Live Ammo‘ album for Weak13.
The mock LIVE music video can be seen below on YouTube.
LIVE AMMO is a live experimental album and a music experience, a test of a musician.
Rules for recording the album were made first. British musician Nick J.Townsend agreed with Live sound engineer Ian ‘Crazy Mule’ to make a record together but all the instruments & vocals had to be recorded in the first take and everything was to be recorded live using analogue, “whatever goes on record stays on it”, leaving it raw and natural sounding, there will be no audio mistakes.
This agreement between musician and engineer meant that everything had to be thrown into each recording take and every song was taken very serious. Real tears, love and pain are all captured on this record.
Each song was also recorded hours after a near death experience, a broken relationship or a life changing series of events and emotions. Nick agreed that he would only record a song whenever an emotion suiting the song would surface.
Nick moved home to live with the engineer so that he could be on standby in order to perform when the time was right. In over six months the two of them got to know each other well, knew each others strengths and bonded.
During this time the pair visited music shops to buy Vintage amps for particular songs, shopped for old instruments, came up with un-orthodox recording techniques and improvised where possible.
On some tracks extra background noise was encouraged and used as an instrument of it’s own in order to give texture and warmth to certain parts of songs. Recording was always a subject matter during the six months but life and moving forward was the most important avenue for both of them. LIVE AMMO is the final result and a dedication to live analogue recording and music improvisation.
(1) LUNATIC
LUNATIC. A song for liberation, cleansing of the soul, breaking free and self realisation. This live acoustic song was written after Nick came out of a five year relationship with his then partner, the lyrics came after Nick committed a failed suicide attempt and he wrote them in the same room two days later. Not long after the song was written he left his hometown and decided to take his music out for the world to see and hear.
LUNATIC music video
(2) Nothing To Lose
NOTHING TO LOSE. All the percussion used on this track were household and garden objects, a complete organic industrial drum-kit was designed and built by Nick J.Townsend purely for this song.
The lyrics are based on a poem by Keith Evans, a hard-working factory worker who never had an inclining to be a poet.
Nick J.Townsend read the poem and promised a song would be created for him based on the poem he wrote which was about a woman Keith had so much love for.
Nick, at the time of recording this song, had pretty much nothing to lose as he had recently lost his home, broke up with his partner and had little in the way of money. Many people who were close to Nick turned their back on him the moment things looked bleak.
He had walked away from his home town, started a lot of things from scratch. To him it didn’t matter what had happened or what people thought of him as he really had nothing to lose by dedicating his life to music.
“You only appreciate everything once you’ve lost it all”.
NOTHING TO LOSE music video
(3) Wake Down
The WAKE DOWN track is a minefield of creative sounds.
First written way back in 2000, Nick decided ten years later to attempt to record a super version of this song which he had been playing live on the gig circuit since the millennium.
Inspired by many trips to underground raves at the Q Club in Birmingham (United Kingdom) and a love of mixing music together. A combination of Thrash metal, Mid 90′s techno, Industrial music and pure experimentation.
This battlefield of styles was designed to sound like a war of different music all fighting for glory. The final stages of the song which gives the listener a gentle clean guitar breakdown over the top of cry-like sounds using improvised guitar pick scrapes and swells “To record the first half of WAKE DOWN we had to use a lot of interesting equipment such as a BOSS DR5 drum machine. I wanted the drums and guitars to sound like bullets being fired from a cannon or like something you’d hear during trench warfare during world war 1, towards the end I wanted the guitars to sound like the distant screams of soldiers in the trenches”.
Nick actually broke down in tears towards the end of the song, a memory came to him of himself standing over the body of his then mother-in-law who had died. He was the second person to discover her body and seconds later he had to inform his then partner that her mother had passed away.
WAKE DOWN music video
(4) My Last Partner
MY LAST PARTNER was written in about twenty minutes. Nick saw how upset his friend ‘Crazy Mule’ was after witnessing the engineers former lover go to great lengths to hurt the loving father of three beautiful children.
“The song is about being almost being blind to domestic violence in a relationship due to being in love, moving on is the most sane thing to do, but it’s so hard for some as there are many factors”.
Nick saw how the engineer was struggling to recognise how he was being manipulated by love. Although the song sounds like a love song, it’s a secret cry for help, “Sometimes those we are in love with can hurt us hard, we don’t attempt to blame them as we are so obsessed with them and if they don’t show love back to us then we try harder to be loved. Wrong love is more dangerous than no love at all”.
The drums on this track were provided by Ben Newey and the entire song was recorded in the Engineer’s living room which was many times over a scene of domestic violence. Women are more than capable of inflicting violence, it’s not a man’s world.
(5) Prouder Than U2
PROUDER THAN U2 “This song is about being being told by a music journalist that you are not a serious musician. Quite frustrating but this happens to pretty much everyone starting out a career in music in some way shape or form. More often than not, the person making the judgement is picking holes with you because they failed their dreams of being a musician and quit. However, some of these journalists are actually still in bands and when they see someone doing well they’d sooner steal their ideas and try their hardest to slate the band or musician they stole the idea from. Weird huh?”.
This basement sounding gritty rap metal number is a guns blazing energetic ode to standing up for yourself. “Be proud to be yourself”.
PROUDER THAN U 2 music video
(6) D.N.A.
The eerie dark and disturbing track D.N.A., recorded over real ‘white noise’ static, capturing loss and despair.
This song was the hardest to record due to Nick trying to come to terms with the death of his Granddad who was a childhood hero to him, it was a very cold morbid atmosphere in the studio and because of that the track itself felt like a portal into the spirit world.
The subject nature of the track talks about how the majority of the human race strives to create a perfect society and how anything imperfect is seen as wrong, a disability or in need of correction.
Nick himself was scarred at birth, bullied throughout his childhood and labelled a freak. He had surgery at the age of 13 to hide his defect and became a “real boy” like as in the tale of Pinochio.
After years of ridicule he had little in the way of social skills and didn’t know how to talk to others. Whenever he met knew people he had no idea how to introduce himself or understand danger.
Nick decided being imperfect is something to be proud of and in many ways regretted having the surgery as he had no way of understanding who was a friend and who wasn’t so he shaved half of his hair off so that society would view him as a freak once again.
He has remained the same way ever since. This song is a mix of emotions and deeper than words can describe.
D.N.A. music video
(7) My Own Yours
MY OWN YOURS. This upbeat industrial rock song was the first WEAK13 song ever written.
At the turn of the millennium Demo’s, CD’s and tapes were passed around at gigs which came from bands who had starting to record from their bedrooms. The software was starting to be introduced to the public domain.
MY OWN YOURS is a tribute to early demo tapes. Nick wanted the entire song to be as raw as possible and recreated sounds which he had used to record the song ten years earlier in a bedroom on a friends personal computer.
“Recording a bedroom-sounding song in one analogue live take and trying to make it capture an early demo sound was very fun to do, we wanted to make it feel a little immature”.
This song may remind people of the millions of other bands out there with demo’s like it, then again it may well be forgotten and lost like so many other songs out there. This is underground nostalgia but it is music nonetheless.
(8) M1TH3R F1CK3R
M1TH3R F1CK3R. A complete insult to the music industry.
Live, powerful, childish, innocent, carefree and definitely no auto tune. Lyrics are not always important in order for them to be inspiring.
This middle finger to radio friendly tunes is anti-popular music and an anti-lyric song with a deeper message.
“Play LIVE and have fun, never forget to be yourself on your own terms. Some music is not meant to be understood”.
M1TH3R F1CK3R features Neel Parmar on drums and Wesley Smith on Bass Guitar who join Nick (guitar and vocals) for this over the top song recorded in one live analogue take to show what happens when you lock three people in a room and ask them to write something with a bit of a kick.
Album Credits
All instruments performed by Nick J.Townsend. Drums on MY LAST PARTNER by Ben Newey. Drums on M1TH3R F1CK3R by Neel Parmar. Bass guitar on M1TH3R F1CK3R by Wesley Smith. All tracks recorded and engineered by Ian ‘Crazy Mule’.
Directed & Edited by Martyn Kilvert
Produced by Nick J. Townsend
Actress Leila Alexandra (Model/Actress)
Photography Mark H. Roberts
Actress make-Up by Becca Owen
Hair & Lighting by Lynne Roberts
Location: TOP SECRET
Nick J.Townsend goes awol in his latest music video for WEAK13 for the single NOTHING TO LOSE. The most artistic WEAK13 music video to date and combines the imagination of Nick J.Townsend and Martyn Kilvert. In this music video a Sex Pest is humiliated on a tennis court. Dark humour, a surreal dream-like fairytale adventure set in an enchanted forest.
The music video from WEAK13 titled NOTHING TO LOSE which was Produced and storyboarded by Nick J.Townsend himself. Filmed in 2010 and a month after the WAKE DOWN music video was released. NOTHING TO LOSE is directed by the brilliant young film maker Martyn Kilvert who has already filmed music videos for WEAK13 such as LUNATIC and PROUDER THAN U2.
The Nothing To Lose music video was filmed during one of the hottest days of the year.
Martyn Kilvert – About the Director
Since childhood, Martyn has been creating with whatever tools he can his hands on. This has lead to animations, sketches, music albums, short films, graphic design, 3d work, webpages and so on! Now that he’s finished film courses at university and college, he works freelance amongst the creative industry. Under the name Kilvertm, he produces music videos, live performance videos, graphic designs and music. Currently, he seeks employment in a creative environment but continues to work on a commission basis. He loves what he does and it shows in his dedication to the projects he works on.
Photos by Mark H.Roberts
The tennis court used in the music video for Nothing To Lose was filmed at a top secret location in the UK. However, we can reveal that many years ago the girl with the most famous bum in the world known as Fiona Butler (very famous for that tennis bum shot) lived near the same location when she was younger.
During a period of 18 months a group of people in the West Midlands (United Kingdom) got together to produce a music video for singer songwriter Nick J Townsend’s underground act WEAK13. The collective aim to enter it in all the major music video and film competitions around the world to show off their work as film and music makers and to win the recognition of their work with awards, which are sure to follow.
Nick J Townsend
WAKE DOWN music video
Producer Craig Leonard and director Chris Stone with Nick J.Townsend on machine gun tower
Craig Leonard, Producer and actor, from Kidderminster (UK), Chris Stone, Award winning Film Director, from Staffordshire (UK), and Nick J. Townsend, singer and songwriter aka WEAK13, from Stourbridge (UK), came up with the idea of working together after a chance meeting in a cafe to make a video together.
After settling on a World War One theme, Nick put forward the most suitable track he had to meet the chaos of the film and the action involved. Craig Leonard then spent 12 months building the Trench set in a field in Kidderminster (UK) by hand, and recruiting people from the midlands and in the world of Historical re-enacting in the midlands to take part in it.
Filming was done over several weekends, in the most extreme weather
Filming was done over several weekends, in the most extreme weathers, over the winter months to maintain the realism. Everyone gave their free time to produce an outstanding film to show what could be done on a very limited budget by a group of professional enthusiasts from their respected fields. To put a value on this project, for another well known band to achieve the same results it would cost in the region of £250,000.
The music video ‘WAKE DOWN’ can currently be seen on YouTube as well as on the WEAK13 Official fan site and is about to be sent to film festivals around the world. The stunning special effects, realistic acting, wonderful art direction and powerful soundtrack have already got the attention of many. WEAK13′s WAKE DOWN music video made its debut at the NEC Memorabilia show in Birmingham and amazed everyone in attendance.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The realistic WorldWar 1 look has been achieved thanks to an English company ‘Props resources dept’ which is directed by Craig Leonard.
Props resources dept info:
Craig Leonard realized that many other companies could use his skill, so the name props resources dept was formed
The company was originally started 26 years ago, but the name was only used for the last three years. The props dept was formed to dispose of or hire out ex film props. This soon expanded into wardrobe and equipment. Supplying the BBC with items previously sold via auctions, Craig Leonard realized that many other companies could use his skill, so the name props resources dept was formed.
Working directly as an actor, supporting artist or behind the scenes, the company came with a high reputation as a leading new source to the filming industry. Later the casting resources was formed to supply film extras as well as clothing and props.
The company and its divisions were involved with projects such as Atonement, the new Hovis bread advert, Turpin, Nottingham staring Russell Crowe and the latest Harry potter film due for release. It was the sudden death of a friend of Nick J.Townsend which inspired the new WEAK13 rock video to be shot, Chris Bowel (R.I.P.) who was also a big WEAK13 fan had a big hobby which was dressing up for re-enactment groups. Nick wanted to show his love for his friend by making sure his next music video (Wake Down) featured a lot of his friends re-enactment group members and friends.
Nick J. Townsend fronts this meaningful portray of despair set in the horrific events of the great war. The entire set was specifically built for this rock video, with all props costumes and extras done by Craig’s company.
With top London photographer Martin Brent and Midland-based 2nd photographer Mark H.Roberts, special effects by Matt Harley and directed by top director Chris Stone the scenes truly look shocking. The trench took nearly 12 months to weather in for the look sought before filming could even start. The set is also due to be used for a forth coming 30 minute short film due for filming in summer 2010.
Chris Stone (Director)
Chris Stone, Award winning Film Director, from Staffordshire (UK) with Martin Brent
Film maker gearing up to direct WEAK13′s sixth music video.
Previous projects include music videos for ‘The Black Apples’ and ‘The Cameleonz’. Director of short film ‘His Name Was Ben’
BEST NEW WRITING (Buxton Festival Fringe 2006)
BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (LA Film Festival),
BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST SOUND DESIGN (Young Independent Film & Television Awards)
Craig Leonard (Set design/Props/wardrobe)
Director of ‘prop resources dept.’ and ‘casting resources dept.’ supplying actors extras wardrobe and props to the film industry. Responsible for the costumes, set and the realistic look to the music video which is set in 1917 WW1. Over the years, Craig and CRD have been apart of some spectacular productions, which include ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Atonement’, ‘Sharpe’ (tv series) and Band of Brothers – Spooks (tv series). The Props Resource Department has been supplying the TV and Film industry with Props, Weapons and Scenery for over 20 years.
Matt Harley (Special effects)
Trinity Pyrotechnics Ltd provide firework displays, SFX for film/TV and music videos. Plus a huge number of different battlefield simulation effects. We are based in the Midlands UK, therefore idealy placed to cover the whole nation.
The mock LIVE music video can be seen below on YouTube.
