Tantalizing info posted last week by Rob Fields on his Bold As Love blog...A documentary movie about the legendary D.C. punk band Bad Brains is nearing completion. (Talk about some Black muthaphuckin’ History!)
The project was directed by Mandy Stein (daughter of record executive Seymour Stein, who discovered the Ramones) and Ben Logan. Here’s a 1-minute teaser:
12 comments:
HUGE fan! when you say the film is near completion, do you mean shooting? or it will be coming to art houses soon? will there be an opening/showing of the film in DC?
yeah, i know, lots of questions to someone not directly involved...sorry, i'm just excited. :)
^ No problem, verb. The movie is in "post-production," which I guess means editing.
No telling how close it is to market.
RAWK! Count me there!
It's funny... in a sad sort of way. My girlfriend and I were just listening to Hendrix last night, and I commented on how absurd it is that Rock was been defined as "white," even by black artists and audiences.
Aside from Les Paul himself, the Rock guitar style was initially defined either by black dudes (Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix); white dudes trying to play like black dudes (Keith Richards, Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Daune Allman); white dudes trying to play like Indian dudes (George Harrison, Robert Fripp); or a Native American dude who almost no one remembers (Link Wray). Yet, when people mention "ROCK!", most folks over the last 30 years or so just hear "White Boy Music!"
Years back, I worked at a moving company. One day, a bunch of us were clearing stuff away at the warehouse. A guy had a boombox, and he put on Hendrix. A few minutes into the groove, one of the black guys goes, "Man, turn that white boy shit off!"
We crack up, and he gets all affronted. "WHAT?!?" he cries.
"Dude," I tell him, "Hendrix was black."
"Well, he play like a white boy!"
More laughter. "No," someone else says. "All the white boys try to play like HIM!"
Sad that it's even necessary to draw those distinctions. I'm glad Bad Brains kicked that stupid concept around the block, then ran it over with a steamroller.
Can't wait for this to come out.
Niiice. Bad Brains kick major ass.
I remember when I first saw one of their videos, it messed with my mind - my thinking was "Black guys aren't meant to sound like that!" Fortunately I gave them a chance beyond that initial mindfuck.
Have y'all heard Welsh band Dub War? They were active in the early-mid 90s, the only band I've heard that comes close to what Bad Brains were doing.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=flmfN2pwU20
^ Cat is like a little bit H.R., a little bit KRS-One... and then he threw that Angelo Moore moment in there.
Thanks for introducing me to that band, ES.
I know the name, but not the music. And I'm not sure why?
I wish I could take R.Kelly, Guy, and Jodeci and swap their fame with that of Fishbone, 24-7 Spyz , and Bad Brains.
People need to hear this stuff.
Personally, I'm tired of feeling superior and now i'm just wishing for people to wake the F up.
I have so few friends these days who can show me some good stuff.
Hope everyone gets a chance to check out "Electric Purgatory" documentary on YouTube Screening room:
.."Electric Purgatory" reveals and explores the struggles black rock musicians..
There's some good concert FishBone footage and backstory.
Actually, I think this is a pretty good time for black rock (redundant, I know). There are a lot of good bands out there.
zinjathropus, amen. Those bands are have MUCH more interesting music.
Bad Brains/TSOL/Dead Kennedys
Elite Club
1982
RAWK!
Totally epic show.
Since I was into drinking whiskey in order to be as punk rock as I could get, e.g. vomiting in public was de riguer, I have more of a sense memory than an actual memory, but it was a rush.
^ I'm jealous. And I don't even know who TSOL is.
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