Cast: Julian Cambridge, Anthony Countey, Mike D
Director: Ben Logan, Mandy Stein
Country: USA
Genre: Documentary | Biography | Music
Official Trailer: Here
Editor’s Note: The following review is part of our coverage of the 2014 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. For more information please visit jdiff.com or follow DublinFilmFest on Twitter.
The band that should be been more than they were. After ten years apart Bad Brains reunited to tour the USA in 2007. This is one of those amazing music documentaries that reveal a sort of genius that’s been round all along but never got the recognition they deserved. It reminds me of the hugely popular recent features Searching for Sugar Man (2012) and Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008). Documentary films in the same vein, that aim to expose something that not a lot of people know. These films are onto something incredibly influential in the music industry that just didn’t get the limelight it should have.
The documentary obviously sets out to give an in depth exploration of the bands history and is wonderfully driven by the fascinating facts of the band’s colourful existence.
The drama is instant and the band problems are inherent from the outset. Bass player Darryl Jennifer is pictured telling lead man Paul Hudson (HR) to never call him again and how much of a sell out he is. Jumping to just ten months earlier the bands are in private home based studios preparing to tour. The very intimate settings of how the band feels passionate as they did years ago are mirrored by retro footage of the band on stage in their hay day.
The documentary obviously sets out to give an in depth exploration of the bands history and is wonderfully driven by the fascinating facts of the band’s colourful existence. Originally from Washington DC, they all came from bands that covered black artists of the era (such as Earth, Wind and Fire, or Lenny Kravitz). After seeing an all white punk rock band they knew they wanted to be on stage doing just that, and so the first all black artist punk band was born. In a small punk community based around one venue Madam’s Organ, they moved on quickly in their popularity.
Speakers of great influence in the music industry such as Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Anthony Kiedis are interviewed at length. All in their own individual way explaining why Bad Brains were so important and claims of unbelievable influence are made. Dave Grohl claims that his opening drum riff for Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was taken directly from drummer Earl Hudson’s work and that he learnt all he knows from the Bad Brains.
What gives the documentary a fair balance is the variety of content. Technical discussions on the bands style and intentions are met with radical stories of things that happened to the band as they moved to NYC to break the scene. Elements that make the band unique and their bohemian attitudes are extensively explained both by the members and the managers they went through. As the film progresses it becomes more and more apparent that the band have been through a lot more than most bands experience when they’re trying to make their way. Supporting bands like The Grateful Dead and hitting the Guinness Book of World Records in 1983 for the fasting playing musicians are just some of the outstanding accreditations throughout their career.
What gives the documentary a fair balance is the variety of content. Technical discussions on the bands style and intentions are met with radical stories of things that happened to the band as they moved to NYC to break the scene.
Points in the band’s journey together are expressed through animated sequences and comic strip style stills. These little snippets initially serve as giving the documentary an entertaining and artistically impressive edge. They also develop a more awe inspiring notion of events at cannot be recreated in live action, or are too wild to have more than opinionated personal recollection of.
The incredibly strange progress of the band throughout the years chalks up the highs and lows of their careers. Everything from personal dramas to the change of sound from the band from punk hardcore to Rasta dub is documented. It’s a very thorough feature that gives an eye opening viewing experience and notable effort at tackling a story before unheard. This is what music documentaries are designed for.
[notification type=”star”]60/100 ~ OKAY. It’s a very thorough feature that gives an eye opening viewing experience and notable effort at tackling a story before unheard. This is what music documentaries are designed for.[/notification]
