This is a highly enjoyable film which takes its subject matter and art form seriously without getting over sentimental. Whether you're a fan of the band or not, you should see this. It charts the very brief flirtation with commercial success of one of the most influential but overlooked bands of the last 25 or more years and deals with the often humorous, sometimes painful but overall highly endearing and optimistic efforts of the two main driving forces in the band as they try to keep the show on the road and remain true to their art and mission.
Few music fans ever really get to see what really happens inside a working band apart from the carefully scripted press pieces and PR releases, which as bands move further away from mainstream commercial success, get fewer and father between. Also, folk often say that it's a bad idea to meet your heroes as they rarely live up to your expectations, but through this film, you get to meet the characters vicariously through the eyes and ears of the directors and take a really good long look at what makes a working band tick. The fact that the characters are so completely human, with all the dysfunctional frailties this includes, often writ very large, makes for a fascinating couple of hours.
Many well know musician 'talking heads' eulogise about the influence this band have had on them both musically and through their live performances, which ensure that in spite of all the infighting, members dropping out, dropping back in, drama's, kidnappings and so forth, the band still remain heroes of the day for their uncompromising attitude to play their music on their terms.
This coupled with some great live footage, both old and new to show the viewer what everyone else who's ever seen them knows: this is probably the best, craziest live band in the world, then and now.
Hopefully this film will win the band a bunch of new fans. It should definitely open up a whole load of opportunities for the directors who've tackled a subject with great skill and heart, ensuring that a great story is well told.
Seen at the London Open City Documentary Film Festival – June 2011
Few music fans ever really get to see what really happens inside a working band apart from the carefully scripted press pieces and PR releases, which as bands move further away from mainstream commercial success, get fewer and father between. Also, folk often say that it's a bad idea to meet your heroes as they rarely live up to your expectations, but through this film, you get to meet the characters vicariously through the eyes and ears of the directors and take a really good long look at what makes a working band tick. The fact that the characters are so completely human, with all the dysfunctional frailties this includes, often writ very large, makes for a fascinating couple of hours.
Many well know musician 'talking heads' eulogise about the influence this band have had on them both musically and through their live performances, which ensure that in spite of all the infighting, members dropping out, dropping back in, drama's, kidnappings and so forth, the band still remain heroes of the day for their uncompromising attitude to play their music on their terms.
This coupled with some great live footage, both old and new to show the viewer what everyone else who's ever seen them knows: this is probably the best, craziest live band in the world, then and now.
Hopefully this film will win the band a bunch of new fans. It should definitely open up a whole load of opportunities for the directors who've tackled a subject with great skill and heart, ensuring that a great story is well told.
Seen at the London Open City Documentary Film Festival – June 2011