STOURBRIDGE rock band Weak13 are celebrating the news that their music video Loyal Coward has been nominated for best music video in this year’s Birmingham Film Festival.

The video was filmed in Stourport-on-Severn at Bishops Wood with a huge cast featuring the Svartland Living History Society who re-enacted scenes of a Viking army raiding a village.

Music video director, Weak13 frontman and guitarist Nick J Townsend, with the help of bassist Wesley Smith and DJ Pandora Rox, filmed a convincing battle sequence for the video which accompanies a track from the band’s debut album They Live.

Bass player Wesley Smith said: "Loyal Coward is more commercial than many of our other song releases but it contains all the trademarks of a Weak13 tune.

“We're avid songwriters so we always experiment and push band in new directions. For the music video we wanted to create something visually epic and the entire team worked hard to create the authentic look.”

Nick J Townsend, who directed the music video while also starring in it, said: "It's always more challenging directing a music video when you're actually appearing in it; part of you is concentrating on cinematography whilst the other is thinking about your performance on screen.

“I've done this now quite a few times and it's getting easier but it's always stressful during the filming when you have a large cast who all need direction. It's not often I get to film a Viking army attacking a village whilst singing a rock song."

It’s not the first time Nick, who has directed more than 30 music videos for national and international artists, has been a finalist at the Birmingham Film Festival.

Last year he had two nominations in the best music video award category for videos he shot for Birmingham artists Harry & The Howlers and Rebecca Downes.

This year’s film festival will run at the Mockingbird Cinema at the Custard Factory, Digbeth, from November 22 to 25.

Weak13 comprises Nick J Townsend on vocals and guitar, Wesley Smith on bass and Neel Parmar on drums, with Justin James appearing as drummer in the Loyal Coward video.

For more band details check out https://weak13official.com/.