Chosen by Monk
This week we are taking a trip, quite literally, with these Portuguese psychedelic rockers, who celebrate their 20th anniversary this year by releasing their fifth album.
‘Woe Warrior’ is a short biker movie created by director, photographer and videographer Manuel Portugal – who has filmed commercials for the likes of Honda and Range Rover as well as having worked with many biker crews and events, and is co-founder of Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest – and features a centrepiece cameo from renowned Portuguese biker Cristiano Fernandes.
Manuel Portugal shared his experience of both working with the band (with whom he has also shared stages as a guitarist in various bands of his own) and shooting the video on Portugal’s extremely ride-friendly west coast:
It’s a pleasure for me to take photos and videos for Miss Lava. We have a long-standing relationship of shared experiences. Initially, it was about sharing the same stages, and later it evolved into producing some visuals for the band.
This time, the idea was to move away from the “performance video”. After some brainstorming, we landed on the “road movie” concept and the use of motorcycles as a way to explore the character’s restlessness and inner turmoil. A special mention goes to Cristiano Fernandes, whose magnificent riding skills I was already aware of, but who truly excelled in his acting.
Adds Miss Lava guitarist K Raffah:
Being under a negative influence can be a daily battle. One has to become a true warrior and face the many enemies hidden in the darkest corners of ourselves. But the road that leads to victory can also be a meaningful voyage of self-discovery. We hope that this beautiful movie by our friend Manuel can inspire everyday warriors to move beyond their struggle.
Speaking about the band’s just-released fifth album, ‘Under A Black Sun‘, Raffah added:
It has been a hell of a ride since we started rehearsing in a small studio in Lisbon back in 2005. Having this record come out twenty years later is the best thing we could wish for. Now we just need to get out there and play these songs live everywhere we can!