Duff McKagan Documentary in the Works

West Seattle Herald
One year ago West Seattle filmmaker and documentarian Jamie Burton Chamberlin released his movie and 2-DVD set Double Down Live featuring an intimate look at rock icons ZZ Top performing live throughout America and Europe including rare, behind the scenes footage. The West Seattle Herald reported on that release, plus ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons' visit with Chamberlin to the Mission Latin Grill, Feedback Lounge and West 5 last August 28.

Chamberlin's new project is a feature length film about Seattle rock legend Duff McKagan and his band, Loaded. The band's line up also includes bass player and West Seattle resident Jeff Rouse, as well as guitarist Mike Squires and drummer Isaac Carpenter.

The film is based on the new Loaded album which is soon to be completed and yet to be titled.

"Duff" as he is affectionately known, played for 13 years with Guns N' Roses, recently did a stint with Jane's Addiction, and is the bassist for Velvet Revolver. He writes a weekly music column for the Seattle Weekly. He has a reputation of being business savvy, and has written on finance for publications including Playboy.

McKagan, 46, is married to super model Susan Holmes, a noteworthy swimsuit designer who has fit other celebrities. She will soon appear on a new reality TV show called Married to Rock.

It was recently announced that a song from the new Loaded album, prior to its release, will be played in rotation during Major League Baseball's World Series coverage.

Chamberlin said "McKagan and the boys are gonna lay down the hammer" when Loaded performs two of its soon to be released songs, "We Win" and "Fight On" at the Seattle Seahawks Veterans Day half time show November 7. The Seahawks play the New York Giants at home.

"It's going to be huge," said Chamberlin. "'We Win' is a pulsating anthem reminiscent of 'We Will Rock You', and 'Fight On' is an amazing song about overcoming adversity. These two songs seem perfectly matched for the other veteran-related activities planned.

"My main focus for half time is to shoot how the band gets there and where they head after. It's more about designing a fictitious story line which will be a part of the larger project, and will be a contemporary version of, say, Hard Days Night meets (Led Zeppelin's) Song Remains the Same, with aspects of documentary, music video, and live performance, all interconnected by an underlying motivation. The album will serve as the soundtrack.

"Everything will be shot in Seattle and the Northwest," he added. "We hope to use locations in West Seattle and other familiar settings to create these vignettes that develop organically within them."

Chamberlin hopes that Billy Gibbons may swing by West Seattle again to appear in the film. Other big name musicians may also make cameos.

Chamberlin is excited that McKagan may push to have the piece released in the film festival circuit to offer exposure to a wider audience beyond his music fans.

"Not a lot of artists out there are interested in going to this extreme of having their music interpreted in film," said Chamberlin. "This project wouldn't be happening without Duff's vision, and the support of people like Rick Canny at Sanctuary management, Loaded's manger.

"Duff is a super guy, one of the nicest guys you could meet. He has shown a strong commitment to getting this project off the ground. He's got a great business sensibility and is totally creative, qualities that draw me to him as an artist. He's just a classy cat."