The latest BATTLE BORN single ‘Magic and Steel’ has been out for a few days, and it’s receiving a high amount of praise from fans across the world. I feel incredibly grateful that I was able to head down to the video shoot of this single a few months back, and watching the video brings back memories of this incredible day. Here’s what happened.
Leading Up to the Day
For as long as I can remember, taking part in a music video has been a life goal. I added it to my bucket list when I first discovered music videos as a child/pre-teen; mainly from channels such as Kerrang!, VH1, and MTV. These were the days before YouTube, so music videos were typically discovered this way, without skipping or searching for your favourite video; I remember feeling like I’d found riches in a gold mine whenever my favourite songs came on.
Naturally, I was intrigued to hear that Battle Born were giving the opportunity for fans to be part of their new music video. It was first announced on the 19th of April; when I saw it was taking place in Southampton (my closest city) and on a day when I was free, I realised it was meant to be. On the Southampton date of their latest tour, they handed out flyers with the details of the shoot and raffle tickets for a chance to win free merch.
On the Day
The day arrived, and all sorts of nerves and excitement could be felt throughout my body. The last time I had helped with any kind of filming or been part of a film was over ten years ago when I studied Media at university. Luckily, I remembered enough to know that it would be a good idea to bring a change of clothes and a packed lunch, since I knew that these video shoots can range from under an hour to a whole day.
Knowing how busy Southampton usually is at weekends, I left home early to ensure I had plenty of time to get parked up. I have been supporting this band since the beginning, so I wanted to do whatever I could to help make the music video a great one. I also wanted this experience to be as stress-free as possible, so doing this really helped me ease into the day and calm any pre-existing nerves.
As I had some time to spare before the video shoot started, I decided to calm my nerves by sitting with a cup of tea at a nearby café and people-watching. I spotted some people in heavy metal attire and Battle Born T-shirts. It was a great experience to sit outside and chat to others who had come for the music video shoot; some had travelled from further afield, and it was wonderful hearing the different stories of how they came across Battle Born.
Once we were let into the venue by one of the video crew, I found it surreal to see a music video set up in real life, having previously only seen them on screen. We were then shown where the facilities were and where to leave our belongings. It was our first time hearing the single, so lead vocalist Jack Reynolds took us through the lyrics the band wanted us to sing, shout, and lip-sync before the filming started.
The first take of filming felt very odd, in that I was trying to act like I normally do at a Battle Born show, but knowing the cameras were there made me feel self-conscious. The following questions were going through my head:
- Am I standing the right way?
- Am I lip-syncing the right words?
- How do I headbang again?
- Do I look awkward?
Re-reading these questions made me reflect that this is how every day feels for me as a neurodiverse individual, and I know I am not alone in that. Being around like-minded people who were most likely feeling the same way helped me feel more at ease. The more takes we did, the more natural I began to feel, and I started to forget that the cameras were there. Other than the voice in my head telling me not to look directly into the camera when it came round, it was a fantastic environment to be in, and I felt safe to be my true self.
The crew started to work on getting close-ups of the band members, which provided time for the rest of us to take comfort breaks and recuperate. This was particularly welcome to those who wore some form of leather to the video shoot; a small room with lots of people in creates a very warm environment. It was also a great opportunity to watch the filming take place, and see how much work goes into making it. Given that I know the members of Battle Born personally, it was a great chance to chat and catch up with them too.
When “That’s a wrap!” was heard, there were claps and cheers all around. The atmosphere from start to finish was electric, as it was great to be in a room with like-minded individuals who love the band and want to support them. It was easily one of the best days I have ever had.
Words: Lotty Whittingham
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