The fresh-faced youngsters were nothing but a front for the band who were planning their comeback; the hoax was a comment on how image dictates record sales in the present day - and how image-obsessed DJs were unlikely to play the single if it was released by the ageing rockers. - bbc
Filming is starting on a movie based on the story of how a punk rock band fooled the music industry with a "hoax" video.
In an effort to expose ageism within the industry, 1980s band The Alarm recorded a comeback single in 2004 but recruited a young local band to release it under the name of The Poppyfields.
The single, called 45 RPM, entered the charts at number 24.
The film, called Vinyl, is being partly shot in Rhyl, Denbighshire.
Director Sara Sugarman, who is originally from the north Wales town and also directed Very Annie Mary, flew in from Los Angeles last month and held open auditions for local people to take part.
The film will focus on the music "swindle", which was thought up because The Alarm found their music was never given airplay on "younger and mainstream" radio stations.
But it will also tell the story of the band's frontman Mike Peters's battle with leukaemia and his and wife Jules's efforts to have a baby through IVF treatment. ...
"The Alarm have been in existence for 30 years and whilst the loyalty of the fan base increases year by year, the music industry is extraordinarily fickle towards stalwart bands like The Stranglers, The Alarm or Stiff Little Fingers who have huge followings but don't necessarily get played on Radio 1, or other mainstream media," she said.
"I think Mike wanted to highlight the ageism of the media and this is exactly what happened. We brought a young band to lip-synch, made a video and hey presto, all the radio stations were playing 45 RPM."
Mrs Peters said Vinyl is being filmed until September before it goes into edit. ...
via BBC News - Filming starts in Rhyl on movie based on band's hoax.
Here is the Alarm live.
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