Gauge:153 Trailer from Matt Golin on Vimeo.
How did this project come about? What made you want to make a documentary about Gauge?
When Gauge announced they were going to do a reunion show, I saw a message Kevin posted looking for someone to film it. It got me thinking of how great that band was, and how many kids looked up to them. Those same kids went on to be in bands bands like Braid, Cap’n Jazz, and Promise Ring. While those bands went on to find a much larger national audience, Gauge kind of missed out on that. So I told Kevin I wasn’t interested in just filming the concert - but rather incorporating the reunion show along with interviews with various cohorts of theirs, into a tribute of sorts. I figured it’d be the proper way to close the book on a great, unheralded band.
Were you a fan of Gauge or happen to see them live before they broke up?
Most definitely. Live, they were a cut above most every other band from that scene. At a young age, they just kind of somehow had their shit together.
Were the members of Gauge open or hesitant about doing it?
They do everything as a committee, so if one member objected, I wouldn’t have been allowed to do it. I think they gave me the green light based on the fact they knew me from that scene, trusted me, and saw some of my movies.
How many hours of film did you shoot for it?
3 concerts, 2 practices, and about a dozen interviews. So maybe 10 total hours.Not ridiculous. My stock-car movie “Four-Bangers”…I shot 100 hours on that.
How long did it take from start to finish to complete this documentary?
I’m surprising myself as I write this - only about 3 months. I started by cutting all the live footage together first - the 3-camera shoot from Bottom Lounge, and then the Ronny’s surprise show and the Milwaukee one. That way I was able to kind of pick and choose the strongest live performances and use them as a starting point.
Were the any challenges or difficulties that arose while working on this project?
Yes, the multi-cam Bottom Lounge shoot intimidated me. I’ve never done one before, and I was scared to screw any 1 aspect of the operation up - the live board mix, batteries dying, someone stopping a camera,etc. The other 2 live shows were shot much looser - just me on camera, handheld, with a portable audio recorder. Ironically, I like that footage way better. It seemed to serve the music better as opposed to where the more “pro” stuff comes off a little too much like a live Genesis concert to me.
You’ve done a number of films already. Did you approach this documentary the same way as others?
Not really. Shoot the shows, shoot some interviews, interweave the two. The project grew into its own thing after I did the interviews and got ideas for new directions I could take it. That, and the fact that Kevin and Neil dug up all kinds of great archival material.
Which members of the band and others outside of the band were the most informative?
Well the band themselves actually aren’t even in the movie very much (talking). I even flirted with the idea of not having any of their interviews in there. It sounds cheesy, but I thought their music kind of spoke for itself - so I just wanted the songs and then other people commenting. Outside of the band, Tim Kinsella was my go-to guy in the editing room for articulate thoughts and comments.
Did the band members have any input as to what was put in as far as interviews and music? How was it received among band members?
Throughout editing, I had carte blanche of everything I needed - the old VHS shows, their entire catalog of music, and everything I shot. They really weren’t involved creatively. I only contacted them for specific assets I might need or to clarify certain dates/details of their career. Once I finished, I screened it for the band and I think everyone was quite surprised and pleased. The one thing we agreed on, as a group, was that at that point, the ending didn’t really feel like an ‘ending’. Kevin told me about how Gauge had usually ended all of their live shows with “Sheephurter” - which at that point wasn’t even in the film. So together we came up with an idea to end the movie with live versions of “Sheephurter” from both 1994 and 2010. That was the only thing that was changed, and now it very much feels like an ending. Speaking of that last song, what you “hear” is the live version from the reunion show, while what you see is both that show and that same song from a 1994 show. The amazing thing, and a true testament to the band, was how closely the ‘94 video actually matched the 2010 version - almost perfectly in sync - the lyrics, the drum hits, the guitar, everything.
Was there anyone what you wanted to get commentary from but didn’t have a chance to?
Kevin and I came up with the interviewee list, and there were just a few we weren’t able to coordinate - Jason Gnewikow (Promise Ring), Fred Popolo (Haymarket Riot), and Ray Kolenko (Shakefork Records).
What was one thing you learned while working on this project?
I don’t like production. I think my talents are best suited for editing and storytelling. I’m never 100% happy with the looks of my movies. Next time I might hire a Cinematographer.
During the live music portions, was the audio recorded from the camera mics or do you combine the video with soundboard recordings?
It was a combination of the feed from the mixing board and a portable H2 Zoom recorder.
Do you have plans to do a film like this for other influential bands?
No plans to.
For more information about the Guage:153 DVD, check out Matt Golin and Shakefork Records websites.
Review from Manual Dexterity Summer 2010 issue:
Gauge:153
Dir. - Matt Golin
Gauge:153 is an ambitious documentary on the legendary Chicago band Gauge that was conceived and directed by fi lmmaker Matt Golin. Golin does an excellent job with this fi lm. Through crisp footage and audio, it captures Gauge’s live performance perfectly. Gauge:153 does for Gauge what the Killing a Camera DVD did for Braid. It shows the band’s strength
in performance coupled with in-depth commentary from band members and peers from the Chicago community like, Tim & Mike Kinsella, Bob Nanna, Rachael Dietkus, and many more. I got into the Chicago scene after Gauge had broke up, and focused more on bands like Cap’n Jazz, Braid and Sky Corvair. This fi lm, however, has persuaded me into digging into Gauge’s recordings.
