By now we’re sure you know Caligula’s Horse as one of the country’s most exciting and creative progressive rock bands, but with the release of their new clip for ‘Turntail’ you’re about to associate them as the makers behinds one of the year’s most stunning and visually gripping local music videos.
Cut from the band’s internationally acclaimed third album Bloom, the video was filmed at GC Studios on the Gold Coast and saw them working with previous collaborator Adrian Goleby. Together, their aim was to create a video that was uplifting but conveyed a strong political message, as well as themes of rebellion, fighting for freedom, and standing your ground against an oppressor.
“‘Turntail’ is exactly what Caligula’s Horse is about – It’s powerful, energetic, melodic and forthright – this is a song about taking a stand, about fighting for freedom in whatever way you can,” says frontman Jim Grey.
We chatted further with Grey about how the clip came together and what it means for the progressive collective. Check it out below and if you like what you’re hearing/ seeing – catch the band on the road this month (dates below) or pop by the Caligula’s Horse Facebook page for more info.
How the Idea For The Clip Came About
It’s one we’ve had in the works for a while, we definitely wanted to try and capture the message behind ‘Turntail’, and there had been a few different ideas that we’d been tossing around, but all of them had to do with the theme of refugees and taking courage in a time of crisis.
Originally the clip was going to be a lot more literal in terms of plot and characters, but the concept ended up growing into what you see now after we saw the first drafts of the poster art for the ‘Turntail’ Tour put together by the incredible Chris Stevenson-Mangos. The image of the bright and colourful dancer escaping from the grey stone version of herself was a huge inspiration, and we found a way to bring that image to life and tell our story at the same time.
The Message of The Clip & Why It’s Not ‘Political’
It does have a message about our treatment of refugees, yes, but I have to say that it’s important we stop referring to this as a political issue. It has nothing to do with politics!
[include_post id=”462886″]It has to do with what is objectively right and objectively wrong; indefinite detention of innocent children in offshore camps is *objectively wrong* and must be stopped. The subject has been politicised by cowards from both the major parties in Australia who try to use human lives and suffering as leverage to maintain their own status. Disgusting.
The dancer starts out trapped by an external force and devoid of colour, like dead stone. Throughout the clip she fights against those restraints and gradual learns that she is the one in control of them. No-one else – she is learning to control and harness her own fear. Once free of the restraints the colour returns to her and she becomes what she always was, powerful, colourful, and free.
So the important thing to note here is that the dancer doesn’t only represent the struggle of refugees, running in fear and seeking a safe haven where they can thrive, but she also represents *us*. The only thing holding us back is our fear – we must take courage and face our fears with compassion.
On Having Something to Say As a Band
Well, I don’t necessarily think that all bands have to have a message like this. But we do have a message, something that we feel is right and vital, something that isn’t being spoken loudly enough by others in this country. We have the platform of our stage, our microphones, our audience, and it would be remiss of us not to use that platform to spread the word of reason and compassion right now, when our country needs it the most.
The Filming Process
[include_post id=”474742″]The clip was shot over two days at GC Studios on the Gold Coast, the first day was all the band performance and the second was capturing the incredible performance of our dancer/choreographer Clare Burton. Sam and I co-directed the shoot and all of it’s prep, and our camera operators were Adrian Goleby and Luke McLean. Adrian also ended up editing and compositing the entire clip too, an absolutely brutal job but he nailed it.
I also have to mention that Shanyn Patten went way above and beyond our expectations as our makeup artist too – I’m pretty sure she spent a solid 5-6 hours hand-painting Clare on Day 2, and it looks amazing.
We’re all pretty accustomed to the process of shooting music videos now, so it was easy for the guys to get into gear and smash out some natural-looking performances (which is tough on camera, haha). The biggest lesson I took away is to remember how amazing professional dancers are! Clare went hard all day, never letting the energy drop, never losing focus, and goofing off between takes to keep the rest of the crew alive. Just awesome.
Working with Adrian Goleby
He gives the best cuddles. We’ve worked with Adrian a lot, he’s a close friend but also a super-talented dude. Best of all, he understands our mission statement, our work ethic, and really listens and engages when we come to him with our lofty and unachievable ideas, haha!
Plans For The Rest Of 2016
We’re touring on Turntail all through April, all around Australia with main support from Chaos Divine, which we’ve been looking forward to for a long time! After that, it’s going to be a busy year of creativity for us. We came away from a huge year of touring last year feeling pretty crushed and uncreative, but we’ve caught the bug again – so back to the writing studio for us!
Caligula’s Horse ‘Turntail’ Tour
April 7 – Jive, Adelaide
April 8 – Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
April 9 – Amplifier, Perth
April 14 – The Pier, Port Macquarie
April 15 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
April 16 – The Basement, Canberra
April 17 – Small Ballroom, Newcastle
April 23 – The Zoo, Brisbane
