A big favorite for a while now with their full concert recordings in France. Violent Motion, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, takes us through the entirety of this well-loved YouTube channel. Enjoy some delightful moments and reflections on the past few years. So, read this extensive and lengthy interview with the man of Violent Motion, Valentin Clemot.
1. How and especially in which city did the wonderful adventure of Violent Motion begin, since you celebrated your 10th anniversary last year?
To understand how the Violent Motion adventure started, you might need a bit of my personal background.
I grew up in a small town called “Cholet”. It was never really known to be cultural, and there were no such things as underground or extreme music shows. When I was 14 years old, I met Florian. He was the one who brought me to my first festival: Hellfest 2010. And yeah, my parents were totally fine with it ! At this festival, I was so looking forward to seeing Walls Of Jericho and Hatebreed, and this is how I got into it!
Violent Motion itself began in 2013. I had already tried having bands or being in show organization. But I could never really fit in. It was at a Nasty show, in « Le Floride » in Nantes, that I got this kind of crazy idea. I took my little Sony Bridge camera to film the show and then decided to upload it on YouTube. We were called «Into the Wild X Hardcore Motion » back then.
2. You are all volunteers, and a large team, I believe. But you must still have a lot of expenses to cover to present us with tons of concert videos, aside from the tickets, right?
We are, indeed, all volunteers. However, not everyone is involved full-time. It is a “free participation” kind of concept: I update shows on our Discord, and then people decide which one they want to attend!
Regarding our expenses, we do have a lot, but mainly gas-since we’re travelling across France, and gear rentals. For bigger events, like Superbowl of Hardcore for instance, we rent gear to have the best outcome possible, and that itself represents almost 90% of our budget.
We usually have a non-written deal with every event and every place: we don’t actually pay for our tickets, but we film almost every show-and we also try to get gas money and catering from time to time.
3. According to your YouTube channel, the beginnings were less rich in terms of complete performances, you presented songs more often than entire live shows. What made you decide to focus more and more on full performances?
At the beginning, I was by myself and uploading parts of the performances just for fun. I was buying my own tickets and not asking for any press accreditation. It really began when we came into the French Black Metal Scene. We were asked to film full sets, and it then became our way of doing it. We came back to our roots, the hardcore scene, in 2021 when we parted ways with our previous team. Mainly because we we're not on the same page anymore. We are still friends though, and they are doing an amazing job in their own field. You should check them out, they’re called « Les Furtifs », and are most probably the finest French music video makers and artists in the game as I’m speaking.
4. What are the biggest technical challenges when filming an entire festival? Do you connect during the presentations, how do you operate?
The biggest technical challenges we have to deal with are the tiredness and data storage. During small events, when we have a smaller crew, you have to be able to film every set. Staying pretty still, holding a camera is not as easy as it seems ! When you have to do that for eight performances straight, which is what happened at the Day of Hardcore Festival, that gets pretty tiring, haha.
For the biggest ones, we try to plan it beforehand and split it up. If needed, we text each other when a battery’s dead or when we need a new SD card. For these bigger shows, we usually have at least four cameras: a drum cam, two people on stage and one by the sound table. We also try to record the sound ourselves, so it is pretty practical to be not too far from the sound table. As for the data storage, I have over time acquired a lot of SD cards and SSD.
5. Do you have any best funny moments with any bands to share with us?
Actually, I don't remember any band in particular. I enjoy almost every set I shoot, if not I won’t do it. However, when you cross gazes with a band member while a crowd surfer crashes heavily to the ground, that is always quite funny, haha.
6. Which performance gave you a hard time, was the most difficult to film, but resulted in a beautiful outcome?
I think about the Comeback Kid’s set from the Superbowl Of Hardcore 2023. The stage was not that large, and I was on the edge, trying to avoid the stage divers and to save my gear from falling with me. But fuck, I love when it gets intense like that, and I think the outcome was the best we could hope for.
7. Five years ago, at Hellfest, you conducted interviews. Why did you not continue with that, just like the "Heavy News" in 2020? You seem to have abandoned some ideas along the way?
I like to try a lot of things. The Hellfest interviews were really, and I mean really, hard because it's a big festival. We were only two at the time, and carrying gears through crowds and under a bright sun was not really our thing. Some people and the media were doing it better than us, and the festival was growing bigger, so they didn’t really need us for that.
For the “Heavy News”, I started it during COVID, especially during the French lockdown. I needed to do something and, as I was already on Twitch, it made sense to me. Now I don't quite have the time between the video editing and my personal life/work. But maybe the “Heavy News” will be back one day.
8. If we dive into all your filmed sets this year, which three are your favorites?
It's hard to tell because this year we filmed twice as much as last year. I think that by January 2025 we will have uploaded almost 140 sets. Yes, there’s a lot more to come, so you should definitely stick with us a bit more!
But, to be honest, I think my three favourites are and will be:
- Speed live at Superbowl Of Hardcore 24' (online soon)
- Headbussa live at This Is Eurocore. (online soon)
- Days Of Revelation live in Rennes. (Watch Here)
9. And we would like to know the best set that you have filmed?
Every set is unique and different, and it always is a wonderful experience every time. So I don’t really think there is a best show, because they’re all awesome !
10. The first major American bands you filmed were Parkway Drive, Terror, Bury Your Dead at Hellfest in 2013, filmed among the crowd like all good amateurs, and then you climbed the ranks to offer performances by Sick Of It All, Walls Of Jericho in 2015, the following year First Blood, then in 2017 Death Before Dishonor, in 2018 Municipal Waste, and Napalm Death four years ago, up to returning to Terror in 2022. What place do you give these bands versus the underground scene?
I think it's important to film major “more famous” bands to make the Violent Motion’s channel and our work more known to the public, and then to upload videos of the more underground and the smaller bands from our scene. We are trying to make, I don't know if that’s how you say it in English, a virtuous circle (“cercle vertueux” in French) by baiting the public to come on our channel with the bigger bands, for them to then see the other sets we filmed from the not-so-known ones.
11. One of the most recent sets we watched and loved was Calcine at Days Of Hardcore 24'. Can you tell us about this set, is it one of the best female-fronted bands you've seen so far, even if Dying Wish, Path Of Resurgence, and Sentience are others that you've captured?
We are trying to not make a difference between “female-fronted," we don't really like this term, and “male-fronted” bands, they’re just bands! I think Calcine is one of the best “new blood” bands from the Parisian scene, as well as Spiruline and Citrus, Iron Deficiency. You could also check out Backbone, which was the Calcine singer's previous project.
Regarding the comparison between Calcine and bands like Dying Wish or Path of resurgence, I really can’t be fully objective because, I’m a huge fan. All I can say is that I want to keep on filming more of these bands (Divine Sentence or Impunity, For Instance).
In my opinion, I think it's important to have more women on stage to prove that it is not only a man thing.
12. 12. Speaking of female-fronted bands in the previous question, what is the importance of women in your team, do they hold several positions?
As I said before, there is not really a team behind the organization or Violent Motion, it's a one man’s project with people who come and help. I still consider us a team since it's almost the same people volunteering all the time.
There’s always been women in the hardcore scene, and this is the reason why they are also volunteering! As long as you’re motivated, and you enjoy the music, you’re always more than welcome in our “team” (regardless of gender, sexual orientation, etc).
We do not really have defined “positions”, but if they want to grab the cam and get on stage, they are more than encouraged to do so. If I have to spend some time helping them out, I’m glad to do it.
13. If we counted correctly, you have filmed the Canadian phenomenon Get The Shot about 5-6 times, the first time being 11 years ago. What have you noticed in the evolution of the band's live performance?
We attended GTS’ first European show in France. From that day on, we created what could be called a friendship, and whenever they came back around, we would go to their show.
Their music as well as their fan base keeps on evolving, and even though it is not really my kind of hardcore anymore, I'll always support them for their political point of views and their kindness.
I toured with them during their Euro Tour in 2022, to film each set. What I saw was a band that still plays the exact same way and with the exact same energy in front of 60 people or a thousand ! They earn my eternal respect for that: this is what Hardcore is about, this is the spirit.
14. Other Canadian bands including Comeback Kid, Prowl, Don’t Try, Just Ice, have been filmed multiple times, do you have a special connection with this country?
I think it's very easy to understand the connection. We share a common language, which kinda makes things easier. French people really love bands from Canada, especially Quebec. And it's also part of our History, they are our long-lost cousins from the other side of the ocean.
15. Is Worst Doubt the French band you have filmed the most?
Probably hahaha. They are one of the best Hardcore bands at the moment, and I think everyone noticed it. What they created is big, and it’s mainly the reason why they became a pillar of the French Hardcore movement. What is amazing is that they all share a lot of other projects together, and they have this hardcore spirit: it’s in their blood.
16. Between Motorcultor Fest and Hellfest, which one did you enjoy the most?
Each festival does have their pros and cons, and they each have their problems to fix and point of views. Even when I do not always agree with their stance on different topics, I would still choose Hellfest, mainly because you can get really comfy and it’s a 25-minute drive from home.
Hellfest has evolved a lot over the years but they still have room to improve. It should always be a safe place for everyone, and I think they should make it a priority to take care of women and make them feel as safe as I do.
17. What are the performances that will be released on YouTube in the coming months?
We have a lot to come:
- 16 sets from This Is Eurocore Fest (Ghent Belgium)
- 6 sets from Bust In Heads Fest (Montpellier FR)
- 18 sets from Superbowl Of Hardcore Fest (Rennes FR)
And some sets from Riip Fest (Tours FR)
18. Other than YouTube, on which other digital platforms are you present?
We are on Instagram, Facebook and X (Twitter) when I'm not too lazy. We post a lot on Instagram.
19. 19. Do you have plans to develop other projects for Violent Motion in the coming years?
Of course, we do ! We are actually working on a documentary about Rennes's Hardcore Scene, something quite historical, retracing the evolution of Hardcore from the 90s up until today. I really hope it is going to be the first one, but not the last!
We have already uploaded a documentary, which was made by one of our volunteers, Vincent, a.k.a. Loosed Prod, about a brand new french Parisian band called« Cohésion »!
20. For those who would like to make a small donation, since we remind you that you are volunteers like us, is there a donation link or a platform like Tipee to support your team?
We actually have no way to receive money, but we sell t-shirts sometimes.
That will, however, change in September. We are launching a founding campaign for the whole project and for the documentary. Our gear is actually old. Truth be told, my camera died last weekend… This will be our first time asking people for help, because we want to continue doing what we love to do! I also wish to expand across Europe to film more and more shows. Thank You for this Interview.
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It has been fascinating to discover the various perspectives and viewpoints over the ten years that Violent Motion has brilliantly offered. We observe that over the years, Valentin Clemot's dedication to presenting his passion with quality has surpassed the stage of just a guy filming for fun to someone leading a community of several volunteers willing to lend a hand. We seriously recommend following this guy and those who are attached to him, as their dedication is exemplary and demonstrates the quality of this scene. We will closely follow the upcoming releases and the large amount of content to be attributed to this YouTube channel this winter 24-25. Continue your generous work, Violent Motion, we extend our distinguished greetings for your devotion to the scene.
