10 Questions with ... Jonathan McHugh & Gary Spivack

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

E-MAIL: Jonathan McHugh & Gary Spivack

1) What made you want to get into the music business and who were some of your early mentors?

Jonathan: I was a DJ and promotion director of the Tulane University radio station, WTUL/New Orleans. I loved the college radio experience and found my calling; I wanted to get into radio, but I ended up in radio syndication and then radio promotion.

For me working with artists and musicians just seemed like the coolest thing in the world; I have worked with some of the greatest. I have been blessed to work in many forms of the entertainment biz, all of which I have loved for over 30 years.

Some key influences were:

Michael Abramson, who hired me at DIR Broadcasting, Brad Hunt, who hired me at Elektra, Al Cafaro and Jim Guerinot, who hired me at A&M Records, and Neil Portnow, Barry Weiss and especially Clive Calder. who hired me at Jive/Zomba who let me produce my first film, "Crossroads" for Zomba Films.

Gary: I was a drummer and I felt like it was going nowhere fast. I had a college degree from the University of Colorado and my Dad bought me a briefcase and said "get to work, son." I sold-out and it's one of the truly great regrets of my life. I should have moved to Seattle with my college buddy and tried out for Pearl Jam ... dammit. So, if I had to get a day job, it might as well have been in the music industry. I got a shot to be a local for 24k a year in San Francisco for the famed Elektra Records. I covered a Motley Crue/Faster Pussycat in Fresno and the rest is history. Mentors and peers to this day include: Michael Lang, Cliff Bernstein, Warren Christensen, Kevin Weatherly, Marc Geiger, Rick Roskin, Danny Wimmer, Joe Litvag, McQ and Del Williams.

2) Can you tell us your first music job and give us a rundown of the labels and positions you've held over the years up until now?

Jonathan: My first job was working for London Wavelength (thanks Gayle Miller) doing radio syndication on shows like Rock Over London, then later at DIR Broadcasting with shows like King Biscuit Flower Hour and Howard Stern.

From there I moved into the film biz. Doing marketing for iconic film producer Dino DeLaurentis (where I met my wife of 25 years). Then back to music doing local radio promotion for the legendary promo god Charlie Minor at A&M Records. I moved back to NYC for the gig as I knew Charlie was special and I guy I had to work for. Miss you, Charlie! Working in the #1 radio market in the country I was lucky enough to learn from and work with Rick Stone.

Then I moved on to do National promo at Elektra where Gary Spivack and I started our 30-year friendship and was part of our promo staff taking Metallica into the mainstream by conquering Top 40 radio.

After that I became Marketing Director at A&M Records where I later started a soundtrack division for them that put me on the film path. Then I was hired by New Line Cinema and helped produce soundtracks like Austin Powers, Boogie Nights, Blade, Rushhour, Money Talks, Wedding Singer and a number of other Gold and Platinum Records

Then I pitched Zomba owner Clive Calder on starting a film division and we produced the very successful film "Crossroads" with MTV Films/Paramount Pictures. I realized then that I loved the filmmaking process and have produced about 30 films and TV shows since then.

After a run as an indie producer I met up with my old A&M Records FL local promo guy Steve Bartels (another one of Charlie's kids) who had crushed it, becoming President of Island /Def Jam. He introduced me to LA Reid, which led me to Island/Def Jam doing film and TV and I ended up producing the Justin Beiber doc, "Never Say Never."

Since then I have independently been producing and music supervising films and some TV.

Gary: I started as a drummer, went to Elektra Records, then MCA Records as Head Of Alternative, Atlantic Records in NY, then Capitol Records as Head of Rock &Alt, Geffen Records and then I left the cocoon of the record label world to start my next career.

3) What was the genesis for the idea of doing this documentary film and how did you both become involved in this project?

Gary: McQ and I have known each other since the early '90s. We worked at Elektra together. Our wives and kids are friends. We have taken trips together. Countless meals, movies, tennis matches and hangs outside of any 'business' together. We currently make up the left side of our softball teams infield. McQ at third, lead-off batter, with me at shortstop, batting second. We understand each other's language, our personalities, our quirks, both positives and negatives. It's a brotherhood and together along with Susan Munro (editor) and a couple other important players (Danny, Joe etc..) we have partnered up to the make an honest and important rock doc that will show how Rock 'n Roll is important and alive and in our modern era.

Jonathan: I always loved this music and grew up rocking to bands like Sabbath, Zeppelin and Kiss. I had pitched Spivack/Wimmer a few years ago about doing a film at ROTR as I was always fascinated by the raw power of crowd surfing, moshing and the Wall of Death. When they booked Metallica for their 10th anniversary, Gary called me and we started putting the wheels in motion to figure how to get it done.

4) The timing for this film is great because there seems to be a strong appetite for great Rock content in recent years with cool documentaries out there including the Elvis Presley doc on HBO and the Eric Clapton on Showtime. Your thoughts?

Jonathan: After producing Janis: Little Girl Blue (Netflix) We Are X (Hulu) and Man in the Camo Jacket (Amazon) and directing the upcoming Cosplay Universe (Netflix) I knew it was time to partner with Gary to try to get this film made. As people get older the studio, tentpole big popcorn action films become less interesting and docs become more interesting for people to find great stories.

Gary: Yes. Agree 100%. Rock docs are red hot. Cause they are REAL. And they seem to touch a nerve because the climate seems to be calling for honest takes on great stories. Rock docs, when done right, capture that. The timing is great and we have an honest, passionate and real story to tell ... from the front lines.

5) You have lined up some incredible Rock bands for interviews for this project including Metallica. How did that interview go and who else will we be hearing from in this film?

Jonathan: We have been interviewing both fans and artists for the last 11 months and we have dove deep with some great stars like Lars, Duff, Tom Morello, Corey Taylor (Stone Sour) and Jacoby (Papa Roach), just to name a few. In the film we are covering the whole genre, ie: How the fans have almost a religious zeal about "their' music and about how the opioid epidemic, depression and addiction has been affecting the rock community. How concert security deals with crowd surfers, moshing and, of course, the dreaded Wall of Death! We want this to be a full 101 immersion into the culture; the mainstream perception is that these are crazed fans with their tats, piercings and long hair are freaky, but that is a sweeping generalization. The take away for me is: Don't judge a book by its cover.

6) Besides the Rock stars, I understand you are in the middle of a campaign to get Rock fans involved in this project as well. How are you doing this?

Jonathan: We have been following some members of a fan group called the Rangers that meet up every year at ROTR and other Midwestern hard rock festivals. Unless you are having a baby or your folks died, they are showing up. Some of my favorites so far include a crowd surfing nurse from West Virginia who uses it as therapy, a correction officer from KY that uses this music to find a common bond between jailer and inmate, a mother of two who leaves the family for two weekends a year to meet her Rangers and rock out. Their stories and some others will be the backbone of our film.

7) You are also looking to get Rock radio involved with promotions and premieres in local markets when the film is released. What is the plan for Rock radio?

Gary: I have said this several times and I will say it until I'm blue in the face: no Rock radio support -- no Rock On The Range. When we started that festival (and as others followed such as Carolina Rebellion, Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life, Aftershock and others) we had to get on our knees and beg the industry to listen to us. It was Rock radio that did! They support these festivals; they are voices and mouthpieces that champion our festivals and we recognize that. DWP is not a paint-by-numbers company. We get in the trenches with Rock radio to get the word out and wave that rock flag 24/7, 365. So it's only right when the time is right, of course, to get Rock radio involved and in the foxhole with us on this love letter to the hard rock culture we are making, Long Live Rock. We want Rock radio to spread the word, do movie premieres, talk about the movie ... take ownership of it. This film is for and about the fans, and these fans listen to their local Rock radio stations.

Danny Wimmer and Gary Spivack of Danny Wimmer Presents

Jonathan: Since Gary and I came from radio promotion, we know the power of it and as Gary said, it is still the lifeblood of the concert/festival promotion and rock bands in general. They are deeply in touch with this culture and hope this film speaks to them. We have been talking to our old pal Tommy Nast at Fathom Events about the concept of doing one-night premiere screenings in a number of markets. It would be great to tie-in a great Rock station in each market. So that is the tentative plan when we get ready to release the film.

8) When do you anticipate completing this film and getting it ready to showcase to Rock radio and its fans?

Jonathan: Docs take a long time to create. The Janis Joplin doc I produced took us about five years to get done. We Are X was two years to get done, as was Man In the Camo Jacket. Our goal on Long Live Rock is to finish shooting next month and take the rest of the year to edit the film. So we hope to have it out there early next year, but it all depends on many factors including the next round of funding.

That's why it's key for hard rock fans to get involved in the film. We are looking for their stories and will try to get some of them into the film if it all makes sense. You never know where the great stories in the hard rock culture may come from.

Please have them go to the Pledge Music website, www.pledgemusic.com/projects/longliverock, to get involved and help get this love letter out into the world.

9) Do you have any distribution deals lined up at this time? What is the process in deciding where the film will be available for the public to see it?

Jonathan: We have been talking to people but really want to find the right partner who really understands how best to get this film out to the world.

10) Finally, we've all heard the old "Rock Is Dead" line plenty of times. What do you want this film to ultimately capture about the Rock lifestyle and culture?

Gary: Rock is dead, they say? Fuck that. Long live Rock, long live rock. Hmmm ... well if you still happen to believe that than take a look at the film we are making. Look at our facts. Over 125,000 will be at ROTR this May 18th-20th. Our World's Loudest Month, from Rockville to Rockfest with Invasion, Rebellion, ROTR and others in between will have over "half-million strong" in attendance between late April and the end of May. Lars, Duff, Morello, M Shadows, Rob Zombie, Jonathan Davis, Corey Taylor, Lzzy, Taylor and countless other rock stars sure have something to say about that in our film. The film will show how this often misunderstood but beloved genre is adored and as vibrant and alive as ever.

Jonathan: That about sums it up for me!