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The trailer for Schemers, a film based on the early careers of three ambitious Dundee promoters, is available to watch now exclusively on NME.com.
Schemers is set in the late ’70s/early ’80s and details David McLean’s beginning in the music business as a fledgling promoter who is ambitiously booking bands. Determined to not get a “real” job, Davie (portrayed by actor Conor Berry) begins to make money by running local discos and soon raises the bar to book larger-scale concerts for bands that now reside in the annals of modern rock and pop history (Iron Maiden, Simple Minds, U2).
In the trailer, we see a young Davie and his pals take numerous risks to pull off the biggest schemes of their lives, culminating in putting on Iron Maiden’s legendary show at Dundee’s Caird Hall in June 1980.
The official synopsis reads: “Davie (Conor Berry) is a dreamer from the council schemes, constantly hustling for his next buck, then losing it on the horses. After a football injury, Davie falls for trainee nurse Shona (Tara Lee) and tries to impress her by running a disco. Along with friends John and Scot, the trio start promoting bands – culminating in a hugely ambitious Iron Maiden gig at the Caird Hall, Dundee. With ambition so grand they go deep in debt with Fergie, a gangster of legendary violence, Davie needs to use every trick to pull off the biggest scheme of his life.”
Schemers, which opens in UK cinemas from May 8, is a Black Factory Films and Munro Films production that won the Audience Award at the 2019 Edinburgh Film Festival and was nominated for Best UK Feature at Raindance Film Festival. The movie is set entirely in Dundee, with all the filming also taking place within the city.
The screenplay is written by McLean, an original “schemer” who went on to become a successful music manager, as a way to share the stories behind his early career. McLean also co-produced the film.
‘Schemers’ will be in UK cinemas from May 8
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