When I was a wannabee teen rock star

Me (in early 1994), as a 13 year old wannabee teen rock star Greig "Axl" Stott in Hong Kong​ being interviewed (with an American accent) in a short mocumentary I made with some of my old band mates and childhood friends.


ME: "Mick Wall, right.  He BLETHERS a lotta shit about us in Kerrang!​  You ever read it!?"

Paul MacDonald​ (interviewer): "No. I haven't..."

ME: "It's a really CRAP magazine.  Mick Wall, he's always talkin' bout Metallica​ being the best and Guns N' Roses being the real crap, y'know?" (in this instance, I dropped my right arm down to the ground, as if to illustrate how lowly Mick Wall ranked the band...)


There was no real script as such, I had an idea of what I wanted everyone to do, but I wanted it all to come across as natural, as if we were right there in the moment being interviewed, not knowing what questions were coming our way.  It was all improvised - I thought it worked and it was hilarious and amazing fun, we couldn't stop laughing watching it back over and over again.

This was all shot on my family's first ever HI-8 camcorder and I just loved carrying it around with me, capturing memories, sometimes to the annoyance of others, but it is what I just loved to do.

Me in Hong Kong as a 13 year old

The old VHS of this, I did have it and (touch wood) I pray that it is not lost forever and it turns up again one day (it's my own fault if I have lost it).  I do remember that I had it in my VHS/DVD combi in my parents' caravan, that was the last I remember of seeing it, just over 3 years ago.  I do wish we still had all the master tapes, but sadly we tended to record over the master tapes each time we used them again (I know, I know...), be it on a family trip or event etc...

Stanely Fort - family apartment blocks.  We lived on upper level, the smaller 3rd block from left

Though I have memorised the interviews, word for word!  I will maybe write down a wee transcript (while it is still etched in the brain), just so I have the memoirs at least.  The video featured the interviews, out takes and also us performing/miming a live version of the Guns N' Roses song "Don't Cry" in one of the play parks in our old stomping ground of Stanely Fort, Hong Kong - a military base where we lived on the south side of Hong Kong Island.

We even had some extras in the background, with two of our girl friends standing up beside a lamp post, lit up by the beam, as if they were ladies of the night.

Memories - perhaps the greatest gift that one person can give to another.

Thanks to all those involved on this particular evening including;

• Kevin Stott (would be dancing drummer, "Matt")
• Gary Keith (Guitar, "Slash")
• Scott Cameron (Guitar, "Gilby")
• Paul Laing (would be acoustic guitarist/bass, "Duff")
• Andrew Waddell (steady cameraman)
• Paul MacDonald (Interviewer)
• Ashley Stephen and Kelly Laing (our "bitches" and ladies of the night)

Will share many more memories real soon....


**By the way, Stanley Fort is also where they filmed scenes from the Jean Claude Van Damme classic Bloodsport (1987) and popular British TV drama Soldier Soldier Season 2 (1992) among others.

Military and training sequences were filmed for Bloodsport at Stanely Fort (1987).

Trollhunter - destined to become a cult classic

I watched the Norwegian "mockumentary" horror/adventure TrollHunter the other evening for the first time.  There were some crazy, hilarious moments (I felt that they were deliberate and tongue in cheek, but maybe not...) - some of the monster/troll names were "interesting" TOSSERLAD and RIMETOSSER being a couple of them and there's also a scene in the film where the gang/crew are stuck in a cave hiding, while a small army of mountain trolls are just a matter of yards away, minding their own business (and farting loudly), that was pretty funny.  Oh, and by the way, not to sound too judgmental, but those mountain trolls are ugly! 

Remember when Arnold Schwarzenegger said; "you're one ugly motherfucker..." about the alien in "Predator" (1987) ???  Well, these guys were well and truly beaten with the ugly stick.

A typical looking Troll seen in childrens' books - very similar to the mountain trolls in Trollhunter

Also, the moment that Hans the trollhunter revealed one of his troll proof iron/steel superhero outfits, my stomach was actually aching and had us all in stitches!!  Some people are put off watching a foreign language film, but there are English subtitles and once you get settled into the adventure, you forget all about it.  In actual fact, hearing the Norwegian dialogue, only adds to the fun of the film, particularly in the more tense moments and action sequences.  Oh, and who knew that trolls hated Chrisitans???  Watch it and find out more.

Theatrical poster.

All in all though, I thought it was a very clever and well made monster movie, which is surely destined to become a cult classic.  Written and directed by André Øvredal, Trollhunter was filmed in the mockumentary style with "found footage", which brings obvious comparisons to "The Blair Witch Project" and was filmed on location amidst some stunning Western Norway landscape and scenery (it actually reminded me of parts of Scotland a little), the acting was pretty solid too, with well known Norwegian comedian Otto Jespersen a stand out as Hans the trollhunter.

Hans, the trollhunter - (played by Otto Jespersen)

Apparently, several American movie production companies have been fighting to acquire the rights to a (no doubt over the top, over produced) remake, so I suggest you check this one out first, before Hollywood claims it as their own and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon.  Then you can be proud to say; "it wasn't as good as the original..."

"Troooollllllll!!!!"