Excuse me the indulgence here. These are my personal favourite videos from around our Borough. I've been involved in the music business since 1979 and I am proud of how we've put Mill Hill on the map as a studio location and with the Music Festival. These videos feature great music videos, which happen to feature good friends of mine who are brilliant musicians. Inevitably there are a couple featuring my band. These were all filmed in the Borough of Barnet.
1. This one was made by Director Charles Honderick and shot in my kitchen and on the balcony of my house in Mill Hill, with fine views of the M1. It is a great tune. It was used by Manchester City FC for their website goal of the month show in 2012! Koni played with the False Dots for several years, she was also a backing singer for rapper Emmanuel Jal, and played at Barack Obama's inauguration!
2. A few years ago I was astounded to find this video on Youtube from 1979. It is of Edgware School band, The Vektors playing at Harwood Hall. This was the first gig I ever arranged and promoted. There were 120 people there and I made a handsome profit after paying the bands, which I spent on beer and curry in the Mill Hill Tandoori with my mates! Some things never change. This was also my band The False Dots first gig, although we don't feature in the video. The Vektors were a pretty decent band and it was a great night.
3. Amy Winehouse was a Barnet girl. She started playing at venues like the Torrington. I knew her well as she was a customer at Mill Hill Music Complex. This video of her playing at the Torrington brings a tear to my, as both Amy and The Torrington are gone.
4. Alan Warner, lead guitarist of The Foundations is a great friend of mine. In 2017, he played at the Adam and Eve pub for the Mill Hill Music Festival. It was a great night and an honour to do the sound for them.
5. Lee Thompson of Madness is another great friend. His other band, The Silencerz are regulars at The Chandos Arms in Colindale. They are amazing and it is always a blast. I introduced Lee to the landlady Emily at the Chandos as she wanted to do a benefit concert for Cancer Charities. Lee liked it so much, he takes the band back a couple of times a year!
6. I love this little bit of luncacy. The Hamptons performing their amazing anthem peace on the London Underground. Nice shot of Golders Green at the Start of the video. The Hamptons were the band video director Charles Honderick put together after being inspired by The False Dots!
7. This was a special moment, the original line up of the Polecats getting together to perform Rockabilly Guy in Mill Hill, for the first time since the 1979 gig at St Pauls Church Hall. Chris Hawkes, the original drummer jumped up to play washboard with the band. A real collectors item and a pleasure to be the sound man for the night.
8. Another great friend of mine is Ivor Goldberg of Klezmer band Shir. They are some of the finest musicians I know. It was a delight to do the sound for them at The Mill Hill Music Festival in 2015 at the Mill Hill Shul. Maurice Chernick, who also plays in the band was the first paying customer when we opened our recording facility back in 1997. I put an ad in Melody Maker and said I wanted to practice my recording techniques and bands could pay what they like. It turned out Maurice was an amazing soundman, showed me loads of amazing techniques and to my complete surprise paid £100 for the session, as he was delighted. For what I learned, I should have paid him, but he insisted.
9. The Deltas are one of the best known bands on the UK Rockabilly circuit. I was delight when they recorded a video in Studio 1 at Mill Hill Music Complex. I was even more chuffed when I heard it, because it is great! If Rock and Roll is your thing, then this is for you.
10. We start where we finish, with my band, the False Dots. Connie who sung Spotlight left in 2012 as she had a world tour to complete as a backing singer. Allen Ashley, who sung with the band in 1985, rejoined to help me complete some music for a short film I was making. He's sung with the band ever since. Last year, we made a music video for the Kick Out Capita Campaign. Allen specifically wrote a song called "They Cleared Out Your Desk" about outsourcing of jobs. We filmed the video at the headquarters of Barnet Council and all around Mill Hill, taking in some great footage of the Medical Research Centre being demolished. I think that this is the best music video I've made. Very proud of it.
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Have a great weekend! I'm off to Hadley FC to see some grassroots football today!
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