Ten years of Terror and teamwork

24 Oct

It’s been ten years since I made my first music video for Wellington rock band Curlys Jewels. That video, Terror in Disguise, still sits in my top five.

We shot it in a mechanic’s garage in Porirua with a small crew, a tight plan, and just enough budget to make it work.

At the time, I don’t think I realised how significant it would become, but looking back, it was the start of something special.

Seven people wearing a variety of all black clothing pose for a group photo in front of a stack of speakers and a red velvet curtain. — Left to right: Andy van der Heyden, Aaron Ludlow, Jel Pollock, Danijel Mandic, Bradley Saunders-Garner, Harry Heath and Corey Bell.

I don’t actually remember how the band and I met. I was young, enthusiastic, and pretty involved in the local music scene, so it was probably at a gig. I got talking with the band, made a plan, and from there the working relationship took off.

The Terror in Disguise music video featured Croatian actor Danijel Mandic, undergoing enhanced interrogation while tied to a chair in a holding cell. If you asked me where this idea came from, I couldn’t tell you but I must have been going through a dark phase creatively. As the band perform, Danijel gets tortured off-screen. He is seen in various deteriorating conditions.

What I didn’t know until recently was that the suit Danijel was wearing was actually guitarist Aaron Ludlow’s $700 Pierre Cardin suit, which had an unrepariable rip in the arm. Devastating for him, but sacrificed all in the name of rock and roll!

Over the years we’ve made nine music videos and one live video together, mostly in and around the Greater Wellington Region.

We also spent a lot of time at Lovelands (RIP), the underground venue that was the home base for the band’s rehearsals. That space holds a lot of history, and while it’s no longer around, the community and spirit it fostered still live on in the Wellington region.

The band’s sound and style have evolved a lot since those early days. They’ve grown more confident in who they are and built a loyal, supportive fanbase. That community is a testament to how genuine and grounded the band are. Creative people who’ve stayed true to themselves and their music.

Some of my favourite videos came out of letting ideas flow freely between us or shooting something quick and ambitious under pressure. Many of our projects were filmed in a single day, it wasn’t always easy, but the results often surprised us in the best way.

Earlier this year marked a turning point. On 21 June, their long-time drummer Corey Bell played his final show with the band at Moon in Newtown. He’d been there since the very beginning and over the ten years gave everything he had to the band. His contribution was huge, and the send-off was a fitting one. Gavin Ludlow has stepped in on drums, joining Aaron Ludlow on guitar, Jel Pollock on vocals, and Andy van der Heyden on bass.

Ten years on from Terror in Disguise, I’m still proud of what we’ve made together. It’s rare to build that kind of trust and creative shorthand with a band, especially over such a long stretch of time.

What started as a one-off project in a garage has become something that stood the test of time. I’m really grateful for the Curlys Jewels and the friendship they have extended to me.

Here’s to everything we’ve already made, and whatever comes next.