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Andy Cronk is one half of production company Lonely Goat, whose work includes a documentary for supergroup REM, which featured on their recent DVD, Perfect Square.
- 1. Who are you?
- Andy Cronk, co-director of the REM documentary, A Stirling Performance. Born in Bromley, Kent on 8th September 1966.
- 2. How did you come to be involved with filming supergroup REM?
- In the summer of 1999, I was due to make a film about a music festival with my co-director Deborah Hogan. At the last minute our funding was pulled. Rather than sit around getting angry, we decided to channel our energy into another idea we’d had.
We had noticed REM’s tour schedule included Stirling Castle and we couldn’t believe it. It was hardly the kind of place a band like that would normally play. We thought it would be impossible for a town like Stirling to be unaffected by REM’s presence and we started to talk about how this would make a great film, about how the B&Bs, pubs, shops and an historic site like Stirling Castle would deal with it all.
We got carried away with the idea. Then we noticed there were only two weeks to go to the concerts. It seemed an impossible time frame, but we felt we had nothing to lose. There wasn’t enough time to go through the normal channels so we sent a short fax to REM’s manager Bertis Downs at a venue they were playing, outlining our idea. To our great astonishment, he called us back the next day saying they wanted to be involved.
- In the summer of 1999, I was due to make a film about a music festival with my co-director Deborah Hogan. At the last minute our funding was pulled. Rather than sit around getting angry, we decided to channel our energy into another idea we’d had.
- 3. For this documentary, “A Stirling Performance”, taken from the Scottish leg of REM’s 1999 “Up” tour, so-called because it was filmed at Stirling Castle. What was it like to film at such a venue?
- Because it’s obviously not a regular venue, everything had to be constructed from scratch and we followed the progress of that in the film. But it did mean some very early mornings!
Also the nature of it’s position means it’s high up and exposed and that gave us some sound problems. Being summer in Scotland, it was cold and rained a lot and it’s hard holding a camera still when your hands are wet! But it was a great location and makes a perfect backdrop to the concert.
- Because it’s obviously not a regular venue, everything had to be constructed from scratch and we followed the progress of that in the film. But it did mean some very early mornings!
- 4. What was the most challenging aspect of working with a pop/rock group like REM?
- Probably our nerves at making our first film with one of the biggest bands in the world! We placed a lot of pressure on ourselves. But REM were unbelievably down to earth and easy to work with. We were really lucky.
- 5. Do you have a favourite REM track or album?
- It changes all the time but I really like Drive. We got to use it in the film too for the part when the stage is being constructed and I think it works really well. It’s very atmospheric.
- 6. Are there any other music bands you have worked with or would like to work with?
- We’ve got an idea we would love to do with The White Stripes.
- 7. What other high-profile performances have Lonely Goat either produced previously, or have in the pipeline?
- We are developing a feature film and are about to shoot a short film that has a strong music element to it.
Thanks to Andy Cronk for the interview, and REM: Perfect Square is released today on DVD.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.