FANATIC HEART: Black 47

Black 47 does it their way. This Irish roots rock band has been funky ceili-ing its way into rock and roll history for well over a decade now, and it shows no signs of getting tired – or old, for that matter. Founded in 1989 by the erudite Larry Kirwan (he’s a playwright and novelist, as well as songwriter and droll wit) the band lost no time in finding their way to the pages of Time Magazine by way of the Irish bars of the Bronx. They are the quintessential New York band – they just won’t quit. They’ve already defied the odds; the average life span of a rock band is two or three years, tops. The early days were fueled by a “fury inspired by fear of failure,” and gigs found a dizzily eclectic mix of celebs rubbing shoulders with cops, barmaids, and bookies, in “sweaty, sexy, booze-driven marathons.” Nothing has changed. Like New York City itself, the band endures, playing over 200 gigs a year nationally and abroad. “There’s a little New Yorker in everyone,” the Irish born Kirwan observes. Black 47 proves it. HOME TEAM PRODUCTIONS is capturing it.

Official Black 47 Web Site: www.black47.com

COMPOSING CROATIA

Nenad Bach was a rock star in his native country, albeit a classically trained one; but in 1984 he made the decision to expatriate in order to follow his dream of finding a U.S. market for his music. The singer/songwriter has appeared, Zelig-like, with musicians ranging from Bono to Pavarotti to Garth Hudson and the late Rick Danko of The Band. He has hobnobbed with actors and heads of state in his role as an unofficial ambassador for peace, having transcended the trauma of war back home to emerge empowered to effect change. In addition to recording his own music, he has produced CD’s featuring the never-before recorded folk music of his homeland, the haunting a cappella sounds of “klapa,” with its universal themes of love, the sea, the fight for freedom and the heroic human struggle. HOME TEAM has been documenting Nenad over the past five years – witness to his personal struggle to make the transition from stardom in Croatia to outsider in an industry dominated by youth and pop culture. He has never given up. Now, he is composing scores for independent films as he continues to perform and write his own music. Perhaps most importantly, he remains committed to his work as a “citizen of the world,” a tireless antiwar activist, the driving passion which infuses his life and the music he creates.

Nenad Bach's Web Site: www.nenadbach.com