The King Loser documentary is almost finished, we just need your help to pay for the final touches - visit the Givealittle page HERE. ...and tell your friends!
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Controversial, wild and difficult, King Loser were both adored and feared in the music scene of the 90s. The band's snappy surf songs, louche lounge ballads and psychedelic riffs provided a soundtrack to the short-lived, tempestuous rock romance of its central characters, Celia Mancini and Chris Heazlewood.
Although their romance withered, Chris and Celia’s creative relationship blazed forwards through discord, personality clashes and constant lineup changes. Eventually, King Loser the band would implode a mere five years after it began. Gone, yet surely not forgotten.
In 2016, drummer Lance Strickland suggested the band reunite for a nationwide tour, having no idea of Celia’s multiple health conditions. Intimate, behind-the-scenes footage portrays King Loser’s loyalty to each other as they form a protective circle to ensure Celia can perform. But the volatile chemical configuration that these four musicians rekindle makes it seem unlikely any of them will make it to the last live performance.
This is no redemption story about finding refuge in rehab. This is a story about love, loyalty, obsession and music, and the longstanding, strong creative relationships that is King Loser.
The film is almost finished, but they need your help to pay for the final touches - visit the Givealittle page HERE.
When King Loser announced that they were reforming for a one-off national tour in 2016, I knew that cinematic gold was waiting to be captured. I’d had a bit to do with the band in the 90s as a driver on tour and lo-fi video documentarian and I was excited and somewhat worried about their reformation. They hadn’t played together since then and life had not always been kind to the various members – health issues, substance abuse problems, the usual rock n roll stuff, plus worse.
Back in the day King Loser were revered and feared in equal measure. They could be the best band you’d ever seen – and also the worst, often at the same gig. The chemistry they shared went beyond just being bandmates, there was something deeper there. Their sound relied on a certain form of telepathy, of knowing what the others were gonna do and trusting each other to be there when they did it. They were a gang, scary, the last truly dangerous rock n roll band. They broke up in 1996 amid much hurt and bad feeling and to come back this many years later was always gonna be a big ask.
So in 2016, I spent 10 days on the road with them from Dunedin to Auckland. Plain sailing it wasn’t. Luckily I had the camera and tried to keep it rolling whenever possible. After a shaky start they really hit their stride. They still had ‘it’. What was ‘it’? The fury, the power, that ferocious unpredictable rock n roll animal.
I’m not gonna lie, between the shows was hard work. There were constant disagreements and fighting – sometimes physical. No money, bad food, cramped conditions, all the things that make life tough for touring bands. I felt bad filming it, but knew that’s why I was there. To their credit they never said cut – they knew that this was just as much of the story as the gigs. And wow, the gigs … Some of the most blistering shows I’ve ever witnessed.
Slightly traumatised, I returned to Auckland and started sifting through the footage. There was hours of it, some great, some painful, and some just plain unwatchable. Originally, the film was going to be just about the tour, but with so much great archival footage available it was decided to go right back to the start and tell the whole sordid story.
After a year's editing I showed the band, who were unenthusiastic with the results. I take responsibility for this: I hadn’t really had a firm idea how to tell their story and as a result went down several roads that probably shouldn’t have been gone down. I was despondent and the film was shelved until Cushla Dillon offered to have a look at the footage and see what she could come up with.
This was the pivotal moment in the films journey. Cushla is a gifted storyteller, responsible for numerous documentaries, television shows and feature films. She went through all the footage and crafted something that I hadn’t seen. The new cut is incredible, a testament to her talent and enthusiasm for the project. Where many would have bowed out and given up, she has stayed the course and for this I will be forever grateful.
So it’s finished – apart from the sound mix, colour grade and music licensing. This is where you come in. We need to raise $25,000 to finish the project and get it to the people. The film will premiere in the four main centers with performances from those who feature in it, Q&As, the whole shebang. So give what you can, tell your friends, and stand by to witness the mighty King Loser in all their demented glory.
Andrew Moore
2023