Left, West Seattle cinematographer Jamie Chamberlin prepares to film an aerial scene with Seattle rocker Duff McKagan, center, and Loaded bass player and West Seattle resident Jeff Rouse, pictured right, at Kenmore Air on Lake Union. Their film, "The Taking" is soon to be released.
Iconic Seattle musician Duff McKagan has been rocking it in 2012 with all guns blazing, and his career is looking rosy. Bad puns aside, he soon adds one more notch in his belt, "The Taking", a film ala "Hard Days Night" filled with music from his band Loaded, with edgy cinematography by West Seattle filmmaker Jamie Chamberlin.
Chamberlin, of Black Dahlia Films, is both the producer and director of 'The Taking'. The West Seattle Herald has followed Chamberlin filming "The Taking", and has reported on his film and stage work with ZZ Top. Loaded bass player Jeff Rouse lives in West Seattle.
Chamberlin told the West Seattle Herald, "'The Taking' will be released in episodes, a total of 10 vignettes, music videos that will tell a tale of totally bizarre adventures including imprisoned band members, and kids-sized ice cream cones. The series is scheduled to begin this fall. There are numerous cameos in the film including: Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney of ALICE IN CHAINS, former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke, Steve Jones of SEX PISTOLS, and Lemmy Kilmister from MOTÖRHEAD."
Check out this recent YouTube interview discussing "The Taking" and his admiration for Chamberlin's work on the production.
Duff, as he is best known, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Guns N' Roses April 14, and was Grand Marshall at the recent SeaFair Torchlight Parade. His auto-biography ‘It’s So Easy and other Lies’ is now out in paperback and doing well. You may have caught his interview Thursday on KUOW's "The Conversation with Ross Reynolds".
And while the book chronicles his early struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, and his personal crash and burn, his well-documented business savvy, talent, and tenacity has landed him on top amid a sea of "What-ever-happened-to?" aging rock stars, giving him not only rock star status, but role model status, too.