Great music movies from the past
1 October 2022
Drama movie about The Beatles and their Hamburg days
where they learned how to rock ‘n’ roll. Focus is on Stu Sutcliffe,
the charismatic Scottish bassist of the Fab Four in the early days
who passed away due to a brain haemorrhage. He was only 21.
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee and Ian Hart
Trailer…
10 September 2022
A musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes,
set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s.
It tells the story of a fictional pop star, Brian Slade.
With Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Jonathan
Rhys Meyers and Toni Collette.
Released in 1998.
TRAILER
British rockers PLACEBO were in it too, performing a
kick-ass cover of T. Rex‘s glam slam 20th Century Boy…
18 January 2022
Movie: VELVET GOLDMINE (1998)
Directed by Todd Haynes
Story: A fictional drama It is set in Britain during the glamour and
glitter rock days of the early 1970s, it tells the story of a fictional
homosexual pop star, Brian Slade.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Christian Bale
Trailer
Placebo performing T.Rex‘s glam slam 20th Century Boy in the film.
14 January 2022
Movie/documentary: Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
Released: 2019
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–1976 concert tour by Bob Dylan with
an impressive cast of artists. On this tour, Dylan wanted to play in smaller venues
in small cities to get intimate again with his fans.
The docu contains contemporary interviews with the whole group of big names that accompanied Dylan on the tour. Joan Baez, Sam Shepard, Ronee Blakley, Ramblin’ Jack
Elliott, Roger McGuinn, Ronnie Hawkins, Larry Sloman, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter among
others and also old chats with Scarlet Rivera and poet Allen Ginsberg.
Trailer
DVD/Blu-ray available via Amazon and many other online shops.
The concert album sampler on Spotify…
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BOB DYLAN: Website
Movie: THE COMMITMENTS
Director: Alan Parker
Year: 1991
Story: Jimmy Rabbitte, an unemployed Dublin boy, decides to put
together a soul band made up entirely of the Irish working class.
A must-see cool as fuck and hilarious film…
Popcorn time
Movie: GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE
Year: 2010
“A glimpse at the life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg,
from growing up in 1940s Nazi-occupied Paris through
his successful song-writing years in the 1960s to his
death in 1991 at the age of 62.” (IMDb)
With Eric Elmosnino playing Serge Gainsbourg.
Trailer…
SERGE GAINSBOURG: Bio
About old and new music movies…
10 March 2021
Documentary about multi-faceted British punk legend Poly Styrene who introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s England, with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint.
Directed by: Poly’s daughter Celeste Bell (interview here under) and Paul Sng
Released: 27 February 2021 – Now streaming through independent cinemas in the UK
and Ireland and will premiere in North America at SXSW from March 16-20.
More info ‘to watch’, here via Modern Films.
Louder Than War wrote: “A dazzling documentary that will renew your faith in the
power of cinema to depict lives that aren’t so easily narrated… This film is so much more than a documentary. Certainly, it offers insight into Poly Styrene’s life and career in X-Ray Spex, and it brings together incredible commentary from voices that include Pauline Black, Ana da Silva, Kathleen Hanna, Rhoda Dakar, Don Letts, Neneh Cherry, Vivien Goldman, John Robb, Gina Birch, and so many others. But even more, it’s an elegiac rumination on a complicated yet beautiful life, and the power of narrative for those, like Bell, who do the storytelling.” Full review here.
The trailer…
The cliché…
Turn Up The Volume‘s numero uno X-Ray Spex cracker…
POLY STYRENE: Facebook
Rest in peace, heroine…
4 March 2021
Released (DVD and Blue-Ray): 2019
Story: Filmmaker Rubika Shah documents the rise of Rock Against Racism (RAR).
The movie focuses partly on co- founder Red Saunders, photographer and Agitprop theater purveyor. Eric ‘fucking hypocrite’ Clapton supported the racist ideologies at
the time. More about Clapton‘s jaw-dropping nonsense here.
Rock Against Racism was a political and cultural movement, started in 1976 in reaction
to a rise in racist attacks on the streets of the United Kingdom, supported by the far-right National Front. RAR activists organised Carnivals, tours, but also local gigs all over Great-Britain, uniting black and white music fans.
– Trailer –
– Soundtrack –
(with The Clash, Steel Pulse & more)
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THE LAST WALTZ (1978)
The final concert of legendary Americana/rock/country group THE BAND
25 November 1976 (Thanksgiving Day) in Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.
Starring: The Band and an impressive cast of famous artist with Bob Dylan,
Van Morrison, Neil Young, Dr.John, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond and many more.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Trailer…
Three top moments…
BABY LET ME FOLLOW YOU DOWN by BOB DYLAN
THE SHAPE I’M IN by THE BAND
SUCH A NIGHT by DR. JOHN
THE (Triple) ALBUM
TURN UP THE VOLUME 