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All Tomorrow's Parties [Film]
Warp Films October 29, 2009, 10:42 PM Views: 559
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 Rockumentaries – they’re a laugh aren’t they? - especially when they involve a heavy rock band who take themselves a little too seriously (hello Metallica). Rarely though do they move you to anything other than laughter, unless there is a sense of tragedy as with “The Devil and Daniel Johnson.” Over the course of its 85 minutes running time, “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (thank god they resisted the urge to stick ‘: The Movie’ on the end of that) took me from sheer bloody excitement, through complete and utter awe, wistful reminiscence and sporadic laughter before ending in the feeling of sadness when it ended. Never have I come away from a film with my eyes so sore from contact lenses because I barely blinked the whole time (mainly because I usually wear glasses when watching films, but I digress); even raising my bottle to my mouth seemed too much of a distraction from the wonders I was witnessing on screen.
Opening with Super8 footage of 1960’s British holiday campers sound-tracked by the galvanising opening of a live version of Battles’ ‘Atlas,’ without question one of this century’s most innovative and progressive tracks, before giving way to the actual footage of the rest of the track being performed at ATP’s legendary festival in 2008. It’s a follicle-alerting moment and from here onward you just know this is going to be good. It is. It’s very good indeed. It’s everything that’s great about ATP festivals and therefore everything that’s great about the world’s most ingenious, inventive musical artists; it’s done on their terms, for the love of what they believe in, with money no obstacle – not because they have lots of it, far from it, but because they find ways around it. If you believe then you’ll find a way.
Featuring footage shot on Super8, camcorder and mobile phones by over two hundred fans, musicians and yeah a few film makers, the film’s great strength is the major flaw of most other films of this ilk; the one thing that absolutely should be its strength – the music. Not just the quality of the music, and with artists such as Nick Cave and his Grinderman and Dirty Three friends, Sonic Youth, Animal Collective, Lightning Bolt, Patti Smith, Portishead, Slint, Mogwai, Grizzly Bear and Iggy and The Stooges featuring throughout, the quality was never going to be in question, but the sheer amount of music is what sets this film apart. There is very little spoken word in comparison, it’s just wonderfully inspiring footage, sound-tracked by even more inspiring music. This film inspires you to put on your old Slint or Stooges albums...this film inspires you to write your own album. This film inspires you to attend every single ATP festival from here on in...this film inspires you start your own festival.
There is a scene featuring a Lightning Bolt fan using his fingers to try and request ’13 Monsters’ from said band which is just a brilliant piece of cinema, captured without the expense of multi-million dollar actors, countless rehearsals or method acting – the kid’s inspiration was right in front of him wearing a mask, beating seven shades of genius out of his drum kit (I have added a teaser featuring some of this scene below, but to be honest it doesn’t do it justice). It’s not the only piece of cinematic brilliance featured within “All Tomorrow’s Parties” but there are too many to continue picking them out here so instead I’ll allow one of ATP Festival’s past curators, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, to offer his view as to why you should want to see this film, and more importantly why you should want to attend one of these festivals: “it’s the ultimate mix tape.” Now who doesn’t dream of that?
As I stood in front of the projector screen watching this film, I was taken back to my own time at an ATP festival, great times that I will never forget but which I am absolutely even more determined to relive in the future. All yesterday’s memories are great but all tomorrow’s parties are better.
Trailer:
Lightning Bolt teaser trailer:
Last edited by altsounds : October 29, 2009 at 11:16 PM.
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| | | | Overall Rating | | 9 | | Vocals / Lyrics | | 9 | | Musicianship | | 9 | | Production | | 9 | | Creativity | | 10 | | Lastability | | 10 | | Reviewers Tilt | | 10 |
94% | |
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