Sammy Hagar & the Circle have released their new short film, Space Between. The nearly 37-minute movie serves as a companion piece to the supergroup’s album of the same name, which was released in May.
The visual centers on a character named John, whose life traverses the album’s themes of money, greed, enlightenment and truth. As John makes his way through casinos and drug-fueled parties, he’s surrounded by visual reminders of his excess via surreal pig imagery. Hagar and his Circle bandmates — bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and guitarist Vic Johnson — perform songs from the concept album in a studio and onstage, providing the soundtrack to John’s storyline. Directed by ZZ Satriani, the son of Hagar and Anthony’s Chickenfoot bandmate Joe Satriani, the clip also weaves in animated illustrations.
Hagar adds further context, explaining the inspiration and concepts behind the songs and the film’s themes. “The question is always what makes the tipping point, when do you finally go, ‘That’s enough?’” he says towards the conclusion of the film. “You know, everyone’s different. A lot of people say, ‘You gotta hit bottom.’ You know, making bad decisions and all that.
“As long as you eventually get your shit together, I think the process of mistakes a lot of times are what it takes to get you on track,” he continues. “But in the end, the most important thing is if you have the epiphany and you go, ‘I’m changing, I’m going to change.’ Affirmation is as powerful as prayer.”
Sammy Hagar & the Circle are currently on tour in support of their debut studio LP, with North American dates running through February before they embark on a South American jaunt in March.