Band borrows woman's home and slippers for shoot

A woman was left surprised when location scouts knocked on her door and asked if her sea view home could be used in an upcoming music video.

Elaine Richardson, 67, from Maryport in Cumbria, said three people asked to look around her home before asking if it could be used in a shoot for Fontaines D.C.

She said they wanted to use her house because her living room has a "nice sea view" looking on to the Solway Firth.

Crews descended on her home late last month and Ms Richardson said she got an autograph from lead singer Grian Chatten and a "little kiss on the cheek".

"I'd never heard of them at the time," Ms Richardson admitted.

"But they [the scouts] said they're quite a well-known Irish band."

The Dublin-based punk band's debut album, Dogrel, was nominated for the 2019 Mercury Prize and was also named BBC 6 Music's Album of The Year.

Crews came to Ms Richardson's house on Sunday 24 March and set up their equipment in her lounge while the lead singer had his makeup and wig done in her kitchen.

"He had a 60s-style wig," she said.

"I said to the make-up girl, 'oh, he looks like Paul McCartney' and she said, 'well, that's the whole idea, a 60s sort of look'.'"

The crew also asked if Ms Richardson had any shoes from the decade that she could lend to the shoot.

"Of course, I didn't have any shoes left from the 60s," she said. "I'm a bit cluttered, but I don't keep them that long.

"I said, 'I've got some slippers that might do, but they're dirty, they're a bit grubby looking.'

"And they said, 'perfect!', so the slippers might be in the video."

Crews even had an actor use Ms Richardson's stair lift in the recording.

Ms Richardson said the crew were in her house for about two hours and that she was paid for the use of her house.

"There was quite a lot of them, it was quite an event," she said.

"I think they chose the house because I have quite a nice sea view, there's a lighthouse at Maryport and the two pier ends, so it's got quite a central view.

"I'll be looking out for this video in a month or two and seeing what's on it, but I'm not on it unfortunately."

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