Thanks to our manager Joey Severance we got in touch with LowLifeMedia Agency in October and we started planning TWOTS video clip exchanging emails with LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 from LowLifeMedia.

We both got excited by the idea to have the guys coming and shoot the video in Italy in a castle, so we started looking for the right location.

We needed a castle where we could shoot indoors and outdoors. After asking permissions here and there and checking out castles close enough to Milan, we finally decided for Castle Baradello (Como - Italy) where we already took our first photo session for "Evillot" back in July 1999.

By middle November everything was set to get LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 from LowLifeMedia to Italy to shoot the video on November 18th and 19th. We planned to shoot the band playing indoor on Saturday 18th and, hoping the rain would stop, me alone outdoor on Sunday 19th and here's the report of what happened...

Castle Baradello

The tower of Castle Baradello is what remains of a fortified complex built by Federico Barbarossa in 1158, enhanced by the Visconti family during 1300 and destroyed by the Spanish into 1527. It witnessed many historical events, like the tragic end of Napo Della Torre (Napo of the Tower), defeated by Ottone Visconti in 1277 and imprisoned for 19 months until his death, into a wooden cage hanging outside the tower...

Poor Napo della Torre used to be exposed during the day but imprisoned into this very dungeon (where Marco Cecconi is..Checking out his hair is fine?) during the nights, when he was fed just enough to prolong his agony the longest possible....Not exactly Disneyland as location for our videoclip...

17/11

After LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 from LowLifeMedia landed at Malpensa airport, we just went out in Monza, my home town, for a beer, talking about the video and taking a look at the storyboard that they took with them, then we all went to bed to be fresh for the following day.

18/11

We left Monza at about 8.30 a.m. and arrived at Castle Baradello at about 10.00 am.
On the first sunny day in North Italy after weeks and weeks of rain, our very first adventure was to reach our location. The way up to Castle Baradello it's so small and tricky that you have to ring up the tower keeper to make sure no car is coming down, otherwise you're in big trouble. It's actually a path to be climbed up walking, but we had cameras, instruments (just think about the drum set!) so we had permission to go by car. Also we were lot of people: all of Power Symphony, LowLife 2 and LowLife 1, the make-up girl Luana and Raffaella and Andrea from our upcoming fan cub.
Anyway, the very last bit after parking the car can't be done but walking. A quite hard climbing up the big stone stairs that lead to the tower with all our equipment and we were finally there and definitely breathless!! End of the climbing? Not at all! The tower entrance is at third floor and the small but long wooden stairway that takes you up there is all but reassuring! The tower keeper had mercy of us and threw down a rope so that we could take some of our stuff up that way!

LowLife 2 from LowLifeMedia having his beer break

We agreed with LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 to use the tower dungeon as principal location of the video clip. We had to remove lot of stuff there, the landlord having set up a sort of self made amatorial museum of the inquisition times. The inquisitor table became our base, where we placed all we needed, like my kitchen TV as monitor and all the rest.

After a while of preparation, like setting lights and all this sort of things, we could start the music as loud as possible and start shooting!
LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 decided to shoot the all the guys separately, (while the make-up girl Luana took care of my make up), then the band together, then me alone.

Make-up miracle-woman Luana at work

At about 18.30 the landlord gave us the keys of the castle and went home so we could stay until we were finished with what was scheduled for the first day of shootings. It's really cool to have a Middle Ages tower just for you!
I loved when we lighted up a circle of candles to shoot me in, cold being the only serious problem down there. We brought heaters because we knew that the place was icy but with the heaters on there was not enough power so we didn't use them. The guys where all dressed in long sleeve but I wasn't wearing much and by the time of my shootings I was fucking freezing! Nothing that She who's on the way of the sword can't stand though and everything went just straight and fine.

At about 9 p.m., hungry as we were, we had to check three different restaurants to find a place to eat! I didn't had anything all day apart from some beer and coke now and then, and so LowLife 1 and LowLife 2, while the others had some sandwitches I think. All the fucking places were full or had no room enough for all of us. At the end we found a place, had dinner and went home to get some rest for the tomorrow outdoor shootings of me.

Marco Cecconi showing his best profile. Notice the clear evidence between someone who had at least a sandwitch during the day (Marco) and somebody starving (me)!

More dinner pictures: from the right Marco Volpe, Andrea & Raffaella from our upcoming fan club and make-up mistress Luana.

19/11

Good luck again, because we had another sunny day!
I woke up early to have a bath and go to my crazy hair dresser for a different hair style and make up then the day before (you'll check that out in the video!), so we left Monza at about 10.00 am.
Just two cars and 6 people today; me, LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 of course, Marco Cecconi (guitar) for help, the fan club inseparable couple Raffaella and Andrea (who shot a sort of making of), and our keyboard player Marco Volpe, who knows true medieval sword fighting and taught me some moves.

LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 did some more shootings of me in the freezing dungeon and in the candle circle and then we waited outside for the sun to go down a bit so we could shoot with a more sinister atmosphere.

Uh...The freezing dungeon again! The shadow you see is Raffaella (Fan club president, or High Priestess of the fan club as she entitled herself ) helping me with my nail polish...Even on the way of the sword sometimes you have to look atfer this kind of stuff...

In the meanwhile I practiced sword fighting with our keyboard player Marco Volpe. I don't know if those shots will make it in the video in the end, but I hope so because I was enjoying true sword fighting so much! It's an incredible feeling, believe me! To know exactly how each movement can harm the opponent is great and Marco Volpe is a good teacher! He kept saying "More violence, kill him!!" I really had fun!

Away from his keyboards, sword master Marco Volpe instructs his new pupil during a pause of the shootings.

So the sun finally gave up its brightness and we could finish our shootings of me walking around the ruins of the castle, singing, sword fighting...And the shootings were over!

That's me walking around, unaware of the camera eye...

Nobody knew if we had to be happy because it was done and well done, or sad because we had a good time together...In doubt, we finished off a bottle of home made Italian Limoncino (alcohol made with lemon) that had been my only heater that day (no rain, but still November and as usual I wasn't wearing much!).

After that, we hang out in a pub for a last minute beer and sandwitches with LowLife 1 and LowLife 2 and then we got them to the airport, leaving the LowLifeMedia guys with three hours shootings of Power Symphony to edit in their studio and put them into "The Way of the Sword" video clip, that should be ready in January.

I must say we worked very hard but we also had a great time and I hope you'll enjoy the video when it's ready!

STAY EVIL
Michela

Marco? We're not leaving you here for 19 months Months like Napo della Torre.... I promise!

All pictures courtesy of LowLifeMedia - November 2000