Review: Landmine Marathon Video Shoot

Still photos and a chance to win a copy of Sovereign Descent

TPStank • Tuesday, April 6, 2010 • 12:04 PM

Congrats to Jody Kregelka from Green Bay, WI! Wow, thanks for checking out AZ's local music scene and playing the contest!

Grace from Landmine Marathon photographed by Manny

Local metal brethren, Landmine Marathon, recently returned home from a SxSW, where they got the word from their label, Prosthetic Records, that they had less than two weeks to get a video shot. "We were made aware of an end of March deadline WHILE we were on tour until March 22nd." says guitarist, Ryan Butler. BlatantLocalism.net got a heads up from Ryan a week before their Monday deadline to try and draw as many people as possible.

"CASTING CALL: no joke, we are filming a music video on Monday 3/29 and would love to get some help from our friends as extras... It's gonna be a house show vibe... Come party with us! Food and drink provided. It will be Monday March 29th in central Phoenix from 6-8pm... For ALL the details and to be on the list you MUST email and Matt will send you all the details and release form etc. We'd love to have you there and to have people going apeshit."

Mission accomplished. Below are some personal experiences from some who attended the video shoot, and some fantastic photography by Manny which was shot on his Canon Elan 7 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens using Walgreens film. To check out some more of his awesome photography, visit www.publicaffection.tumblr.com.

Ryan Butler

The video was a blast. Turned out really awesome and is totally "us". I can't wait to show it, but we have no idea when that will be. Just saw the final cut and have to wait for approval etc. David Brodsky did a fabulous job and really got what we were going for! The video is absolute chaos!

Manny

What I loved about this video shoot is that it was in the middle of Phoenix in the middle of a really quiet neighborhood. So, imagine a bunch of punk and metal kids going insane at this house in the middle of it all. We had to do about 8 takes of the video which consisted of filming each member and then eventually the video guy filming the crowd going insane for which we will get some screen time.

It was VERY hot in there. Imagine the hotness of a house show but throw in some bright lights and me wearing all black. I felt like I could have passed out. Everyone seemed to be real into it, and despite us being tired I think we got something great. Lots of people were there that are involved in the Arizona punk/metal community.

Danny NSK

The room was so hot it was almost foggy. Imagine like almost 50 people, gear included, stuffed into a 8x10 room with no air. The director was moving with all the kids dancing taking hits while getting good shots on each take. The guy was a trooper. He looked like a buff long haired Robin Williams.

The neighborhood was shady, some dudes walked by and threw us a gang sign. This weird little Mexican kid that looked like an Ewok was starring at us all in the driveway not talking for like 40 minutes. I gave him a slice of pizza and he bolted. Guess he was hungry.

But the room was packed with girls and guys and it was a house show vibe. Grace was on top of the crowd raging punching the ceiling. I even danced once or twice! I cant really tell you who was there cause though I recognized a bunch I'm bad with names. I went with Jay Fotos. This dude Joe Distort twisted his ankle.

Jay Fotos

We showed up around 5:30, The video was shot at one of the guitarists house. Waited around for other people to show up until around 6:30. Butler ordered a nice stack of Papa John's Pizza for everyone.

By the time we showed up they have already shot the band members, they needed "crowd shots" that we (about 25-30 people) squeezed into a 10x10 room (remember there was a drum kit/lighting/amps in this room as well). They ran thru the the song about 7-10 times, each take focusing on one member of the band with the crowd. It was grueling, for the house had no AC and they had to keep all the doors/windows shut for the noise (it was LOUD), with all the people thrashing you can guess that room heated up like the surface of the sun, but with the sweat of long haired, pimply faced metal kids! I lasted for about 3 takes, was just to hot! Danny was a trooper, stayed in that room the whole time, he probably lost 10lbs.

It was funny to see after about 1 or 2 takes they would let everyone out of the room to get some air/drink water... like they all stepped out of a sauna, at the last few takes the room was so hot it was "foggy".

Joe Distort

"ALRIGHT-NO ONE STANDING STILL! EVERYONE MOVING!"

And with that basic instruction, we had to fake being at a TOTALLY! CRAZY! HOUSE! SHOW!, while watching LANDMINE MARATHON play along to their own song six times in a row.

Honestly, I thought it would be odd and awkward to get a bunch of the Phoenix kids together in their guitarist Dylan's house with a video 'crew' (XXXX and I think two spotters? They were very serious about us not hitting lights.). So after getting kinda lost in a neighborhood less than a mile from home and finding the spot, myself and the esteemable Miss Distort got to said house at the last minute. As soon as the music started, it lost a lot of the awkwardness as shit got REALLY rowdy quick. The first take was probably the craziest as no one was exhausted from the heat yet. I'm pretty sure Grace got thrown into the ceiling? And I may have thrown Brad of local beard fame on top of a bunch of people. So we do that three more times doing separate focus on separate areas for editing when I totally eat shit, getting nailed trying to, y'know, bring some sick mosh and shit brah. Awesome. My ankle rolled under itself and felt all crunchy so I power hobbled into the kitchen where all around humanitarian Jonathan Peters did some ghetto field dressing with a bag of ice and magic.

There were a few more takes, but I had to chill in the back standing on one foot and acting all metal. Well, as metal as a dude who can't put weight on a foot can look. After an hour and a half or so in the hot box, I totally ate half a pizza. A bunch of people left to go see DOOMRIDERS. I went home and soaked my foot.

Highlight: This 'show' was way crazier than the actual record release show
Lowlight: I'm still kinda hobbling
Pizza: four slices, plain cheese
Thumbs: up

Wanna get your ears on the new Sovereign Descent album by Landmine Marathon? Click the button below and fill out the email for your chance to win! One winner will be chosen and notified on Friday, April 16th. Huge thanks to Mike over at Prosthetic Records for hooking this up!

Ludicra & Landmine Marathon @ Nile Underground 4/28

Also, if you haven't had a chance to catch Landmine Marathon yet, you can see them at the Nile Underground with Ludicra, Black Hell and Nightgaun on Wednesday, April 28th. Word around the sandbox is that this is Black Hell's last show, so cough up $10 for these local hardworking metal heads and go see this show!

with:

• Landmine Marathon
• Ludicra
• Black Hell
• Nightgaun

And now herer's the video!

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