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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.
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.
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.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.