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[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL
"Behind the Scenes of a Rockumentary" |
12.01.10 |
BY MIKEY MIGO
An artist and those around them work and speak in their own language. The hours spent in rehearsal, on the road, and sharing in a dream or goal ties them together. If you’re lucky enough to be behind that preverbal velvet rope then you can sometimes get in on an inside joke or experience. The most common way for a fan to gain this insight is through a documentary. It may tell a story of a band, a story of a show, a time period, or album. It doesn’t matter. It’s a visual time capsule of the process of making, sharing, and experiencing the art of music. There is just something magical about capturing a moment in a band’s evolution and/or a moment in music history.
I have always being a fan of old concert documentaries like the old school classic, “Woodstock” to U2’s “Rattle & Hum” and the more recent “When You’re Strange”. You listen to a band over and over. You read about them in magazines, news clippings, and most commonly these days on line. There are always going to be the reclusive artists. Like those who put out their music and pretty much go into hiding when not presenting their work. That’s becoming harder and harder to do. It’s easy to have access to a band now a days, but there is still some sort of wall between the performer and the fan.
There have been some great music related documentaries over the years. I’m positive I’ve not seen them all and I’m pretty sure there are a few that people consider great that I’ve missed. It happens. There is only so much time in a day and if I could watch music documentaries all day I would. Never the less, my opinions are only limited to what I’ve experienced myself. There are plenty “behind the scenes” companion DVDs and CDs to album releases out there. There are tons of concert films out there as well. What I’m looking at is something more than a making of an album, an episode of a reality documentary series, or live in concert production. I’m looking for those that are more of an expose’. It shows off the music, tells a story, and leaves a mark. Here are a few from recent years that come to mind…
WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE: A FILM ABOUT THE DOORS
[THE DOORS] Released earlier this year, I must say that this documentary was amazing. The Doors are one of my favorite bands of all time. I grew up on Oliver Stone’s movie, but would later find out that the band weren’t too cool with it because of some blatant exaggerations and misinterpretations in the movie. One comes to mind is the whole Ed Sullivan Show situation. In the movie Jim gets in the camera to say “higher” with a sense of cocky rebellion. In real life, it wasn’t as glamorous. He merely sung it in the same tone as he normally would censor or not. This documentary directed by Tom DiCillo, was much more true to the story. We see candid footage that I’ve never seen before, key performances, and very well done storytelling. If you’re a fan of The Doors then this documentary is something I insist you watch. It’s a thing of beauty and great insight of the rise, fall, and iconic legacy of not just Jim, but the entire group. Oh yeah. There’s this narrator guy. His name is Johnny Depp something or anything. It doesn’t matter. As famous as this narrator is, he doesn’t come close to being as interesting as Mr. Mojo Risin’.
THIS IS IT
[MICHAEL JACKSON] It’s hard to believe that Michael Jackson has been dead for this long already. It feels just like yesterday that we were still talking about him and waiting for his music to come out. Well, that was yesterday… and will probably be the case for a long time. Michael Jackson is one of three musical entities that simply cannot be denied. It’s MJ, the Beatles, and Elvis. Everyone else is a distant fourth. This 2009 concert-doc captures the last days and musical efforts of The King of Pop. Kenny Ortega’s access is pretty awesome. We all know Michael’s live performances are top notice, but here we get to see just how detailed he was about things and just how far he pushed himself and everyone around him to reach the level he did. We don’t get much in terms of interviews. We know the stories and have heard it from all angles. What we get here is The King of Pop sitting firmly on his thrown and doing what gained him the crown. I’m also pretty sure this is the only production spoken of today to be released in IMAX.
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
[ANVIL] Anvil got tons of attention a few years ago when it was released. The 2008 documentary covers the rise and fall of the 80’s heavy metal band ANVIL. Back in the early to mid 80’s they were on top of the metal scene. They wouldn’t stay there long. All the bands they were playing with would go on to become house hold names, while they were stuck in 9 to 5 hell. Never the less, they still rocked out. It’s in the souls and blood. Members of the band would spend time in dive bars playing to anyone, everyone, and sometimes no one. It’s a great story about heart, love for metal, and passion. Former roadie of the band and long time friend, Sacha Gervasi did a great job in telling this story and getting it out there. There is a reason this movie won so many awards. It was snubbed by the Oscars, but obviously the Academy ain’t metal.
SOME KIND OF MONSTER
[METALLICA] This documentary served a few purposes. It showed a pretty candid look at what a band has to go through after staying together so long, it digs deep into the band’s history and journey, and it allows old school fans to have another reason to mock “new Metallica”. I don’t think anyone wants to see Metallica cry. Not about anything. Metallica crying to an old school metal fan is almost the equivalent of a child finding out the truth about Santa Claus. It’s disheartening and a rare case that a documentary shows too much. You can’t blame directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky because if you had a camera on an iconic metal band going through their mid-age crisis’ on camera then you’re going to shoot everything. In that respect, they did a great job. They told a story and provided a new insight on the band. It’s just that insight involved crying. I’m not an overly macho guy or anything. I understand people are human and express themselves sometimes, but this is Metallica. Should’ve called it “Fade to Wack”.
END OF THE CENTURY
[ RAMONES] I never had a full exposure to The Ramones. I’ve always admired their status and the façade of what they were all about, but I didn’t know. I didn’t really know. I had an idea, but I didn’t know. This 2003 documentary popped up on cable one day sometime within the past year and I remember watching it. Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia provide the story of the Ramones. I enjoyed it thoroughly and learned a lot about the band. I’m not sure how it registered with long time fans, but for someone who hasn’t so much as dabbled in Ramones it was a good time.
Those are the ones that I’ve seen kind of recently. There’s a few others, but these were more interesting to mention. The recent White Stripes one is an honorable mention as it looks good and the content is interesting. To me it just lacks a heart. There’s also a few metal related documentaries I’ve seen, but they all kind of start feeling the same once they all start growling. I saw a Wu-Tang documentary that sucked and there was a Tupac piece that was cool, but I can’t remember the name of it. I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot and missing even more. It happens. Same can be said for the next batch. I’m sure I’m forgetting some pretty big documentaries. Probably some by my personal favorites. These are just five documentaries that stand out to me for one reason or another from years past….
THE DECLINE OF THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION, PART 2: THE METAL YEARS
[Various Acts] There is just something about this one that makes you want to be a burn out. The first volume of this documentary was about punk music and now the second, heavy metal. There are no-names in pools acting like superstars and Ozzy Osbourne having way too much trouble fixing himself a healthy breakfast while candidly talking about the horrors of being a rock star. I remember when I first saw it on IFC years back. At first I didn’t know what to think but before I knew it I had watched the entire thing. This is a good one because it captures an entire scene during a crazy time period. The metal days of the 80’s were the drugged out, groupie loved, thrash your rash kind of days. It’s all the stories we’ve heard about for years right in front of our faces. There’s WASP’s Chris Holmes being a lush in his pool, Paul Stanley of KISS in bed with multiple women, and Ozzy undercooking bacon. That’s metal.
THIS IS SPINAL TAP
[Spinal Tap] Yeah, it’s a satire… a parody… a mockery! That’s why this one is so great. Rob Reiner’s creation here is a classic. Most people don’t even think about it being a documentary, but it definitely is. It’s hilarious, but it’s still shot and presented like a rock and roll documentary. It’s genius really. From the drummer always dying to the impossible directions to the stage and all the insanity in between this is a great time. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer ARE Spinal Tap. Through the jokes and myths that have grown out of this movie, these three have actually recorded albums and have toured. Crazy to think about, really.
RATTLE AND HUM
[U2] With what was meant to be a mere companion film to the album of the same name, U2 once again made history. The documentary “Rattle and Hum” is one of the best of all time. To many this was the peak of U2’s awesomeness and it’s kind of hard to argue. The hits they had out at the time were among some of the best rock and roll songs ever recorded. This was U2’s coolest period. It was in between Bono’s mullet phase and Bono’s bug-eyed sunglasses stuff. Edge was giving up on his hair and wearing some cool cowboy hats. The other two, the same as always but younger. The interviews, the performances, the candid shoots, the moments captured here… all amazing. Even if for some reason, likely you’re a deaf douche, you don’t like U2’s music you should still see this. See what you’re missing.
WOODSTOCK: 3 DAYS OF PEACE & MUSIC
[Various Acts] If you let it, this documentary will give you time traveling powers. As a child I knew I missed out on Woodstock. This classic documentary has been embedded in my mind since all known traces of memory. It’s as if it was always there. I remember watching it as a young child and being familiar with it. This was my dad’s era so it was always around. The thing about this documentary is that it’s over three hours and you feel every minute of it. By the time the film is winding down you feel as if you had a taste of the experience and you’re exhausted as hell. There is a whole story behind the financing and distribution of this project that’s worth its own movie. The acts that performed at this festival go down as the best of all time. The era goes down as one of the best periods of unity among the youth. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say they wish they were part of the Woodstock era I’d be able to buy a really expensive bong. The Woodstock documentary is a perfect example of why someone would say this. As a film, it’s beautiful and everything the time represented. It’s not too flashy, but it captures history. There is so much going on that they have to utilize split screens pretty often. I always remembered that visual for some reason. As you’ll see, it stuck with me as did a lot of influence from what I easily consider the best rockumentary of all time.
”FASHION BOMB: BEHIND THE LIFTED VEIL”Fashion Bomb is an industrial metal band out of Chicago. Some of my favorite artists of all time include Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and the likes of Tool and A Perfect Circle. I put Fashion Bomb in the same ball park. They’re metal, but not too growly or pointlessly fast. They’re industrial, but without overbearing noise. They’re goth, but not too heavy on the spooky. It’s the perfect blend for my and their expanding fan base’s tastes. They were formed in 2003 and like most bands; it took them awhile to get their shit together. Around the time I got on their bandwagon they were just about to release their debut album in 2006. They’ve played shows with the likes of Marilyn Manson, Dope, Mushroomhead, Godhead, Soil, Hanzel Und Gretyl, Saliva, and more. They’ve played just about everywhere in the Midwest and just now starting to venture more outward and plan to tour extensively in 2011.
One question I was asked was why I was focusing my documentary on the band Fashion Bomb. I went to a few sporadic concerts in my teen years, but it was 2005 when I found myself going to a lot more shows. The majority of these shows were Chicago area shows. Sometimes it’d have a nationally known headliner and sometimes it was an all local show. As the shows piled up so did some working relationships with Chicago bands. When I formed Digital Lizard Productions in 2007 it was a natural thing to start filming band’s sets. Fashion Bomb was a band we filmed the most. Off the bat we had a great working relationship and became friends over the years. From the start of Digital Lizard Productions we have been shooting a majority of Fashion Bomb’s live performances.
I will be the first to admit there is a sense of biasness. I am a fan and friend of Fashion Bomb. If I weren’t, I’d not of put hundreds of hours into this project. Of all the bands I’ve interacted with out of Chicago they are the ones who go that extra mile to put on a great performance and put out a great product. Having all access passes and being friends with the band makes for some interesting perspectives. With this friendship and biasness to their music, I was pretty strict about not allowing them any editing or censorship on the project. There are no intentional embarrassments or jabs at anyone, but I’m sure they can find points they’d of rather not seen public. I’m not going to apologize for honesty. I think the honest look at what goes on behind the scenes, how the band interacts, and the unscripted answers to the questions ask really show where their heart lies; that being fully into their band and its future.
A music snob and elitist will relish in finding new music and being a part of its movement from early on. I am proud to have that with Fashion Bomb. It’s kind of like Almost Famous, but no one is on any roof tops or going crazy… well, too crazy. I’ll be the first to admit the faults of our current productions. We need better audio, better cameras, and I need a better editing system all together. This we know and are improving as much as we can as often as we can. There is no budget, but there are plenty of sleepless nights of editing and heart that went into this project. I tend to think you don’t need a huge budget to tell a story. Their music, energy, drive, and flare is that of what makes great art. I truly believe they are on the cusp of very big things and I’m confident this will provide great retrospect once they’re at a higher plateau. It’s a story I know and a story I feel is worth sharing with the world. Personal opinion and tastes aside, that’s not what this project intended to accomplish. It all goes back to capturing that moment. I am confident that goal was accomplished.
Without further ado, here is the complete six-part/108 minute documentary for your enjoyment...
FASHION BOMB: BEHIND THE LIFTED VEIL
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