The Stash Raiders tour - a documentary
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Development:
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For realizing this project I had to re-arrange pre- existing material that I had previously collected in 2016 during a small tour of The Stash Raiders, a music band I was part of. Even though I already had tried to edit this footage to tell the story of our journey I had always given up since I couldn't make sense of the big amount of data I had to work with. After more than one year then I have decided to look back at the whole experience, making some order and step by step put all the pieces back together. So I started by watching back all the footage and pictures I had taken during those days and I while doing so I wrote down my memories of those days in a factual and emotional way, and defining the characters of my story. I recorded then this "diary" and used it as track for editing single sequences for each day:
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Characters: (the traits of the characters are based on my personal impressions and bent to my creative needs as film maker)
Me: I am the storyteller of this story.
I am officially part of the band but the general feeling is that I don’t belong there. I am the only girl, I am the youngest, I am just different and distant. I observe without been an active part of the story.
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Sacha: He is the leader and founder of the band. He plays the keyboard and sings. He is a really passionate and passional guy. A bit overbearing but, on the other hand, really warm-hearted. He is really experienced and has many contacts all over Europe and maybe for this reason I have the impression that sometimes he considers himself as the only one with real artistic talent and creativity (as well as the most musical knowledge).
Archetype: leader,
Danilo: Danilo is the oldest in the group, but he is also the newest element in the band. He plays the drums, and he is self-taught (I sometimes think that he’s afraid since he is maybe the least music-competent and that’s why he gets a bit defensive sometimes) It happens that for reason he can't really explain he gets very nervous, almost angry or at least he comes across like this. He is always super focused on what he is doing and i feel like he feels disturbed by my presence at times. He is the one i know the least because he entered in the band after I moved to Milan. At the beginning I really liked him and I thought he liked me, but something happened, cannot tell why or when, and he became slightly rude to me most of the time. Loves animals-hates people kind of person. ?
Archetype: ?
Iannitti: multi-instrumentalist, (electronic sax, Violin, guitar) He is a super smart guy, kind of a nerd. He is also the treasurer of the band.
He is the kind of person who is too smart to take part (or side) in a fight, because he really is the smartest of the group in a logical and practical kind of way. He has a lot of knowledge in music and sound. Sacha has him in great consideration because he his useful for his skills. He really doesn’t look like a stage person, but he is exceptionally talented and skilled.
Archetype: the nerd, the mechanic.
Toscano: Bassist.
He is the sensitive guy, sometimes not brilliant but he has a great heart and a good soul. He is the second youngest person of the band. He often goes in pair with Danilo even though they are really different living an odi-et-amo relationship with him. He genuinely loves to play and to have fun. but he is submissive surrendered to the strong personalities of the others. He never says no to them.
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Memories
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Day 1
On Day one we left Catania towards Messina. The guys picked me up at my place because I had been sick for the whole week so they tried to be, for the very first hours, kind and careful. I forgot to bring my sleeping bag because I thought we were set for every night in real bed. That made me feel stupid and inadequate.
We played that day at Retroneauveau
I had to change and take my medicines on this small room next to the stage, where I passed the whole night.
Then we slept in a hostel or something like that owned by a friend of us. Davide puked a lot that night because of all the drink he had and that was a pity because the bathroom was adjacent to the room where we slept in. I lost my hearings.
Gas Station:
Facts: We just left Catania in our tour van, and as soon as we take the highway towards Messina, we stop at the gas station to just take some coffee. We drink our coffees waiting for Danilo to come back from the shop.
Emotions: We are all excited, fresh and ready for the adventure.
Messina, out of the pub.
Facts: We are just arrived at the pub in which will take place our first concert, in Messina, After what seemed a long waiting time, finally the guy with the keys of the place arrives and open the door. We start unloading the van using an elevator. Sacha is on the door, smoking a cigarette. everyone except me is going back and forth from the van to the pub carrying instruments and stuff.
Davide fischietta
Emotions: still excited but everyone is now super focused and concentrated. the feeling is the one of the breath before the plunge.
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During this first day I already feel left behind, left alone. I had been really sick for the whole previous week so i couldn’t really rehearse before the tour and I could feel it and even though i am trying my best I really dont’ fit with the rest of the group, especially with our new drummer. Since the pub is really cold and i was still recovering fro tonsillitis, I had to stay alone in the changing room for the whole night drinking cold ginger infuse, while the others are drinking a lot and having fun.
Day 2
We woke up and after a coffee we were already on the road because we had to reach Avellino which is a really distant city from Messina. We arrived around 18 or something at Godot art bistrot to set the stage.
On the van:
Facts: On the road, driving towards Avellino. On a gallery we silently listen to music, Danilo is driving, everyone is lost in his own thoughts.
Emotion: I feel sad. distant and angry: I feel like they are trying to exclude me:
On day two Danilo arises the fundamental problem that he is not on any picture of the concert, and that’s of course is my fault because I was in the middle of the stage as well as on the pictures so he suggests that I should leave the center of the scene to him. They also asked me to not play the violin anymore because we couldn’t rehearse with it so they weren’t used to the sound. I am only the chorist on the back.
Later, we arrived in Avellino, the stage is really tiny and there is literally no place for me on it, I had to sing in a really narrow spot with the boom placed on the level of the audience. at least the place is wonderful and the people really friendly, I had fun that night, away from the band.
Day 3
On the third day we didnt have any concert so we had a free day. This day was exhausting because we had to stay as always all together which of course is not easy, withoug blowing the steam off playing.
We went sleep to Alice’s Place, we were all in the same tiny room but it was a good night after all.
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Avellino Hosthouse
Fact: We had slept at this guy house. We wake up quite early and relax for a bit since we have quite some times, we take showers, coffee and we are chilling out before hitting the road again. I sneak around to see what’s in the house. In the kitchen we are talking about financial matters.
Emotions: I am amazed by everything in that house. It’s like a Museum and a Music shop and a library, there’s even a beautiful cat. The building itself is gorgeous.
Avellino, back at the bistrot.
We are back at the bistrot, where the previous day we left our equipment, to load the van again and sign the concert poster for the owner.
Emotions: While everyone else is loading the van I look around again, totally amazed by all the stuff in the room its like a video-making museum again. I really loved this place I feel like in wonderland in a place where finally someone can understand me. There is everything I like and i want to be witness but i feel more like a vojeur of all this beauty.
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Rome, Paninaro
Facts: We arrived in Rome where we are suppose to sleep that night. Since is our day off, we decide to go to eat and drink something at a traditional “paninaro” in Rome. We all have beers and toschi would like to take one but he has already finished his money.
Emotions: ?
Day 4
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We left Rome to go to Latina. On the road, we stopped to eat the typical meat dish. We arrived at the hostel where we will sleep that night, in a beautiful location near Latina, Sermoneta, with a beautiful view and we rest a bit before going to the club (circolo H).
Then we leave the hostel and go to the club.
After the concert we load again the van and return to the Hostelin Sermoneta.
Emotions: That night I feel very sick of everything. I start cry during the sound check and then I just keep crying in the bathroom I don’t even remember why. I am so sad and I feel like i cant fit in. I am not even in the group anymore. they don’t want me to play even the cowbell because I cannot keep the time !!!???!!!, I don’t understand where they want me to put myself on the stage, I feel that everywhere is gonna be wrong for them. to sing for me is really sad because of my nodules and its frustrating. I start to think that they just want me on the group because I am a girl. I have no creative space anymore. No one is listening to me.
At the Hostel
Facts: Everyone is resting in their room and II stay awake to look a bit around. There are a lot of cat in this place I love it. There is silence and peace.
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Latina, At the club
We unload the van. I stay inside the van and shoot them coming back and forward
They are setting the stage
Soundcheck: I film them while soundchecking one by one.
Day 5
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On Day Five: Waking up in Sermoneta, van already full from the previous night, going towards Reggio Emilia.
After the concert (not our best) we drive to Bologna where we sleep at Miriam’s
Waiting in the cold for Miriam and Claudia (who will join the group from now on), and for the others who are parking the van, I and Toscano stay a bit alone. He is the only one who i can interface with. We have a really nice conversation about the other members of the band. We somehow share the same problems to relate. They all have really strong personalities and he reassures me that I am not a problem in the band and that i fit in. it’s really sweet and I am grateful to him.
On the Road:
Facts: its a rainy day in Italy, the way is full of green, we listen to music while going and we sing.
Emotion: everything is quite melancholic and quiet.
Outside the Club:
Facts: We are early so we have to wait for the guy to start the setting. In the meanwhile Danilo and Davide leave to look for something to smoke but they have to pull back pretty soon because there is police. I and Sacha go to have a look in the place: its open but it has different managers during day than during night so we have to wait for the other manager to have instructions. We take a selfie, I somehow hope that this could make me more part of the gang again.
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Setting the stage:
When they are setting the stage and beginning the soundcheck i sneak ouside to take some picture…. I dont know why they got lost. anyhow I went back inside and film the guys setting the scene. I had to get ready in a small toilet and i had to take my medication in the total darkness behind “the stage” which is not a real stage by the way. That evening has been nice. There were Sacha’s parents that I love. The other band playing before us it’s also very nice.
Emotions: I am stressed because of the accommodation. It’s really uncomfortable to put yourself on a nebulizer in the dark, sitting on the ground. And I am always alone because my needs are really different than the others’
Development:
From these sequences I then wrote another text / voice over which I have used again as a track for putting all the pieces back together in a short documentary about my whole experience on tour, making out of 5 days only one:
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Eventually the visual arranged in this new way didn't need much explanation, as I believe they already convey my emotions and point of view on the whole experience, so I have decided to remove the voice over altogether and let the images speak for themselves.