Julia Mauro | SECRET AGENT RECORDS MAGAZINE

The new VAMPIRE BATS video in support of their debut “Cemetery EP” is out on youtube! The song “Baby Libertine” features a guest appearance by Jordy Birch, the former lead singer for alt-rock band PURE who had a string of underground hits in the 90’s (Anna Is A Speed Freak, Blast, Spiritual Pollution). In the video, made by director Stefan Sigerson and Flash Action films, the band have recreated shot for shot scenes from Edie Sedgwick’s iconic Warhol era films. The Vampire Bats themselves perform in a “silver factory” influenced set and the Andy Warhol atmosphere is further evoked in the later warehouse party scenes. All this was filmed at the bands infamous “Vampire Bat Cave” studios in Vancouver which used to be an illegal punk rock party spot called the “peanut gallery”. Julia Mauro (Aka Ava Lure) a local actress and burlesque performer, steps gracefully into the role of the troubled Warhol Superstar. Some of the underground films recreated include; The Kitchen, Beauty No. 2, Poor Little Rich Girl as well as the original screen test that Warhol made all his superstars undergo. The narrative of the video fell into place as a rise and fall story, and unless the viewer is familiar with the work of Sedgwick, Warhol and the 60’s factory, the video will be seen simply as that. All the references are stylistic and allude to her work without any explanation. The song “Baby Libertine” itself draws heavily from the Velvet Underground, and is a unabashed tribute to Lou Reed who was a major influence on the band and this track walks a strange line between indie pop and classic rock.

Our original storyboard! The video was shot extremely quickly going from concept to the edit room in two weeks.