The Life of Rock with Brian Pern is the Spinal Tap of the small screen, just as Rob Reiners comedic portrayal of an aging and diminishing heavy metal act was at its best in the tiny details, the moments that you almost miss or which require deep familiarity with the genre actor/writer Simon Day (along with Rhys Thomas) catches the essence of his targets perfectly.
He is the writer and singer of 70s prog act "Thotch" Brian Pern who, having long left his old band mates behind is now a seer, nay a visionary of our times - the inventor of world music and plasticine based music videos, fund raiser for bi-polar Polar bears and the originator of the "unwieldy stage musical based on a science fiction classic" genre (in this case the Day of the Triffids which due to Perns creative block arrived decades after War of the Worlds made Jeff Wayne, who was listening with a glass pressed to the wall in the studio next door, a millionaire).
Every type is here - the contemporary rock stars, DJs, cultural commentators, sullen band mates, hangers on, record company executives and of course the oily money-grubbing manager who is perfectly caught in the form of Michael Kitchen, who talks out of the corner of his mouth like every word was costing him personally.
While ones familiarity with the last 40 years of pop culture and prog rock specifically will clearly help you get the most laughs from the material those too young to get the details can still enjoy the broader characterisations and situations that befall our sage.
We've had two short form series so far, here's to the third.
He is the writer and singer of 70s prog act "Thotch" Brian Pern who, having long left his old band mates behind is now a seer, nay a visionary of our times - the inventor of world music and plasticine based music videos, fund raiser for bi-polar Polar bears and the originator of the "unwieldy stage musical based on a science fiction classic" genre (in this case the Day of the Triffids which due to Perns creative block arrived decades after War of the Worlds made Jeff Wayne, who was listening with a glass pressed to the wall in the studio next door, a millionaire).
Every type is here - the contemporary rock stars, DJs, cultural commentators, sullen band mates, hangers on, record company executives and of course the oily money-grubbing manager who is perfectly caught in the form of Michael Kitchen, who talks out of the corner of his mouth like every word was costing him personally.
While ones familiarity with the last 40 years of pop culture and prog rock specifically will clearly help you get the most laughs from the material those too young to get the details can still enjoy the broader characterisations and situations that befall our sage.
We've had two short form series so far, here's to the third.
