Most musicians have to be around for awhile to see their rise and fall chronicled in such shows as VH1’s Behind the Music. In a twist on that formula, a new heavy metal band—Fozzy—invented a fictional history for itself in order to stir up some publicity.
Luckily, Fozzy had some top-notch help, from Boston-based agency Modernista!, which created a comedic mockumentary patterned after This Is Spinal Tap, and from director Larry O’Flahavan of Beverly Hills-based See Spot Run Productions, who helmed the project. The film, Unleashed, Uncensored, Unknown made its broadcast debut Nov. 26, on MTV.
Fozzy is led by Chris Jericho, better known for his day job as a WWF wrestling superstar. The band consists of Jericho and the members of Atlanta-based metal band Stuck Mojo. They teamed to record a CD, Fozzy, released last year on the Megaforce Records label. On the disc are renditions of classic songs recorded by top-drawer metal bands like Ozzy Osborne, Twisted Sister and Motley Crue, among others.
Like Spinal Tap, Fozzy is an elaborate ruse, with the members assuming fake character names. Lead vocalist Jericho is Moongoose (not Mongoose) McQueen. Then there are Duke LaRue (lead and rhythm guitars, vocals), Shawn "Sports" Pop (bass guitar, vocals), KK LaFlame (drums) and The Kidd (guitars).
One of oddities is Arthur, the band’s mascot: a guy in a hideous pigface mask who is identified as suffering from "swinus." In an interview segment, Arthur expresses gratitude to the band for seeing through his physical deformity and recognizing the person inside. Arthur also apparently is a participant in Fozzy’s on-stage act; in one performance clip, while the band plays, Arthur runs wildly across the stage with a chainsaw.
"[Fozzy and the label] wanted branding of some kind—some sort of history of the band, [while incorporating] the idea of bringing heavy metal back," O’Flahavan explained. "What’s so funny is that Axl Rose is back, and there’s this big resurgence of heavy metal now. And, of course, Fozzy is going to take the credit for that."
The task of creating the film fell to Modernista!, which is doing the branding for Palm Pictures (owner of Megaforce Records). The initial assignment, an eight-minute electronic press kit, ultimately grew into its 28-minute final version. As O’Flahavan explained, he and Modernista! co-founders/creative directors Lance Jensen and Gary Koepke came to realize that the backstory would best be told within a longer time frame.
"We’d gotten notes from the band and we sat down and starting writing out [the script]," said O’Flahavan. "We found that the ideas were a lot funnier if they were played out a little bit longer."
The film is built around the idea that Fozzy signed a 20-year ironclad contract with Japanese label Big Happy Mountain Rock Records, prohibiting the musicians from leaving Japan or getting another deal. In that time, Fozzy contends, 1980s metal bands like Motley Crue and Iron Maiden ripped off their music. Now after 20 years, Fozzy has returned to the U.S. for a "triumphant" homecoming that is proving to be anything but.
The result, consisting of behind-the-scenes interviews and performance footage, captures the band’s fictional tribulations, like the so-called "Osaka incident," in which a laser inflicted mass blindness on a stadium full of fans during a concert; the victims were given seeing-eye dogs as compensation. Another recounted incident reveals that Fozzy was forced to fire its guitarist Chuck Barry (no relation) after a terrible sumo accident left him unable to use his hands.
Many of the funny bits spoof the macho posturing and pomposity that rockers are famed for. As Moongoose, Jericho lambastes a DJ during a radio interview for mispronouncing his name, believes that sexy female groupies ("Fozzy’s floozies") should carry the band’s luggage and demands extravagant limos. Of course, things don’t go as expected: The groupies have never heard of Fozzy; at an airport, the band is met with a Honda Accord; and the group’s manager proves to be completely inept at dealing with problems.
Several metal heavyweights make appearances in the film, including Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister and Zakk Wylde, the former lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde claims that he wanted to be a member of Fozzy and, when he was rejected, went into a tailspin of drugs and drink. With beer in hand, Wylde asserts, "This interview has driven me back to drinking."
O’Flahavan related that the production team only had a day and a half to shoot the project in Orlando. "We had two Panavisions and two DV cameras going," he added. "We were flying really fast, but everything is staged, even the rock show."
One sequence about the wrong bus—a coach rather than a tour bus—sent to pick up the band was a true incident that occurred during the shoot. "I heard that there was a problem with the bus and that the band was really upset," said O’Flahavan, who found it so funny that he persuaded Fozzy to incorporate it in the film.
Even given the time crunch, O’Flahavan was pleased with the performances, including that of the man portraying Japanese record mogul Masami "Sammy" Tomami, who signed Fozzy to the contract. "He was the manager of a sushi restaurant in Orlando," said the director with a laugh. "I found him, and he was great."
O’Flahavan also praised the work of editors Jamie Lamonde and Billy Rohn of New York-based Berwyn Editorial. They cut the project, doing what amounted to a $100,000 edit for $26,000. "Everyone was really into it, and that was the attitude that everyone had. The only reason we got done with as much coverage as we did was because everybody was willing to help out."
Incidentally, See Spot Run is no longer affiliated with Marina del Rey-based Metro Pictures; the two companies severed their ties in April of last year. Rob Perkins now serves as executive producer at See Spot Run.
