Without wanting to give anyone the impression that all I do here at Vinyl Revolution is watch TV, it would be fair to say that I do consume a LOT of music-related TV programmes! With Top of the Pops and ITV's The Chart Show now just distant memories, I find myself surfing more and more late night links to documentaries about all manner of music. Even when I'm not a huge fan of the bands featured, but that won't stop me watching because so many bands have cracking stories...
Here's another bunch for the festive season. Starting with a couple of great Irish bands...
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS - STILL BURNING and THE STORY OF THE UNDERTONES .
These are like two sides of the same coin. SLF were earnest and confrontational whilst The Undertones were unassuming and loveable. Watching these documentaries you are reminded of how difficult it must have been to be a young band in Ireland back in the 1970's.
PAUL McCARTNEY - BAND ON THE RUN
I feel a bit bad as I slagged off Macca's 'Wonderful Christmas Time' elsewhere in this newsletter. But this doc shows just how great Wings' 'Band on the Run' was.
THE GO-BETWEENS - SIXTEEN LOVERS LANE
One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands. I'm hoping we can bring them to NAKED in the future, but for now this documentary about their 1988 album is both uplifting and poignant. NEVER be in a band with your other half...
THE TRIFFIDS -BORN SANDY DEVOTIONAL
Staying in Australia for a little while longer, here's an excellent film about another brilliant Aus band. Comercially, the Triffids fared even worse than The Go-betweens but are still cherished by many. This film sheds light on their mercurial frontman David McComb and the process behind the bands most well known album.
I was among the many thousands who witnessed Nirvana's 1992 Reading performance. You could feel the sense of expectation in the air that night. For a while it felt as if everything had changed in the music industry. But time shows us this was not the case. Interesting doc which reminds you bands like Nirvana only come along once in every generation. I was glad I got to see them play. Even if they were tiny specks in the distance.
TOM PETTY - SOMEWHERE YOU FEEL FREE (THE MAKING OF WILDFLOWERS)
Wildflowers remains one of Tom's best late-period albums and this documentary is a surprising find on YouTube. Well worth a watch. RIP Mr Petty, you are sorely missed.
GUIDED BY VOICES - WATCH ME JUMPSTART
Short film about the tireless Robert Pollard and GBV. Obviously it's lo-fi but it's also interesting to see what inspires the ever-productive Pollard to write. Basically, it's everything!
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