shot the red carpet event of Iron Man 2, for marvel.com, on 26 April 2010. being a Marvel Comics fan since i was a young'un, and being in the middle of the carpet chaos in the center of hollywood definitely made it one of the more thrilling work days in recent memory.
Shot for Upstairs Film, hosted by Tamara Krinsky.
28 April 2010
Scourge Productions Concert Archive, Vol. 1 - Peter Murphy and Black Heart Procession
Taking a break from the Bootleg Archives this week, to show a couple of Scourge Productions archive clips, produced during the Bootleg TV era. We had access to killer gear (thanx, Bootleg!), and we got to work with great camera-folk from Bootleg TV; for live shows that we selected from our personal musical tastes. Editing is a little more experimental, but it still has the "audience perspective" aesthetic that we still insist makes a compelling concert video.
The first video is of Peter Murphy, from his legendary acoustic performance at Convergence 6 in Seattle, in the year 2000. Folks that were there will now be seeing a clip from this video for the first time. Listen for Peter's shout-out to the lady who made this performance possible!
The second video is of The Black Heart Procession, performing at the smoky, cramped club known as Graceland (now El Corazon) in Seattle. One of their best songs, from their first album - Stitched to My Heart - is the song of choice.
Both of these concerts exist in their fully edited entirety, in the Scourge Productions archives... want to see more? Let us know!
Click below to access the youtube page, or just scroll down to view the clips. Enjoy!
This week: Peter Murphy and The Black Heart Procession
Next week: Back to the Bootleg Archive with KMFDM (actually, MDFMK, in the incarnation we shot).
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/4DF7849FFC8F1E34
The first video is of Peter Murphy, from his legendary acoustic performance at Convergence 6 in Seattle, in the year 2000. Folks that were there will now be seeing a clip from this video for the first time. Listen for Peter's shout-out to the lady who made this performance possible!
The second video is of The Black Heart Procession, performing at the smoky, cramped club known as Graceland (now El Corazon) in Seattle. One of their best songs, from their first album - Stitched to My Heart - is the song of choice.
Both of these concerts exist in their fully edited entirety, in the Scourge Productions archives... want to see more? Let us know!
Click below to access the youtube page, or just scroll down to view the clips. Enjoy!
This week: Peter Murphy and The Black Heart Procession
Next week: Back to the Bootleg Archive with KMFDM (actually, MDFMK, in the incarnation we shot).
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/4DF7849FFC8F1E34
26 April 2010
Kenneth Thomas Voiceover Demo Reel
Looking for a smooth talker for your womanizing aardvark animation character? Or maybe a PSA VO that puts people's mind at ease? Or maybe a gregarious party-type voice? I'm available for voice work - specializing in these aspects, as well as others. However, the mellow womanizing partier does seem to come naturally... just click below to listen:
Kenneth Thomas Voiceovers
Kenneth Thomas Voiceovers
22 April 2010
Bootleg TV Archives - Vol. 3 - Legendary Pink Dots and Neko Case
10 years ago, I co-produced, shot and edited rock concerts in Seattle, WA. for a living. a dream job, that i still do today (less pay now, but i get to choose the bands)!
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
here is Volume 3 - 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
to view all of the posted clips so far, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/A0B5045E6E8514F0
This week: Legendary Pink Dots and Neko Case (thanks to Gregory D'Elia for putting this clip online; this is a link to that clip)
Next week: Black Heart Procession and Peter Murphy
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
here is Volume 3 - 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
to view all of the posted clips so far, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/A0B5045E6E8514F0
This week: Legendary Pink Dots and Neko Case (thanks to Gregory D'Elia for putting this clip online; this is a link to that clip)
Next week: Black Heart Procession and Peter Murphy
14 April 2010
Bootleg TV Archives - Vol. 2 - The Dandy Warhols and Queens of the Stone Age
10 years ago, I co-produced, shot and edited rock concerts in Seattle, WA. for a living. a dream job, that i still do today (less pay now, but i get to choose the bands)!
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
here is Volume 2 - 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
This week: The Dandy Warhols and Queens of the Stone Age
Next week: Legendary Pink Dots and Neko Case
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
here is Volume 2 - 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
This week: The Dandy Warhols and Queens of the Stone Age
Next week: Legendary Pink Dots and Neko Case
13 April 2010
A Weekend of Music in (actually, around) San Francisco (Originally appeared on nbcbayarea.com on 01 December 2009)
As a wanna-be San Francisco resident, I found one more reason to get up here ASAP - a weekend of eccentrically rich and blisteringly heavy music. The former was found on Friday night in Sebastopol, while the latter thrashed eardrums in San Jose. I guess not just San Francisco proper has cornered the market on an excellent variety of live music.
The Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol started the weekend, with "Fancy Booze for Semi-Fancy Folks," brought to you by Claypool Cellars - that would be Les Claypool, of Primus fame. The night was a double-bill of the tasting of his new Pinot Noir (musician, novelist, wine-maker... what next?), aptly named Purple Pachyderm; and a night of live music, billed as "Claypool and Friends." While I am not an avid fan of most live improv-jam noodly stylings, this night provided the crowd with some truly psychedelic and rhythmic grooves that even brought this critic around. Guest appearances by Larry LaLonde (guitarist from Primus) brought out a rendition of "Tommy the Cat," one of my faves by the defunct band. Gabby La La, one of Claypool's regular co-horts, brought everybody up into the psychedelic stratosphere, with her expert wielding of the sitar. Add to that some electric cello and Claypool's trademark bass grooves; and you've got a room that draws you in like a magnet and won't let you go 'til they're done. There was an expectation of a Tom Waits appearance - the main reason yours truly attended - but it was not to be. However, the cozy surroundings of the 150-year old enclave, a few glasses of the bold Pinot vino, and a live jam-session with Les and friends added up to a night that exceeded my expectations for greatness and pleased all of the "Semi-Fancy Folks."
Gears were radically shifted 20 hours later - next stop, San Jose, to witness the final show of this year's ultimate metal festival tour. Death Metal band Dethklok, the human embodiment of the enormously popular Adult Swim cartoon, Metalocalypse, co-headlined the 4-act show. Their counterparts were Mastodon, the swampy prog-metal outfit from Atlanta, Georgia; whose latest album, "Crack the Skye" has taken the metal world by storm, selling over 200,000 copies. As if that wasn't enough, Boston legends Converge, hardcore/extreme metal masters of a 20-year vintage; and local shredding heroes High on Fire, opened the show.
Every band had it's core followers rushing up front for their performances. Matt Pike, High on Fire's guitarist and vocalist, dominated the stage like a man possessed, feeding off said fans' energy and returning it back with his trademark growly vocals and expert heavy riffage on his guitar. For a band that usually headlines sub-800 person venues, these metal veterans knew how to dominate the San Jose arena.
30 minutes after High on Fire's set ended, Converge emerged to crush the crowd. And crush they did, with their trademark mix of hardcore and complex metal rhythms, earning the trademark "metalcore." They're a band that Mastodon, the co-headliner, has stated as an influence; and it was easy to see why. Jake Bannon screamed the vocals with genuine desperation, flailing about the stage for the entirety of their 30-minute set. The bassist, Nate Newton, was not far behind in the aerobic category - this has got the be the most physically active band on the planet. That energy rubbed off on the crowd, ushering in a mosh-pit, which visibly garnered the approval of the singer.
As expected, the crowd doubled in size after Converge's set; as most fans were there for the co-headliners. Being a 36-year old metal fan, I loved witnessing the vast number of youngsters - many donning Slayer hats, Children of Bodom t-shirts, and genuinely into the music they came to witness tonight.
Fans of Mastodon who didn't know what to expect (like me) were greatly surprised - the band played their latest album, Crack the Skye, in its entirety - with full visual projections to accompany each song. Their latest is a concept album, and the visuals supported this by portraying psychedelic visions of out-of-body experiences of a character that is trying to find his way home - pretty complex stuff to describe here, but let's just say that the bands complex musicianship and epically building song structures meshed perfectly with the visuals. A full-on sensory overload of the best kind!
The show ended with a 60-minute set from Dethklok, the "cartoon death metal band" fronted by Brendan Small, creator of said cartoon, Metalocalypse. It must have been odd for fans to witness 3 bands fronted by long-haired and/or tattooed axe-wielders; and then have Dethklok emerge as 4 clean-cut dudes who look more like dot-commers. After all, they're really just fans of this genre that basically were called into touring by the cartoon's popularity. But, once the music started, the cookie-monster-style vocals and heavy riffage overtook everybody's pre-conceived notions.
Dethklok also incorporated visuals for each song, but each one was precisely timed to the live music - with the cartoon band being projected and "playing" along with the real band on-stage, to humorous, yet crushing, tunes like "Murmaider" and "Pull the Plug." The result was perfect for the crowd - the old metal fans could stand back and laugh at the in-joke-heavy metal cartoons; while the sub-21-year-olds were enticed to throw up the trademark devil-horns and push their way up front to the mosh pit. Not band for a "cartoon band!"
The 4.5-hour metal fest ended with Dethklok and Mastodon profusely thanking the road crew and crowd; saying a final goodbye to all, as this was the last stop on the 7-week tour. Having gotten barraged for that length of time, I was ready to pass out on the ride home - if only I had a bottle of Claypool Cellars' Purple Pachyderm to finish off the evening... Can't complain too much after a weekend of musical bliss like this. Thank you, Bay Area!
The Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol started the weekend, with "Fancy Booze for Semi-Fancy Folks," brought to you by Claypool Cellars - that would be Les Claypool, of Primus fame. The night was a double-bill of the tasting of his new Pinot Noir (musician, novelist, wine-maker... what next?), aptly named Purple Pachyderm; and a night of live music, billed as "Claypool and Friends." While I am not an avid fan of most live improv-jam noodly stylings, this night provided the crowd with some truly psychedelic and rhythmic grooves that even brought this critic around. Guest appearances by Larry LaLonde (guitarist from Primus) brought out a rendition of "Tommy the Cat," one of my faves by the defunct band. Gabby La La, one of Claypool's regular co-horts, brought everybody up into the psychedelic stratosphere, with her expert wielding of the sitar. Add to that some electric cello and Claypool's trademark bass grooves; and you've got a room that draws you in like a magnet and won't let you go 'til they're done. There was an expectation of a Tom Waits appearance - the main reason yours truly attended - but it was not to be. However, the cozy surroundings of the 150-year old enclave, a few glasses of the bold Pinot vino, and a live jam-session with Les and friends added up to a night that exceeded my expectations for greatness and pleased all of the "Semi-Fancy Folks."
Gears were radically shifted 20 hours later - next stop, San Jose, to witness the final show of this year's ultimate metal festival tour. Death Metal band Dethklok, the human embodiment of the enormously popular Adult Swim cartoon, Metalocalypse, co-headlined the 4-act show. Their counterparts were Mastodon, the swampy prog-metal outfit from Atlanta, Georgia; whose latest album, "Crack the Skye" has taken the metal world by storm, selling over 200,000 copies. As if that wasn't enough, Boston legends Converge, hardcore/extreme metal masters of a 20-year vintage; and local shredding heroes High on Fire, opened the show.
Every band had it's core followers rushing up front for their performances. Matt Pike, High on Fire's guitarist and vocalist, dominated the stage like a man possessed, feeding off said fans' energy and returning it back with his trademark growly vocals and expert heavy riffage on his guitar. For a band that usually headlines sub-800 person venues, these metal veterans knew how to dominate the San Jose arena.
30 minutes after High on Fire's set ended, Converge emerged to crush the crowd. And crush they did, with their trademark mix of hardcore and complex metal rhythms, earning the trademark "metalcore." They're a band that Mastodon, the co-headliner, has stated as an influence; and it was easy to see why. Jake Bannon screamed the vocals with genuine desperation, flailing about the stage for the entirety of their 30-minute set. The bassist, Nate Newton, was not far behind in the aerobic category - this has got the be the most physically active band on the planet. That energy rubbed off on the crowd, ushering in a mosh-pit, which visibly garnered the approval of the singer.
As expected, the crowd doubled in size after Converge's set; as most fans were there for the co-headliners. Being a 36-year old metal fan, I loved witnessing the vast number of youngsters - many donning Slayer hats, Children of Bodom t-shirts, and genuinely into the music they came to witness tonight.
Fans of Mastodon who didn't know what to expect (like me) were greatly surprised - the band played their latest album, Crack the Skye, in its entirety - with full visual projections to accompany each song. Their latest is a concept album, and the visuals supported this by portraying psychedelic visions of out-of-body experiences of a character that is trying to find his way home - pretty complex stuff to describe here, but let's just say that the bands complex musicianship and epically building song structures meshed perfectly with the visuals. A full-on sensory overload of the best kind!
The show ended with a 60-minute set from Dethklok, the "cartoon death metal band" fronted by Brendan Small, creator of said cartoon, Metalocalypse. It must have been odd for fans to witness 3 bands fronted by long-haired and/or tattooed axe-wielders; and then have Dethklok emerge as 4 clean-cut dudes who look more like dot-commers. After all, they're really just fans of this genre that basically were called into touring by the cartoon's popularity. But, once the music started, the cookie-monster-style vocals and heavy riffage overtook everybody's pre-conceived notions.
Dethklok also incorporated visuals for each song, but each one was precisely timed to the live music - with the cartoon band being projected and "playing" along with the real band on-stage, to humorous, yet crushing, tunes like "Murmaider" and "Pull the Plug." The result was perfect for the crowd - the old metal fans could stand back and laugh at the in-joke-heavy metal cartoons; while the sub-21-year-olds were enticed to throw up the trademark devil-horns and push their way up front to the mosh pit. Not band for a "cartoon band!"
The 4.5-hour metal fest ended with Dethklok and Mastodon profusely thanking the road crew and crowd; saying a final goodbye to all, as this was the last stop on the 7-week tour. Having gotten barraged for that length of time, I was ready to pass out on the ride home - if only I had a bottle of Claypool Cellars' Purple Pachyderm to finish off the evening... Can't complain too much after a weekend of musical bliss like this. Thank you, Bay Area!
08 April 2010
Bootleg TV Archives - Vol. 1 - Sunny Day Real Estate and The The
10 years ago, I co-produced, shot and edited rock concerts in Seattle, WA. for a living. a dream job, that i still do today (less pay now, but i get to choose the bands)!
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
starting today - once a week, on thursday, i will post 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
This week: Sunny Day Real Estate and The The.
Next week: The Dandy Warhols and Queens of the Stone Age.
Copy and paste this link to go to the page of all the videos, or just watch this week's selection below:
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/A0B5045E6E8514F0
the company was called Bootleg TV, and its initial purpose was to shoot and edit live shows, in full cooperation with the bands, in order to please fans and get more material out there for the artists. the original idea was to stream these shows on the web, followed by whatever the artist wanted to do with the recordings. basically extending the power of the live show, and keeping it in control of the artist.
with the present-day common knowledge of youtube and vimeo, that might not seem too crazy; but back in 2000, web video was still in its infancy - well, more of a toddler, really. now that today's technology allows for easy viewing of anything and everything, i figured it was time to bring these videos back, in a way that is similar to what was imagined back then. i think we were just a bit too early for this idea in 2000!
starting today - once a week, on thursday, i will post 2 new songs, from 2 different concerts, from the "Bootleg TV" days. Two to three camera shoots, professional soundboard mixes, and a non-MTV, "from the audience" aesthetic. credits for the shoots are in the info of each youtube clip.
This week: Sunny Day Real Estate and The The.
Next week: The Dandy Warhols and Queens of the Stone Age.
Copy and paste this link to go to the page of all the videos, or just watch this week's selection below:
http://www.youtube.com/scourgetv#p/c/A0B5045E6E8514F0
02 April 2010
Trailer for Chameleons UK DVD i produced and directed
check it out, Chameleons fans - if you didn't know it existed, well... it does! the official 2002 reunion DVD. a 2-disc set, over 2 nights in San Franicsco in 2002. one night, the full electric set; the other night, a bit quieter and semi-acoustic.
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