Justin Hayward on Filming at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta
1 Aug by
The fact is that we were well down the road into the first 'Spirits...Live' tour before it dawned on me that we should actually film a show! And the gig that made sense to tape was the very last gig in Atlanta. The reasons were many, but most importantly the promoter Steve Litman is a very good friend and he could cover all the permissions needed - not many buildings allow a full DVD crew in to film. But The Buckhead Theatre is an attractive, large, straightforward rectangular room with space for cameras, and it has a decent size stage where we could hang our backdrop and we could set up our gear with some space between us. It just seemed perfect for us. The only downside was that if there was a problem with the show would wouldn't get a chance to cover it on the next gig. Whoops - we had to get it right! - which as you will see on the bonus material, not everything went to plan.
Steve Chant, our front of house sound mixer was happy with recording there, and that is most important. He needs his area to be accessible and comfortable, with a good sound system. Our director David Minasian had researched the venue and he had time to come to a couple of shows before the taping to get backstage footage and lots of audience participation. I am so grateful to him for all the dedication and commitment he has put into our film, and I'm indebted to the fans who were up for saying a few words to be included in the 'On The Road To Love' film that comes as a bonus with the DVD.
The show went really well. It was warm with love, and sweaty - we were tired and a bit weary, but we all enjoyed it very much. Alberto Parodi mixed the sound in the studio and he told me he fixed almost nothing - he just let it run cos he was 'enjoying it'. David did a brilliant job of editing and fixing, of choosing the right shots and capturing the vibe. I played it to my dear friend the other day and he said it's like a journey. I hope so.