'Secret' end to Drag me Down video

Mark L · Loudmouth

'Secret' end to Drag me Down video

Ian D · House on Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rmUr0dPFPs

Sorry Mark the link was for the Dave video. Drag Me Down link above.

It is odd and i too have never seen this ending. I know it looks like it was filmed somewhere hot but as there is Big Ron from EastEnders fame, would they have flown him out to somewhere exotic just to be an extra in the film? It just looks like some face which past workers might have chisled into the rock. Really can't think of anything else.

Does anyone know where it was filmed?

suss · In the Long Grass

Ian D wrote:
Does anyone know where it was filmed?

Yep - Chislehurst caves, near Bromley, just SE of London

Mark L · Loudmouth

Thanks Ian - I think I went to Dave next to see if there was a run of video endings I had not seen before and then copied that link.

Yes, Chislehurst Caves was the location for the video. This from No 1 magazine, 02/06/84:

'It's disgusting', explodes Bob Geldof. 'We've just done one for Drag me Down that cost ten grand. It's a joke when people spend three times the budget of their LP on the video for a single. For House on Fire, we took a home video unit while we were on tour. It cost £100 and we shot 24 hours of film, and you know what? It looked exactly like those Ceylon ones that Duran did! In this one, I wanted a visual that fitted in with the idea of people being dragged down. I guess seeing all the trouble on TV gave me the idea of using miners. We asked the National Coal Board if we could use a mine, but they said no. So then we asked the NUM. They told us if we crossed a picket line we'd be blacklisted from TV and radio for making a political statement! So we just went and did it at Chislehurst Caves. Just to make sure no one thought we were miners, we put up a sign: QUARRY. In the end, it worked fantastically.

But what's with the hand at the end, Bob?

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

That looks like Geldof's hand to me. But I don't know what the significance is of the face? Weird. biggrin

suss · In the Long Grass

First time I'd ever seen this too. Not a clue what it alludes to, if anything. My suspicion is they were rolling cameras before/between takes while Bob or someone was looking round the place, probably saying 'what the feck is this?' about some old carving while they adjusted lighting etc etc, and the director decided it would be 'arty' to include it.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Yes, I'd say Geldof had a hand in this (sorry) - a definite 'arty' feel results .

Ian D · House on Fire

For those interested in the caves. Would have loved a gig down there!

http://forgottendm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/chislehurst-caves-atlas-obscura-curious.html

suss · In the Long Grass

Suppose it's more likely the ww2 evacuees did the carvings than any 'workers'. Maybe Bob was pondering that fact, and how it was an underground city for a while?

Mark L · Loudmouth

Fascinating stuff - some caves (22 miles of manmade tunnels!).

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Mark L wrote:
Fascinating stuff - some caves (22 miles of manmade tunnels!).

Maybe it was some sort of Communist tunnel like in Vietnam, tunneling their way to Downing Street.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

suss wrote:
Suppose it's more likely the ww2 evacuees did the carvings than any 'workers'. Maybe Bob was pondering that fact, and how it was an underground city for a while?

You learn something new every day! Didn't know there was an underground city in that area. My mum got evacuated from Croydon to Leeds ... Obviously caves were full up!

Mark L · Loudmouth

Nigel Dick

He is the creative force behind a host of 1980s videos for British and American acts, including Guns N' Roses ("Sweet Child 'O Mine," "Paradise City" and "Welcome to the Jungle"), Tears for Fears ("Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World") and the Rats ("Drag Me Down" and "Dave"). Dick has kept his name going through this decade by directing videos for Nickelback, the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Cher and Ricky Martin. He thinks the novelty of music videos as a marketing and artistic tool gave the output a fresh touch.

He also directed the Band Aid video.

suss · In the Long Grass

Resurrecting this thread reminded me I know a guy who knows the guy whose family have owned the caves for 3 generations apparently, including the times when gigs such as Stones took place. Was telling me that they'd love to do gigs again but the natural place for stage/audience is too far from fire exit for modern safety standards. Shame....