The Last Dance 




Photo ©2005 Bill Sorensen

On August 26th I had an opportunity to work with a California production company on their documentary of the Goth rock band The Last Dance.
They were taking a novel approach to filming their documentary. Although they had a crew that would travel with the band as they toured the country, at each stop they would employ local filmmakers to add additional footage to be edited into the film.
I was contacted shortly before the concert to see if I was interested in the project. It sounded like an opportunity not to be missed. The concert in Mt Vernon Iowa was their first stop of the tour.
The CEO of the production company asked me to check in with him to get the final details before the show.

Thinking that the show was the next day, Saturday, imagine my shock when I found out that the show was actually going to start in just a few short hours.
I guess it pays to have all your gear ready to go at a moments notice. All my batteries were topped off and within minutes of getting off the phone I was on my way to Mt. Vernon to meet my contact and decide on a game plan for the nights shooting.

A few days before the concert I had gone to The Last Dance website to learn more about them and see if I could listen to any of their music.

I had never listened to a Goth rock band before and had no idea what to expect. I was able to find a few tracks on the site that I could listen to. These guys were good! I was glad that I had decided to come on board for this project.

So Friday night I met my contact, Rocky, and we went over what he was looking for. Basically, I had full access to the band and could film whatever I wanted to film. I was told the band was expecting me and that they had no problems with me getting in there and filming whatever I felt like capturing.

Downstairs in the ready room, I was introduced to the band and was given a warm welcome by all the members. They were all very approachable and enjoyable to talk with.

One of my first questions was why Iowa? They replied that Iowa gives them such a warm welcome that they look forward to playing here more than just about anywhere else.

The show was at the Hilltop in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The people from the Hilltop put out a huge spread of food for the band. I was told to help myself to anything I wanted as there was plenty.

These guys were nothing what I expected. As I talked to them, I could see that they were really listening and interested in our conversation. These guys weren't full of themselves and were a joy to talk with.

There were three acts before The Last Dance went on so I had plenty of time to get to know everyone and shoot some great footage.
To listen to a Goth rocker discuss the merits of a Space Saver bag to pack for a tour wasn't something I was expecting to hear down in the ready room.

Before the band went on they had autographed their as then unreleased CD and presented it to me. It was obvious from some of the comments they had written on the CD that they had remembered our conversations earlier in the evening.

Finally, it was time for them to go on. I had a hard time concentrating on shooting as these guys were so good I just wanted to watch and listen. BUt, the music played, people danced and tape rolled.

That was another thing that really impressed me, the people at the show. Many of them came up and introduced themselves and we talked about what I was doing and the gear I was using.
I felt just like I had been hanging out with these people for years. Sadly, if they came to a place where non-Goth people hung out, the would be looked upon as freaks and misfits. It's sad because I met a lot of great people there that night. I would love to hang out with them anytime. Great, great group of people.

All to soon it was time to go, but before I did, I put in one last tape to get a few minutes of footage for myself. Nothing fancy just a remembrance of the great time I had there.
You can see some of the clips HERE . 

Posted: Fri - August 26, 2005 at 08:43 PM        

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