Doc’n Roll Festival 25-28 September, Hackney Picturehouse and Stage 3 - docnrollfestival.com
Julien Temple LONDON on the set of The Modern Babylon
Doc’n Roll, London's first and only festival dedicated exclusively to music documentaries, has announced its full line up of 12 films, many followed by Q&As, taking place at Hackney Picturehouse. Located across the road at Stage 3 bar is the festival hub, where audiences can take in live sets from Ming City Rockers and The ‘45s as well as DJ sets from Primal Scream’s Simone Marie Butler and photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley. The line-up also features an exclusive Julien Temple retrospective on Saturday 27th September, screening Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, LONDON: The Modern Babylon and, following the screening of Oil City Confidential, an on-stage conversation with Julien Temple and Zoe Howe, author and Dr Feelgood expert. Temple will also show a sneak preview, via an exclusive clip, of his upcoming documentary about Wilko Johnson.
Doc’n Roll, London's first and only festival dedicated exclusively to music documentaries, has announced its full line up of 12 films, many followed by Q&As, taking place at Hackney Picturehouse. Located across the road at Stage 3 bar is the festival hub, where audiences can take in live sets from Ming City Rockers and The ‘45s as well as DJ sets from Primal Scream’s Simone Marie Butler and photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley. The line-up also features an exclusive Julien Temple retrospective on Saturday 27th September, screening Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, LONDON: The Modern Babylon and, following the screening of Oil City Confidential, an on-stage conversation with Julien Temple and Zoe Howe, author and Dr Feelgood expert. Temple will also show a sneak preview, via an exclusive clip, of his upcoming documentary about Wilko Johnson.
Says Doc’n Roll director Colm Forde;
“I am very excited to present our festival and this line-up to London. It features many overlooked music documentary gems, which I can’t wait to support and share with our audience. We will expand the experience beyond the screenings and create a great social event at our festival hub.”
On Thurs 25th Doc’n Roll opens with the London premiere of A Band Called Death; the extraordinary and little known story of the world’s first black punk band, Death, formed by three brothers from Detroit in 1974. Then the African-American community was grooving to Earth, Wind & Fire, and there was no room for a black, garage band turning out loud, aggressive rock ‘n’ roll – a sound that has since been described by the New York Times as, “punk before punk was punk’ and by Jack White as “ahead of punk, and ahead of their time”. A Q&A will follow the screening of A Band Called Death with band members, Bobby and Dannis Hackney.
A Band Called Death
On Sunday 28th Doc’n Roll will close with Howard S Bergman and Susan Stahman’s A Life in the Death of Joe Meek which, through contributions from a cast of musicians including Jimmy Page, Alex Kapranos, Edwyn Collins and Mike Berry, offers a fascinating insight into the life of Britain’s first independent pop record producer. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Howard Berger, and Mike Berry whose first hit “A Tribute to Buddy Holly’ was produced by Meek in 1961 and chaired by author and Meek enthusiast Travis Elborough.
On Saturday 26th British filmmaker Karen Whitehead will screen the UK premiere of Her Aim Is True which tells the story of rock ‘n’ roll outsider, the wonderful photographer Jini Dellaccio, who recently passed away, aged 97. Dellaccio first found herself taking pictures of rock and pop stars in the 1960s - when she herself was in her 40s – and she is now described as the photographer who visualised punk before it had a name and embodied indie before it was cool. Whitehead, who interviewed Dellaccio for her film, will be at the screening for a Q&A session.
Another punk rock pioneer Grant Hart is the subject of Gorman Bechard’s Every Everything: the music, life & times of Grant Hart, an unfiltered, unrestrained look in to the former Hüsker Dü co-songwriter/singer/drummer’s world including his rocky family life, the formation and consequent break-up of his most well-known band and all of the musical projects that followed.
The Doc‘n Roll line-up also includes portraits of two great talents. Sophie Huber’s Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction is a mesmerising, impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor which explores his enigmatic outlook on his life, his unexploited talents as a musician, and includes candid scenes with David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry.
William Hechter’s AKA Doc Pomus tells the story of Brooklyn-born Jerome Felder (1925-1991), who was paralysed with polio as a child. As a teenager he began performing as a blues singer under the stage name Doc Pomus. By the 1950’s he had become one of the most successful songwriters of the early rock and roll era, penning, “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and dozens of other hits. Featuring interviews with Doc’s collaborators and friends, including Dr. John, Ben E. King, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Dion, Leiber and Stoller, and B.B. King plus passages from his private journals read by his close friend, Lou Reed.
Jeff Broadway’s Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton features interviews and footage from some of hip-hop’s finest, discussing the fiercely independent, avant-garde record label, Stones Throw Records. Home to innovative leftfield producers like Madlib and J Dilla, the Stones Throw story is laced with tragedy, yet the label owner's single-minded pursuit of the music he loves, ensures it continues as a vital force in the digital music era. The film features exclusive interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Questlove, Talib Kweli, Mike D (Beastie Boys), and many more.
Also screening are Danny Garcia’s Looking for Johnny, a new documentary on the life of the late New York Dolls and Heartbreakers guitarist Johnny Thunders. Garcia, spoke to the fifty people who were closest to the rocker, about his music, which inspired punk and glam-metal, and his hard lifestyle and explores Johnny's unique musical style, his personal battle with drugs and theories on his death in a New Orleans hotel in 1991 at age 38, and, last but not least The Punk Syndromeabout the Finnish punk band - Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day.
Tickets will be on sale via Hackney Picturehouse
LISTINGS:
Thursday 25th September
Festival Opening Night
London Premiere: A Band Called Death + Q&A with band members
(Dirs Mark Covino Jeff Howlett, 2012, 96 min)
Thurs 25th Sep 19:30, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
In association with MusicFilmWeb
Detroit. 1974. Three young black brothers. Rock ’n’ roll. While the rest of the Motor City was besotted with soul and Motown, David Hackney and his younger brothers were inspired by The Who and Alice Cooper to become proto-punk band, Death. Despite predating The Ramones, Death’s music remained unheard for 35 years until it was rediscovered by a new generation of punk rockers. A Band Called Death tells this remarkable story and shows how the uncompromising pursuit of an artistic vision can finally be fulfilled—even after death.
Friday 26th September
The Punk Syndrome (Kovasikajuttu)
(Dirs Jukka Kárkkáinen, Jani-Petteri Passi, 2012, 85 min)
Fri 26th Sep 18:30, Screen 4 Hackney Picturehouse
In association with MusicFilmWeb
The Punk Syndrome is a documentary like no other. It tells the wonderful story of Finnish punk band - Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day. Four very lovable punk musicians with learning difficulties fight, fall in love, and become national heroes on their road to conquer the world. A story of four guys with little in common, except great musical chemistry, and how that binds them together!
UK Premiere: Her Aim Is True + Q&A with the Director
(Dir Karen Whitehead, 2013, 70 min)
Fri 26th Sep 18:45, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
Before Leibovitz, there was Dellaccio. Her Aim Is True brings together musicians and rock photographers in an inspiring and unforgettable journey, revealing unlikely rock 'n' roll photographer, Jini Dellaccio who visualised punk before it had a name and embodied indie before it was cool. In 1964, a middle-aged Dellaccio began hanging out with raucous garage bands, such as The Sonics, in her backyard, shooting innovative album covers. Soon she was capturing unprecedented portraits of Neil Young and early performances by The Who, Rolling Stones, Mitch Ryder and Mamas & Papas. An anthem for individual creativity, the film celebrates a legacy lost and found, as it traces Dellaccio's ingenuity, spirit and style through participants, in a gritty music subculture that, like Jini, would set the bar for their descendants.
Looking for Johnny
(Dir Danny Garcia, 2014, 94 min)
Fri 26th Sep 21:00, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
A new documentary on the life of the late New York Dolls and Heartbreakers guitarist Johnny Thunders. Director, Danny Garcia, spoke to the fifty people who were closest to the rocker, about his music, which inspired punk and glam-metal, and his hard lifestyle. The film examines Johnny Thunders' career from the early 70's as a founding member of the influential New York Dolls; the birth of the punk scene with The Heartbreakers in New York City and London; Gang War and The Oddballs. It also explores Johnny's unique musical style, his personal battle with drugs and theories on his death in a New Orleans hotel in 1991 at age 38.
Ming City Rockers
Fri 26th Sep 23:15, Stage 3
Real-life rock ’n’ roll outsiders on a fast-track to obliteration, Ming City Rockers were the only kids in Immingham – a dock town near Hull and Grimsby, nicknamed “Ming” - that shared common interests in getting dolled up in tight blazers and ties and sitting around listening doo-wop, Stooges punk, Helen Shapiro, Magma and Connie Francis. The band has been making a name for itself with supporters including Richard Hawley’s manager Graham Wrench and Radio 1’s Huw Stephens. MCR will be playing material from their soon to be released self-titled debut album, alongside New York Dolls covers in honour of Johnny Thunders and the evening’s screening of Looking For Johnny.
Simone Marie Butler (Primal Scream) DJ Set
Fri 26th Sep 00:15, Stage 3
Primal Scream bassist and radio DJ, Simone Marie Butler will bring the second day of the festival to a close with a 90 minute rock 'n’ roll set, drawing on influences from musicians across the Doc’n Roll programme.
Saturday 27th September
Julien Temple Retrospective
LONDON: The Modern Babylon + Q&A with Julien Temple
(Dir Julien Temple 2012 125 min)
Sat 27th Sep 15:00, Screen 4 Hackney Picturehouse
Julien Temple draws on a century of music and film archive to tell the story of London’s epic journey through 100 years of cultural upheaval and reinvention. Among the line-up of familiar faces are David Bowie, Ray Davies, Bishi, Mick Jagger, Malcolm McLaren as well as the ordinary folks of London, from all walks of life. The extraordinary soundtrack spans 100 years of London music including iconic tracks from the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Small Faces, Lily Allen, Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, The Kinks, Madness, Bob Marley through to Tommy Trinder, Max Bygraves, Vera Lynn, Lonnie Donnegan, Murray Johnson and Robert Burns, plus many more
Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
(Dir Julien Temple 2007 124 min) Showing in 35mm print
Sat 27th Sep 17:30, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
Filmmaker Julien Temple takes a look beyond the guise of the late, anti-establishment icon Joe Strummer to offer a warm portrait of the self-described "mouthy little git" who was born John Mellor and was destined to become the frontman for one of the most influential punk bands ever. A complex figure who would learn to use his gift for music as a means of decompressing his conscience, Strummer is revealed here through unearthed interviews and the illuminating recollections of his closest companions. At times idealistic to a fault, the flawed Clash singer/songwriter had a special gift for compelling listeners to think as they moved to the music. Vintage performance footage and excerpts from Strummer's popular BBC radio program offer the ideal musical backdrop for an affectionate tribute to a punk-rock legend.
Oil City Confidential + Q&A with Julien Temple
(Dir Julien Temple 2009 104 min)
Screening 20:30 Saturday, 27th September
A film noir feature length documentary about Dr Feelgood; it's the story of four men in cheap suits who crashed out of Canvey Island in the early '70s, sandpapered the face of rock’n’roll and left all that came before a burnt-out ruin, four estuarine John-the-Baptists to Johnny Rotten’s anti-Christ. Cannibalising the visual flotsam and jetsam of our society, welding into an emotionally engaging and humorous whole, Oil City Confidential sets out to explore this unique time, place and social landscape - all of which was responsible for shaping the identity of the band and which, more than any other, defined the strange cultural vacuum which existed before the coming of punk rock.
Every Everything:the music, life & times of Grant Hart
(Dir Gorman Bechard 2013 97 min)
Sat 27th Sep 18:30, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
In association with MusicFilmWeb
The story of punk rock pioneer Grant Hart, Every Everything: the music, life & times of Grant Hart, is an unfiltered, unrestrained look in to the former Hüsker Dü co-songwriter/singer/drummer’s world as the film covers his rocky family life, the formation and consequent break-up of his most well-known band and all of the musical projects that followed. A no-holds-barred history of rock and roll with an insider view of the music industry.
The 45’s
The 45's
Sat 27th Sep 23:15, Stage 3
1 hour set, including some Dr. Feelgood and Who covers!
Recently called “The Yardbird’s illegitimate kiddies”, The 45s have been making waves up and down the country and across Europe with their old school R & B sound. The suited and booted youngsters will be performing original songs as well as their take on classics from Dr. Feelgood and The Who, a nod to Sparko and Wilko Johnson who have joined them on stage at previous gigs.
Dean Chalkley DJ Set
Sat 27th Sep 00:15, Stage 3
Prolific photographer and film-maker Dean Chalkley brings an impressive music collection to the festival. He will create a great vibe with a variety of soul and classic R ‘n’ B, garunteeing the crowd will get down on it! Return of the Rudeboy, Dean’s recent collaboration with Harris Elliott at Somerset House was hugely popular and highly stylish, so this will be an unmissable set.
Sunday 28th September
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction
(Dir Sophie Huber 2012 77 min)
Sun 28th Sep 14:00, Screen 4 Hackney Picturehouse
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction is a mesmerising, impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor comprised of intimate moments, film clips and his own heartbreaking renditions of American folk songs. Stunningly lensed in both colour and black and white, the film explores the actor's enigmatic outlook on his life, his unexploited talents as a musician, and includes candid scenes with David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Sam Shepard, Kris Kristofferson and Debbie Harry.
AKA Doc Pomus
(Dirs William Hechter, Peter Miller 2012 98 min)
Sun 28th Sep 15:30, Screen 2 Hackney Picturehouse
In association with Music Film Web
Paralysed with polio as a child, Brooklyn-born Jerome Felder reinvented himself first as a blues singer, renaming himself Doc Pomus, then emerged as a one of the most brilliant songwriters of the early rock and roll era, writing “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and dozens of other hits. A.K.A. DOC POMUS brings to life Doc’s joyous, romantic, heartbreaking, and extraordinarily eventful journey. In his later years, Doc was a mentor to generations of younger songwriters, and a fierce advocate for downtrodden rhythm and blues musicians. He wrote a thousand songs –including some of the most recorded songs in the history of popular music – but his most lasting gift may have been his uniquely generous spirit. Packed with incomparable music and rare archival imagery, AKA Doc Pomus features interviews with Doc’s collaborators and friends, including Dr. John, Ben E. King, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Dion, Leiber and Stoller, and B.B. King. Passages from Doc’s private journals are read by his close friend, Lou Reed. Doc Pomus’ gripping life story makes for a powerful and lively film that introduces this unique American character to a new, much wider circle of admirers.
Exclusive London Screening: Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton
(Dir Jeff Broadway 2013 94 min)
Sun 28th Sep 17:30, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
The alternative punk story of a fiercely independent, avant-garde record label, offers an exclusive look into the label's left-of-centre artists, history, culture and global following. Stones Throw Records was born with a love for hip-hop, but is inspired by music in all its diversity. Home to innovative leftfield producers like Madlib and J Dilla, the Stones Throw story is laced with tragedy, yet the label owner's single-minded pursuit of the music he loves, ensures it continues as a vital force in the digital music era. The film features exclusive interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Questlove, Talib Kweli, Mike D (Beastie Boys), and many more.
UK Premiere: A Life In The Death Of Joe Meek + Q&A with Director Howard S. Berger and Mike Berry (The Outlaws)
(Dirs Howard S. Berger and Susan Berger 2014 122 min)
Sun 28th Sep 19.45, Screen 3 Hackney Picturehouse
A Life in the Death chronicles the brilliant rise, tragic fall and resurrection of Britain’s first independent pop record producer, Joe Meek. The film features an impressive contributor line-up including Jimmy Page, Alex Kapranos, the Super Furry Animals and the B-52s and shows how Meek worked with hundreds of artists and ultimately helped define the new, exciting sounds of the post-war market. This premiere screening will be followed by a Q&A with one of the film’s two directors, Howard S. Berger and Mike Berry, legendary Joe Meek artist and will be chaired by author and co-writer of Saint Etienne doc How We Used To Live, Travis Elborough.
Tickets will be on sale via Hackney Picturehouse