The band headed back on the road after the best part of a month in the studio. They played the Rainbow and Greenbelt Festivals and went up the M1 for another trip to Scotland , and then down to Exeter , Swindon , Hastings , Aldershot , Hull and Hartlepool. The band were getting great reviews when and wherever they played , but the band wanted to get the next single out, so the big step was made. The Sway would make a proper music video.
The band had met with young film maker Han Foo Qune in Oct 94, and talked about doing a video for Going Blind. Many meetings were held to discuss what the video would look like, what the theme would be, what Han thought the song was about and how the band wanted to be seen. The idea would come about that the song (Going Blind) was like an awakening, your are bored/tired , bad , inpatient or corrupt and on hearing the song and it`s lyrics everything would be fine and ok Add a few fine looking girls dancing to set off the drama of the actors and the band performance and you have the basic idea of a music video. It was the bands job with the help of Han to hand pick the cast and dancers, this was done in late Nov with the aim to get the video done in mid Dec.
While this was going on the day to day workings of the band carried on. The band were going to be Midlands artist of the week for the local BBC radio stations so had to travel to Birmingham Pebble Mill studios to do a live recording session. This took place on the 21st Nov 1994. The band were gobsmacked to see the studio. It was like Abbey Studios in London, absolutely huge. They laid down 6 tracks, Going Blind , My Purpose , Nothing , The Death Of Venus , Twice In a Lifetime and a cover of the Rolling Stones track 2000 Light years. The producers and engineers were just blown away with the death of venus and twice in a lifetime songs. This was a new direction for the band , more melodic and grown up sound, The band were on fire !!
So with those songs in the bag the band focused attention on the video for Going Blind. The video would be shot over the weekend of the 10th & 11th Dec 1994, but the work started long before then. The band were set a strict fitness routine ,that included gym work and aerobics, trouble is the gym was next to a pub so after a work out the band would head in to the pub to gain sustenance. They were a band not a footballer after all!!!!! On Dec 9th The Sway headed out and about to do Photo shoots and to get some clothing for the video shoot. On the 10th bright and early the band were picked up and taken to the shoot. It took place at the priory studios in Belsize Road. As with all these things food and drink were free and the band made the most of that. So much so that drummer Sean was asked to leave the set on the first day after he had finished his parts because he was drunk, It was 1 in the afternoon! A fantastic weekend was had by all and a very professional video was made. On the 14th Dec Sean ,Paul and James went into town to met up with the company doing the artwork for the next single.The 16th saw the band mastering their own single at an editing suit in camden. The year ended on a low note when the band saw the first edit of the video. It was a band video without the band ( except David ). A short and frank discussion was had and another edit would have to be done,(although the final edit was not much better). However The Sway as always just got on with what they do best , playing and writing great songs.
Christmas and New Year came and went and nothing much happened until late Jan. On the 26th the band had their last photo shoot, the 27th they played another 10 out of 10 show in Woodford Halse and the 28th went down to Southampton for another show , but it was on the 31st jan 1995 was maybe when The Sway hit the highest level yet. The premiere of the Going Blind video was being held at Londons Planet Hollywood. The video was shown in the private cinema at the venue in front of a packed house, full of writers,agents and record biz people. It was so good they showed it twice! The band went onto party hard (they always did).
The second Single made it in to the shops in early Feb , but it no longer had Sensual World as a b-side. The death of venus which was recorded at the BBC back in Nov was so good that it took the third song slot.
In Feb 13th-19th The Sway were Midlands artist of the week, something they knew was going to happen and had recorded 6 songs back in Nov for. Another radio interview on the 13th in Birmingham was followed by gigs in Daventry and Birmingham that week, but it was while in Daventry the band heard themselves on the radio without prior warning. The band had sound checked and had gone out to get something to eat when they heard My Purpose being played on the radio. They were very excited by this. That had really set them up for a fabulous couple of weeks, reaching a peak when The Sway played for the first time at the world famous MARQUEE.
The band rocked like never before in front of a near capacity crowd.To celebrate the band partied again ,this time at their favourite haunt The Camden Monarch. A GLR radio session took place in early March along with the odd gig but it was`nt until early May did The Sway reappear. They did many radio interviews, along with a number of newspaper interviews and a local TV interview / session. This was like being on tour but without the playing side. The band started getting bored from answering the same questions ,so they would make up answers and stories to tell the interviewee , much to their amusement. The month would end on two amazing gigs, one at the marquee again and the second a couple of days later at the BBC live 95 event. Live 95 was being held in Birmingham that year and the band was asked to play the up and coming stage. It was an outside gig , and was recorded for radio later that week. The Sway as always kicked arse. However , there was a sting in the tail because that was to be The Sways last ever performance together.
Just two weeks later David would drop the bomb shell that he was leaving the band. He gave various reasons that have stayed private between the band, but never the less the band were over. Firm friends the band have always remained even to this day, and in 2005 they even got together for a jam., but as The Sway goes it was all finished. All say that the band ended far too soon and on the eve of something real big, but that's how it goes..........
