Iain Softley, director
I used to be working at Granada within the Nineteen Eighties after I got here throughout {a photograph} of Astrid Kirchherr and Stuart Sutcliffe whereas going by way of the station’s Beatles archive. They regarded assured and fascinating and I wished to know extra about them. I’d heard in regards to the Beatles turning into an excellent stay band whereas taking part in the golf equipment in Hamburg, however not the background story of Stuart, the group’s first bass participant, and Astrid, a superb German photographer. Stuart died simply on the eve of the Beatles turning into large, having left the group to pursue his artwork and be with Astrid. I used to be eager to get into function movies and had been kicking just a few concepts round. This story, I made a decision, was the one I wished to inform.
Stuart’s mom, Millie, lived in Sevenoaks, Kent – I feel she was the fifth “M Sutcliffe” I discovered within the telephone guide. She and Stuart’s sister, Pauline, confirmed me a few of his work and helped me make contact with Astrid, who was managing a wine bar in Hamburg. Through the years, I feel lots of people had tracked her down seeking Beatles gossip, however I advised her that wasn’t what I used to be searching for.
Astrid invited Klaus Voormann alongside to our assembly – he was the boyfriend who had dragged her to see the Beatles within the first place, and he went on to be within the Plastic Ono Band and play bass on the Think about album. I spent 10 days with them recording interviews which grew to become the premise for the screenplay.
Ian Hart got here on board early and would are available to learn John Lennon’s traces reverse potential Stuarts and Astrids. I favored the concept of casting the 2 best-known actors within the movie in these roles – Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee introduced a movie-star high quality to the characters the viewers could be least acquainted with. Ian had already performed a barely older Lennon in The Hours and Occasions, however that wasn’t the character I used to be after – I knew individuals who had met John within the early days and described him as offended, insecure and typically merciless. It wasn’t till I met Ian that I noticed he may present that vitality. Lots of people say Ian appears to be like similar to John Lennon – he doesn’t actually. It’s simply that he embodies him so nicely.
For the soundtrack, we wanted somebody who may put collectively a band with star energy. Producer Nik Powell was sitting on the bathroom studying a music journal when he noticed the correct identify for the job. He ran out yelling: “We have to get Don Was!” Don put collectively this supergroup – Dave Grohl, Mike Mills from REM, Thurston Moore, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner, Henry Rollins and Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs. I stated to Don: “Don’t allow them to hearken to the Beatles’ variations. Simply allow them to kick the crap out of the songs.”
Ian Wilson was a really skilled cinematographer. For the sequence the place the band arrive in Hamburg and drive down streets close to the Reeperbahn, we’d requested membership house owners to show off all their Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties neon indicators and go away on the Sixties ones. As a substitute, they did the alternative and demanded more cash. Ian stated: “Get the actors within the van and be able to go in quarter-hour – belief me.” He acquired a digicam assistant to go around the golf equipment saying: “Might you allow the 70s and 80s lights on and the 60s ones off?” Once more, they did the alternative of what they have been requested – and we acquired the photographs we wanted.
There have been sure moments within the script that Astrid didn’t notably like, the place she thought individuals behaved in methods they wouldn’t have in actual life. I stated: “Wait till you see the movie – I need you to be proud of it.” I sat beside her on the screening, somewhat apprehensive. She waited proper to the tip of the credit, when the display went black, then turned to me with tears in her eyes and hugged me.
Stephen Dorff, performed Stuart Sutcliffe
I believed: “How am I going to do the Liverpool accent?” I used to be auditioning towards a number of English actors, however I’d simply finished a movie the place I performed a British child dwelling in South Africa, and for that I had an unbelievable dialect coach referred to as Julie Adams. She taught me lots and I ended up working along with her on this film too and I nonetheless use her tips now.
After I used to be provided the half, I spent just a few weeks in Liverpool with Ian Hart, who had grown up there. I visited the pubs the Beatles used to drink in and John and Stu’s outdated artwork college. Ian was my proper hand, my brother. He’s additionally a significantly better guitarist than me – I grew up taking part in piano, however I used to be maybe higher at taking part in bass than Stu might need been. I needed to keep in mind to often hit a bum observe or fall out of rhythm.
I met Astrid a few weeks previous to filming. She had fairly an emotional response, which meant I did too. I used to be nonetheless a young person and wished to embody whoever I used to be about to play, and to make sure she believed in what I used to be doing. We stayed in touch afterwards – she was very supportive and at all times watched my motion pictures.
I additionally grew to become near Pauline Sutcliffe, and even purchased a few Stu’s authentic work from her. His work was reproduced for the movie by artists – a few of whom could even have studied beneath the identical academics as he did. I do know recreating artwork in motion pictures can come off a bit hokey, however I had individuals exhibiting me what strikes I wanted to do and I simply tried to get within the zone and convey his ache and keenness in closeup.
9 or 10 years after the film got here out, I met Conflict frontman Joe Strummer in a membership. He stated: “You’re the geezer from Backbeat!” We ended up hanging out till the solar got here up, ingesting beer on the road out of brown paper baggage. It’s an superior reminiscence. That’s what he saved calling me: “The geezer from Backbeat.”
