Ok, so it’s actually two movies rather than one, but I’m making the rules here. The idea first started as a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live in the US. Wayne’s World first became known to viewers in the UK through 10minute episodes on BBC2, which were in fact extractions from the SNL show. That is how I first came across Wayne’s World.
I never did get to see this 1984 ‘documentary’ about the fictitious British rock band Spinal Tap first time around – I was only six when it was released. This one of the reasons why this is No.2 rather than at the top spot.
I happened to stumble upon the film a few years ago, after seeing a clip while playing Scene It the interactive board game. The clip on the game was of course the amp that goes ‘up to eleven’ scene.
We start off with a coming-of-age tale that despite winning an Oscar for the Screenplay it still did not seem to make too much of a stir when it came out in 2000 and even now I feel that it is somewhat underrated.
The film saw top class performances from Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand who were both nominated for supporting role Oscars.
When considering my three top movies which include some aspect of rock music as part of its appeal, I admit I am looking at this completely subjectively. Some films are considered universally as ‘classics’ or artistic films, but the criterion I’m using for these three films is purely the ones I have seen and which I enjoyed. Therefore, I do not include ‘The Doors’ or The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ which I have not seen yet. The latest rockumentary, ‘Anvil! The Story Of Anvil’ from last year looks good but again, I have not seen it. And I haven’t included Metallica’s ‘Some Kind Of Monster’ as I also consider that purely a documentary.
The US has a lot to look forward to this summer when it comes to rock bands touring and that includes those that never split up in the first place. From here in the UK, I can look on envious as Green Day start their world tour (although I will be seeing them in Manchester on October 31) and so do Pearl Jam (who I will see in August).
But there are also those 80s and 90s bands who will not be making it over to these shores in the near future. Blink 182 are one of those bands who are making a comeback this year along with another of my favourite bands, Weezer. No Doubt, who I last saw back in 2002 are touring again.
Do you ever wish that you had paid to see your favourite band all those years ago, back when they were still together and touring?
Well, there are a number of bands that I wish I had seen. I’ve been fortunate enough to see many bands over the years that many die-hard fans would like to have seen but didn’t get the chance – Live8, for instance, which I went to, back in 2005. I got to see rock legends like The Who and Pink Floyd (who have never played together since and probably never will).
As I read the latest rock news there is certainly a trend for 2009 that is almost impossible to miss – and that is regarding the number of bands reforming and touring again.
In the next article I will look at some of these bands and which I’d love to see.
Ever since the rebellion in the sixties, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the underground and “attitude” was central to the popularity of these new stars. Nowadays, being a rock star is synonymous with the old adage of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” and any sort of bad behaviour on the part of a rocker is generally met with acceptance and feeds their indulgence.
Rock stars and their antics usually get reported through damage to hotel rooms and reports of fire sprinkler systems being set off. Led Zeppelin’s on-tour antics usually involved some sort of bad behaviour in hotels. They were notorious for trashing hotel rooms, filling them with groupies whilst being high on drink and drugs.
Former Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole described one session: “Couches soared out of shattered windows. A television set followed close behind, exploding on an air conditioning unit more than a dozen storeys below.”
Another well known incident was when rock star, Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS, finally went too far in excess in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Sydney. He was alleged to have committed suicide as he was found hanging in his hotel room. Another theory was that he had accidentally killed himself attempting auto-erotic asphyxiation to heighten sexual pleasure.
Has there ever been a band that divided rock lovers’ as much as Canadian band Nickelback do? Rock critics can’t stand them while the mainstream rock fans can’t get enough of them.
The steady mix of grunge and the softer side of hard rock, Nickelback has been one of the most successful and most loathed bands of the decade. There are certainly a lot of Nickelback fans on this blog - see previous post.
Nickelback have dominated the charts with four consecutive multi-platinum discs and they have won Juno awards, several Grammy nominations and a handful of American and Billboard Music Awards.
And yet, the rockers have still met with a barrage of criticism about all the band represents and the most bland and generic qualities of the mainstream music business.
It doesn’t help that while the band seem to poke fun at the “Rockstar” lifestyle in the song of the same name, they still continue to indulge in all these perks.
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger who has increasingly isolated himself from the media, even admits to enjoying the commercial viability of the music business: “(The music business) truly is a popularity contest and when lots of people enjoy your stuff, it’s difficult for me to see the downside in that.”
Whatever your views on this band, Nickelback continue to make rock music albums and they have a loyal worldwide fan base that defies the critics.
One of my friends in a Manchester rock band has just sent me a link to his band’s new single which can be downloaded on iTunes for 79p. I was a bit taken aback by this as previously the only way I had considered local bands to be able to release material was as I had seen through my brother’s old band, when he was a drummer during his teens; they got their band noticed by creating a music CD at a studio. A week or so later, the CD duplication service would deliver the CDs of their demo so they could hand a few out to their mates.
Nowadays, it is so much easier to get your band on the radio or known through the internet. One of my brother’s old band mates had his new band’s single played on the Rock Radio playlist for a week, when it won the weekly Future Classics battle vs another local band. All they did was send in a demo CD to the radio station and they were well-received by the DJs including Mike Sweeney.
Obviously, the sudden availability of music may also lead to the problem of oversaturation and too many bands to be able to hone in on a particular one, but I’m sure the most talented and durable bands out there will rise to the top of the pile eventually.
I have always enjoyed listening to music and topical discussion radio programmes when driving to/from work and on various journeys in my car. I occasionally listen to Talk Sport and Five Live as a break from music and enjoy the football phone-ins and debates on the latest sports news. However, my main passion is music.
A few years ago, I listened to Virgin Radio before it changed to Absolute Radio as I enjoyed the Pete and Geoff Show. Eventually, I found the music to be too easy listening most of the time on this station and gave XFM, a local Manchester radio station a go. I do like indie music but never really got into the style of the shows on this station.
Last year, I turned to Rock Radio (Manchester) – “Manchester’s first classic rock station” – and gave it a try. I have not turned off ever since and even listen to the radio shows online when using my laptop at home. I really enjoy the varied classic (and contemporary) rock the station plays and also the features from DJs such as Mike Sweeney and The Moose. I was also impressed with the pirate radio station feature last Sunday which looked back at the history of pirate radio in the UK. Part II is on this coming Sunday and I’m looking forward to it in the afternoon.
So, if you’re ever at a loss for something to listen to and want to hear some great music, then why not tune in to 106.1 Rock Radio either in the car or on your computer at home.