Shadow Films, Glenesk Road, Ellesmere Port (2026)

26/12/2025

Courtney Love and Hole Television Documentary entitled ‘Antiheroine’

On 8th November 1991 Nirvana made their first ever TV appearance on UK television’s The Word playing ’Smell Of Teen Spirit.’ By way of introduction said “I just want all of you people in this room to know Courtney Lover, the lead singer of the sensational pop band Hole is the best f**k in the world”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2V7dYKANGA&list=RDq2V7dYKANGA&start_radio=1

Prior to, during and after completing my film degree I wrote fanzines, was in several Garage, Glam and Punk bands, promoted, filmed, photographed, shot music videos for and had sleep in various dwellings I lived in.

On 11th December 1991, a month after Nirvana’s appearance on The Word I was transported by a friend in his Austin Mini Cooper in an Austin Mini Cooper, where the seats weren’t bolted down, cos he was always tinkering with it but we had seats belts and took the less busy back roads, so we’d be alright.

After filming the bands, Therapy?, Daisy Chainsaw and Hole I interviewed Therapy? (photo attached,) then got talking with Courtney Love, who also agreed to an interview. A couple of VHS copies were made at the time and given to relevant parties and over the years these copies copied, those copies copied until some versions that appear of bits of the Hole show on You Tube are in black and white and the picture breaks up or rolls.

Back in July 2024 the Archive Producer of ‘Antiheroine’ a new Documentary being shown at The Sundance Films Festival in January 2026, prior to having a theatrical release contacted me about if I knew who’d filmed the show all those years ago.

I asked her if she’d listened to the interview, she said yes. I said does the person interviewing Courtney Love sound anything like me? Editing recently finished on the 90 minute film and I received a nice licensing fee in time for Christmas. Something that I shot whilst being a film student 34 years ago pays off. I think I deserve that, I mean Santa Claus’s seat is no doubt bolted down ours weren’t.

Merry Christmas everybody!

16/12/2025

TRAIL OF TRASH

25 years ago, in late 2000 John Peel played one of his favourite tracks on his Radio Show, a version of ‘Nothing Takes The Place Of You’ by Mike Spenser and The Cannibals and asked what had become of him.

I’d recently had a series about 1960s Garage Punk music turned down by Channel 4 and mentioned in conversation to the commissioner that I knew what Mike Spenser was currently doing, reforming the band for a show. Her boyfriend saw my written pitch and told her that he’d once auditioned for The Cannibals and the story would be crazy.

She called me and said that if I could get John Peel to do a few links she’d commission the film. After speaking with his agent John Peel called me whilst I was browsing record shops in Soho and agreed. 25 years ago On 8th December 2000 ‘Trail Of Trash’ my first music documentary for Channel 4 was first aired, having received the following review in the Guardian newspaper’s magazine The Guide:

Brooklyn-born trainee optometrist Mike Spenser stuck a pin in a map during the mid-70s and fetched up in London straight off the plane.

Spenser wilfully dived headfirst into drugs and after he was spotted playing harmonica along to a Stones tune in a Soho record shop, the capital’s rock’n’roll scene.

Trail Of Trash sees Spenser, John Peel and some of the numerous ex-members of his longtime garage band, The Cannibals, recount the tales tall-and-true which surround a man who “can be guaranteed to f**k things up, basically”. JH

Trail Of Trash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11R04qV9t7w&t=181s

Nothing Takes The Place Of You:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu4WibxSTLE

16/11/2025

Thirty years ago to the day the first short documentary film I directed for ITV was broadcast. ‘Pins and Needles’ was about the increasingly becoming popularised art of body piercing. ITV told me to push the boat out when making it.

16th November 1995 ITV received literally hundred of phone calls about the film, no complaints but when could viewers see it again. It won several international film festivals and the clip below shows Huffty from Channel 4’s The Word introducing me, introducing it for it’s first repeat in 1996

ITV then engaged me to research a 4 part series called ‘Bodyworkers.’ Pre internet I somehow discovered some real characters and Channel 4 were about to green light the project when a new commissioner took over and sent a FAX saying he believed the series would be too extreme for Channel 4, so that was the end of that.

All these years ‘Bodyshockers’ presented by Katie Piper is along the same lines. Hey ho, there you sometimes go but I came up with the concept 19 years earlier. ‘Pins and Needles’ itself is only ten minutes long shot on super 16mm film and broadcast on Beta SP. This is from the first broadcast repeat in 1996.

Of all the complimentary press reviews the film received this was typical Daily Sport just prior to it screening the first time. I constructed it so that contributors could explain why and where they were piercing their bodies and allow viewers to make up their own mind. I’d be interested to know if people think it stands up 30 years later.

This me with MTV Producer Yvette Cheeseman as she signing her consent to filming form, the Daily Sport article and ‘Pins and Needles’ of course. Thanks to everyone who worked on it:

https://vimeo.com/235743016

05/11/2025

With Bioslimming UK – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

25/10/2025

Daniel Ilabaca: Dreams Can Come True! (An Inspirational Story)

With childhood dreams of maybe one day becoming a stuntman but always being told off for jumping across buildings Parkour style, to appearing on BBC’s Top Gear, winning MTV’s ultimate Parkour Challenge, being Han Solo’s stunt double in a Star Wars films Daniel Ilabaca has made his dream come true as he is now director of Stunt Camera Crew.

Way back in 2002 Daniel’s mother Maxine contacted me explaining about her son’s talents, dreams and wishes, that he was always getting into trouble but was a good lad getting more and more frustrated. I filmed him at a public event in Liverpool, he complained about the poor Ninja costume he'd been given to wear, I told him nobody would remember the costume, they’d just remember how amazing he was.

Day two of filming was in Moreton where the Ilabaca family lived. People were painting anti-climb paint on walls, the Police were quickly on the scene when an old lady called them etc, etc and there were several other shoots in the making of 'Monkey Business.'

I made several films about him back in the day, basically showcasing his skills and story, metaphorically throwing him a ball, which he then ran, leapt and jumped with, buying his own camera and making his own films.

I’ve watched his story unfold as the years have passed with Maxine (who always had faith in her son) getting in touch from time to time and am incredibly proud to have been there at the outset and I’m absolutely made up for him that he’s achieved what he always wanted.

Here are links to that first film I made about Daniel ‘Monkey Business,’ his 2018 showreel (I don't suppose he's needed to make one since) and the Stunt Camera Crew website, where they combine Rollerblading, Parkour and Iceskating skills when shooting films to make stunts look even more astounding.

Well done Daniel, you’ve proven that dreams can come true. I’m made up for you!

https://youtu.be/X0Ad5Wa89dc

https://youtu.be/z5JqzBiOMus

https://www.stuntcameracrew.com

25/12/2023

On Tuesday 19th December I filmed and interviewed Katie Price and other cast members of ’Sleeping Beauty’ paying a visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to spread some Christmas joy!

Merry Christmas everyone:

28/10/2022

Sometime in mid 1997 whilst waiting to have two wisdom teeth removed at Kings College Dental Hospital in London I got chatting to a South African guy. He told me that he travelled the world earning a living taking part in Clinical Drugs Research Trials.

I did some research on the subject and then made my second short documentary film for ITV ‘Lab Rats’, which was first broadcast on this date 25 years ago, introduced and reviewed by renowned film critic Mark Kermode.

The TV programme guide billing was 'An insight into the clandestine world of clinical research drug trials. The film combines anecdotal comments from volunteers of their experiences, together with opinion on the risk aspects and the possible need for tighter governmental regulation of clinics. Who is testing the testers?

Two random things happened during the production. Whilst interviewing Simone De Wet we had to do two takes as a huge cheer went up right in the middle of it. We filmed her in the garden of my then home in Finsbury Park, right near Arsenal's Highbury football stadium. It was the moment Ian Wright scored to break Arsenal's all time goal scoring record.

When I returned from the South of France filming the snowboarding sequence I was in the Good Mixer pub in Camden having a pint with Steve Diggle of The Buzzcocks. An acquaintance told me that a friend of mine was now dating Madonna. I called the numbers I had, then he called me from Florida. I asked if I could speak to the 'material girl', he refused, but put me on speakerphone.

I then said "All what we'd all like to know back in England is, did you make her feel like a Virgin?" No word of a lie I heard her laugh. It’s hard to believe it was 25 years ago but anyway here's the film.

https://vimeo.com/235886399

19/11/2021

Mick Rock R.I.P.

One of my earliest professional commissions whilst being a fledgling music video director was as an official photographer at the memorial concert of Mick Ronson (most noted for being David Bowie's guitarist during his 'Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars' period), at Hammersmith Odeon in London on 29th April 1994.

I’d previously shot the cover photo for original S*x Pistols bass player Glen Matlock's forthcoming band’s album, who picked me up at my then flat in Brixton en-route to the show with his band The Maverick’s. Stood next to me in the press pit was world renowned Rock photographer Mick Rock (David Bowie, Queen, Pink Floyd, Iggy Pop and The Stooges, Lou Reed, S*x Pistols, Blondie etc, etc).

I clicked away as Roger Daltrey, Captain Sensible, Bill Wyman, Roger Taylor, Ian Hunter, Mick Jones of The Clash and original ‘Spiders From Mars’ Trevor Bolder, Mick Woodmansey all took the stage. There were rumours that David Bowie himself might make an appearance, Ziggy Stardust would have been five feet away from me and my camera. Sadly he didn't show up.

I was taking pictures so enthusiastically that I stupidly ran out of film (no memory cards in those days). I humbly asked Mick Rock if I could purchase some from him, he then handed me loads of rolls of really expensive film and just said "It's OK man".

In 2001 there was an exhibition of his work at The Mathew Street Gallery in Liverpool. I’d been filming the Mathew Street Beatles Festival as part of multi-camera webcast and knew the people who ran the gallery who were aware that I was hoping to meet Mick again.

When I finally turned up they told me I’d just missed him. As I admired the huge framed prints of David Bowie, Queen, Lou Reed etc that adorned the walls, suddenly a smiling Mick Rock appeared and gave me a personally signed copy of his book ‘Blood and Glitter’. What a nice gentleman!

From the pre-download days when one looked at an album cover when listening to an LP Mick’s body of work is phenomenal, he captured so many iconic images.

A super talented photographer, who always encouraged others and all round terrific fella.

R.I.P. Mick Rock, photographer legend!

07/02/2021

‘King Rocker’ Robert Lloyd & The Nightingales (Sky Arts 1 6th Feb 2021)

Flicking through channels earlier this evening I stumbled across a hugely entertaining music documentary I didn’t know had been made featuring Robert Lloyd, my former music video producer for a time during the mid 1990’s.

For a time I directed music videos out of ‘Pig (music video) Productions’ on Wardour Street in London. I then joined ‘Solid Films’ in Camden before ‘Pig’ folded and Rob became a postman.

Always a down to earth nice, dry witted fella we continued to play five-a-side football together every Sunday for a while after.

I knew of his past involvements being the front man for both ‘The Prefects’ and ‘The Nightingales’, both championed by the late John Peel and him running Vindaloo records, which gave the world ‘Ted Chippington’ and ‘We’ve Got A Fuzzbox and We’re Gonna Use It’.

I haven’t seen Rob since, I was aware he was involved with music again and enjoyed watching the film.

This was our production company five-a-side team back in 1996 L-R, back row to front: (the late) Steven Wells, former music journalist and writer for the NME (sadly passed away in 2009), The Cat (the accountant), Robert Lloyd, Neil ‘Chopper’ Harris (as they nicknamed me after my film ‘Pins and Needles’), Simon ‘Spider’ George (then production assistant), since Emmy, RTS, BTAA British Arrow and Da&d award winning director, writer and Executive producer.

We weren’t the best five-a-side team ever, but for some reason other teams seemed scared when we went on the pitch. I’ve no idea why, the slogan on our shirts was “If It Ain’t Broken - Break It!” Swells was just clumsy and hoofed the ball everywhere but to a player on his own team, that’s all.

Good to see Rob doing something he loves, here’s the official trailer from the film ‘King Rocker’:

https://youtu.be/UEUuvN9S9I4

18/07/2020

Yesterday saw the funeral in London of Jay Wiffen (Jayster), one of the many guitarists who served at one time or another in Mike Spenser’s band The Cannibals.

One of John Pee’s favourite all time songs was ‘Nothing Takes The Place Of You’ by The Cannibals.

In 2000 I made a film for Channel 4 about Mike and the band, featuring John Peel. Jay features firstly at 14’58” and again at 19’48”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11R04qV9t7w&t=45s

R.I.P. Jay!

Shadow Films

26/12/2025

16/12/2025

16/11/2025

05/11/2025

25/10/2025

25/12/2023

28/10/2022

19/11/2021

07/02/2021

18/07/2020

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