This is a very intimate look at my life, in an interview by Chris Lindsey at the Treasure Island Music Festival. I was hesitant to post this because it's so revealing, so please try not to judge. I'm just being honest and open.
Mike Relm Interview from tinymixtapes on Vimeo.
MTVU!
This was filmed for MTVU's "Ahead Of The Curve" in a really dope warehouse a couple hours before we hit the stage at the Treasure Island Festival last month. It was The Sideshow's first time on camera.
"Everytime" - The Video
So we shot the video for "Everytime" (which features Del The Funky Homosapien). It went quite well, considering I never met Laura and Steven before. To be honest, I went into it with a backup plan if I wasn't feeling their performances. Acting-wise I knew it was going to be a tough job to pull off since it was all one long take with a lot of choreographed moves between the actors and the camera and various objects, not to mention the story that had to be told.
We did a couple run throughs and after the first one I knew Laura and Steven would pull it off. It was just a matter of getting the right angles and timing things nicely. There was also a certain moment where a certain liquid was to be poured on the floor. We tried leaving towels on the floor throughout the whole shoot, but it showed up when she walked through the hallway. So when you see her pouring the coffee out, imagine a bunch of people diving underneath her laying towels on the surrounding area. Pete Songsiri (cinematographer) did a great job framing the whole thing, and I definitely didn't want to compromise the shots for a bunch of towels.
Lighting was great, the loft had 20 foot windows and we estimated a good 7 hours of good sunlight. At about 2 pm Laura's hair and makeup were done and we had gone through it a couple times when everyone started to feel hunger pains so we ordered pizza and watched tv. When we were nice and full it was time to get to work. It took exactly 3 full takes to get the one that I used to cut the video. Laura really did a great job, I had a few ideas for the look she gives at the coffee spilling moment but the one we ended up going with was all her. If you can read lips backwards you can tell Steven was saying some pretty funny stuff during the argument. It got heated, but it was hilarious.
Overall, I'm super happy with how it came out. It's one of those projects that turned out even better than I saw it in my head. I love that.
Spectacle's first music video is in the can!
Let me know what you think!
Clown Alley Review
It's starting...some people have gotten their hands on my new DVD "Clown Alley" and I'm starting to see reviews on it. This one in URB Magazine caught me off guard since I had no idea they were doing it; I actually flipped to the page to check out the review on "Bush's War" and Daft Punk's "Electroma". This is the first print review of Clown Alley, and I'm psyched!
Tony Hawk's Boom Boom Huck Jam!!!
The neverending adventure that is my life continues as I embark on a new voyage. This time, I'm joining Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab, Sergie Ventura, Jesse Fritsch, Neal Hendrix, Kevin Robinson, Dennis McCoy, John Parker, Matt Buyten, Drake McElroy, Greg Garrison, and Jason Ellis as the show's opening act. As an added twist, I'll also be handling the music and on-screen treats during the entire show! This is something that's never been done in the history of both action sports and turntablism, so you can probably guess that I'm hyped beyond words. I've been spending the past few days at Tony Hawk Industries, hanging with the whole crew, familiarizing myself with past Huck Jams, working on 2008's show, and most importantly celebrating Tony's birthday.
There are so many things unfolding, but right now I need to wrap my head around the task at hand - pre-production.
Home, Sweet Home!
Blue Man Group's "How To Be A Megastar 2.0". Whew, it was a tour like no other...February 2007-May 2008, over 200 shows (not counting the ones I had on "day-offs"). It was an experience of a lifetime, where I got to play for packed arena crowds for more than a year and worked with one of the most amazing groups of people the entertainment community has to offer. I'm a lucky bastard, most artists would be lucky to have a handful of the shows that I've been doing for over a year. So if anyone from BMG is reading this, THANK YOU. You guys have your pick of the litter and you chose me. Lucky for us, I don't suck. The level of talent on stage every night was phenomenal and inspiring, from Blue Man to the band (which by the way, just so happens to be made of world class musicians).
So I said my good-byes, which felt similar to when I say good-bye to my family and friends before I leave home. Maybe because for the most part they have been my family. I have the utmost respect for them and I can't wait for a reunion!
Feels great to be home...for the moment.