The Rest

High rotation: 2015 in 50 tracks

/ Paul McBride / Leave a comment
Taylor Swift 2015

Taylor Swift: completely irrelevant to this article

It has been another tip-top year for tuneage. These are some of the tracks I have enjoyed most.

Bad//Dreems
‘Bogan Pride’
(Ivy League Records)
Where: Adelaide
What: Disenchanted pub-rock from a bunch of Bastards of Young

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Baro
‘Resume’
(Teamtrick)
Where: Melbourne
What: Hip Hop/electronic with a raised middle finger

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Beach House
‘Sparks’
(Subpop)
Where: Baltimore
What: The dreamiest and depressing-est of depressing dream-pop

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Beach Slang
‘I Break Guitars’
(Tiny Engines)
Where: Philadelphia
What: Carefree indie/college-rock drained through the sock of ’90s punk-pop

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Big White
‘You Know I Love You’
(Caroline Australia)
Where: Sydney
What: Angst-y, urgent jangle-rock with a sugary glaze

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Blank Realm
‘River of Longing’
(Bedroom Suck)
Where: Brisbane
What: Layers of lovelorn indie-rock and messy melodies from Queensland’s finest

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Bully
‘Trying’
(StarTime International)
Where: Philadelphia
What: A punk-pop breath of formidable, fresh air with razor sharp lyrics

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Car Seat Headrest
‘Something Soon’
(Matador)
Where: Leesburg
What: Experimental rock from an outsider who has finally found a home

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Cian
‘Extend’
(Entertainment Systems)
Where: Unknown
What: The sound of a ZX Spectrum loading, underwater

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Communions
‘Forget It’s a Dream’
(Tough Love Records)
Where: Copenhagen
What: A band to fill a Stone Roses-shaped hole, if only the Roses hadn’t reformed

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Destroyer
‘Dream Lover’
(Merge)
Where: Vancouver
What: Big sounds and celebratory sax; that moment when you decide you like the party after all

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Dick Diver
‘Tearing the Posters Down’
(Chapter Music)
Where: Melbourne
What: Top-of-the-pile Australian indie-pop

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DIIV
‘Dopamine’
(Captured Tracks)
Where: New York
What: A triumphant return for troubled shoegaze/dream-rock genius, Zachary Cole Smith

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Dorsal Fins
‘Monday Tuesday’
(Gripless Records)
Where: Melbourne
What: ’80s-esque good-time pop from Melbourne’s funnest collective

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Ferla
‘Breakups are Hard for Everybody’
(Independent)
Where: Melbourne
What: Off-kilter oddball does battered and bruised break-up rock

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Flyying Colours
‘Running Late’
(Club AC30)
Where: Melbourne
What: Charge-leading roogaze/psych-rock with a conscience

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Gang of Youths
‘Knuckles White Dry’
(Mosy Recordings)
Where: Sydney
What: All the heart-wrenching misery of a loved one dying from cancer. Happy Christmas!

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GL
‘Number One’
(Plastic World & Midnight Feature)
Where: Melbourne
What: Electronic duo featuring members of the Bamboos; a vehicle for the supremely talented Ella Thompson

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Gold Class
‘Bite Down’
(Spunk Records)
Where: Melbourne
What: Major emerging post-punk talent that caused a big stir in industry circles in 2015

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Guantanamo Baywatch
‘Too Late’
(Suicide Squeeze)
Where: Portland
What: Ramshackle semi-serious soul that charms its way in

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The Internet
‘Just Sayin/I Tried’
(Odd Future)
Where: Los Angeles
What: Impossible-to-Google soul/Hip hop smoothness

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IV League
‘Lit Screen’
(Independent)
Where: Melbourne
What: Heartfelt indie-pop from promising Victorian upstarts

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Jaala
‘Salt Shaker’
(Wondercore Island)
Where: Melbourne
What: There’s magic in a unique voice singing lines like “I was pouring pints for fuckheads” in a rambling, art-pop mash

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Jacco Gardner
‘Find Yourself’
(Excelsior)
Where: Hoorn
What: Neo-baroque psych with shades of Kevin Ayers and the floors of a thousand Dutch coffee shops after dusk

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Kurt Vile
‘Pretty Pimpin’
(Matador)
Where: Philadelphia
What: The cool AF stoner/psych master is as good as ever on new album, b’lieve i’m goin down…

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Mangelwurzel
‘Fishy Fry’
(Independent)
Where: Melbourne
What: Fucking bizarre, unclassifiable brilliance from Jaala vocalist Cosima Jaala’s other band

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Methyl Ethel
‘Twilight Driving’
(Dot Dash/Remote Control)
Where: Perth
What: Scruffy psych-pop with a heavy helping of Australian sunshine

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Mexican Knives
‘Beach Song’
(Independent)
Where: Detroit
What: Loose and laconic garage/indie rock

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Mikael Seifu
‘The Lost Drum Beat’
(RVNG Intl.)
Where: Addis Ababa
What: Ethiopiyawi electronic musician ready to conquer the world in 2016

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Mild High Club
‘Undeniable’
(Stones Throw)
Where: Chicago/Los Angeles
What: Delightfully weird; equal parts Dr. Dog and the Beatles’ circa Magical Mystery Tour

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MUNA
‘Promise’
(Independent)
Where: Los Angeles
What: All the ’80s big-pop influences, but most prominently Cyndi Lauper, with swearing

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The Ocean Party
‘Guesswork’
(Spunk)
Where: Wagga Wagga
What: Sweet-as indie-rock/pop from NSW youngsters

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Palm
‘Ankles’
(Independent)
Where: New York
What: the fuck did I just listen to

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PINS
‘Young Girls’
(Bella Union)
Where: Manchester
What: Young Girls doing it (primo indie-pop) for themselves

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Potty Mouth
‘Cherry Picking’
(Independent)
Where: Northampton, Massachusetts
What: Cool pop-rock

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The Pretty’s
‘Angry Horizon’
(Split-Tape Records)
Where: Vancouver
What: Garage/garbage rock that may need a change of underpants

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PWR BTTM
‘Ugly Cherries’
(Father/Daughter Records)
Where: New York
What: Camped-up cross between The Troggs and Thin Lizzy

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Ratatat
‘Abrasive’
(XL Recordings)
Where: New York
What: Rockatronica à la Daft Punk circa 2001, with better guitars

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Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
‘Tender is the Neck’
(Ivy League)
Where: Melbourne
What: Laidback Australian rock for dusty roads and frosty beers

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Ronnie Stone and the Lonely Riders
‘<3 Race. Cold Sweat. Nu Dance. Do It.’
(Independent)
Where: New York
What: Ridiculous retro-futuristic ’80s synth nonsense that’s a heap of fun

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Savages
‘The Answer’
(Matador)
Where: London
What: Brutal post-punk first taste of new album, out January 2016

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Sheer Mag
‘Button Up’
(Katorga Works)
Where: Philadelphia
What: Healthy mix of ’70s classic rock (Thin Lizzy) and punk (X-Ray Spex)

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Shlohmo
‘Buried’
(WEDIDIT)
Where: Los Angeles
What: Ominous-as-fuck electronica will have you checking under the bed

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Sleater-Kinney
‘No Cities to Love’
(Sub Pop)
Where: Portland
What: Gimme a break

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Slonk Donkerson
‘Build Something/Break Even’
(Black Bells)
Where: New York
What: Shit name, great track. Nothing is perfect

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Unknown Mortal Orchestra
‘Multi-Love’
(Jagjaguwar)
Where: Auckland/Portland
What: Psychedelic depression-funk dadwave

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Viet Cong
‘March of Progress’
(Jagjaguwar)
Where: Calgary
What: Cutting industrial noise in the controversially-named Canadians’ trademark style

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Wax Idols
‘Lonely You’
(Suicide Squeeze)
Where: Oakland
What: Triumphant break-up ode performed in late ’80s pop/rock fashion

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Westkust
‘Swirl’
(Run For Cover)
Where: Gothenburg
What: Shoegaze/rock delights for for the indie kid in all of us

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Yung
‘Blanket’
(Mastermind Records)
Where: Aarhus
What: If The Replacements came from Denmark

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World Press Photo Opening Night – Brisbane Powerhouse – 7/8/15

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THE 58th annual World Press Photo exhibition opened on Friday (7th August) at Brisbane Powerhouse, with another world-class collection of photos to inspire and challenge.

With winners drawn in eight categories from 5,692 photographers in 131 countries, the exhibition provides an opportunity to see some of the world’s best photojournalism of recent months.

The full range of categories includes contemporary issues, daily life, general news, long-term projects, nature, portraits, sports and spot news.

The prestigious World Press Photo of the Year prize went to Dane Mads Nissen, for his touching photo of a gay Russian couple in an intimate embrace in St. Petersburg. Sexual minorities face constant legal and social discrimination in Russia, where being a member of the LGBT community can mean harassment and violence may be a part of everyday life.

Included in the sports section is a shot of the tragic moment Australian cricketer Philip Hughes lay prone seconds after being struck by the cricket ball which killed him, and a lighter moment is provided by a wonderful shot of a father lifting his infant son high enough to see over a fence to catch some Wimbledon tennis action.

An introduction from Brisbane Powerhouse’s Chairman, David Conry, an inspiring speech by Australian First Prize Winner Raphaela Rosella, and wonderful Mediterranean music by locals Mzaza made for an opening evening of appropriate decorum for an event Brisbane is lucky to host.

Get along and check it out.

World Press Photo runs from August 7th-30th at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm. Entry is free.

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Brisbane Arts Theatre: 1000 Not Out

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brisbane arts theatre

BRISBANE Arts Theatre has been the home of many a cultural milestone in the River City’s history, but July brings a landmark more prominent than most: the company’s 1000th production.

British bedroom farce Noises Off fills the momentous slot on the theatre’s calendar, with a tale involving – somewhat fittingly – a touring theatre company’s efforts to bring a show to the stage.

Reaching 1000 productions gives staff and fans of the much-loved Petrie Terrace theatre a chance to reflect on its history, recognise its prominent place in Brisbane’s arts scene, and recall some of the famous thespians who have passed through the ranks.

After being founded in 1936 as Brisbane Amateur Theatres by Jean Trundle and Vic Hardgraves, the burgeoning company staged its first production, Tell Me the Truth. Plays were staged at Brisbane’s Albert Hall, a 600-capacity auditorium which was soon demolished to make way for what is now the Suncorp building. In 1951, the company changed its name to Brisbane Arts Theatre, and at the end of the decade the board of directors made an offer of £6,000 to purchase a second-hand junk shop on Petrie Terrace, converting it into a small theatre. With the help of £3,000 worth of renovations, the 144-seat auditorium opened on September 1st, 1961. The theatre company became the first in Brisbane to operate its own venue; one of many key firsts in Brisbane’s cultural heritage.

The theatre thrived until a fire gutted the building in 1964, but the hard work and dedication of volunteers and design skills of architect John Dalton combined to put it back together. When the theatre’s 50th anniversary was celebrated in 1986, artist Kevin Grealy was commissioned to create ceramic masks for a new facade concept; these remain a prominent feature of the theatre’s exterior today.

While thousands of actors of all ages and backgrounds have graced the Brisbane stage, it is testament to the company’s consistent eye for talent that so many thespians who have gone on to have professional careers have passed through its doors. Where to start with the list of well-known alumni?

An early visitor to the theatre was actor and celebrity chef Bernard King, who appeared in many productions before going on to host a cooking segment on Good Morning Australia and have his own programme, King’s Kitchen. Brisbane’s Carol Burns’ early appearances at the theatre gave her experience to use in tackling her role in Prisoner, for which she won a Logie. In a serendipitous move, Burns returned to the theatre in 2013 to direct Picnic at Hanging Rock. Steven Rooke is perhaps best known for his role as Terry in the 2006 film Footy Legends, while his television credits include All Saints, Home and Away, and Always Greener. Michael Caton, Judith McGrath and former premier of Queensland Wayne Goss have also made notable appearances.

The most well-known of the theatre’s former actors is of course Barry Otto; the Strictly Ballroom and Australia star began his performance career treading the Petrie Terrace boards before going on to do big things in film. He picked up an AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor in Strictly Ballroom and has recently worked with Baz Luhrmann for the third time on The Great Gatsby.

As an amateur and self-funded arts company, Brisbane Arts Theatre is – and always has been – a place to see the best of the up-and-coming talent Brisbane and South-East Queensland has to offer. The 1000th production, Noises Off, will be no different. A classic tale of love triangles, overindulgence and belly laughs, it is set to mark the occasion in grand style.

As Brisbane Arts Theatre powers forward in the 21st century as an iconic, thriving performing arts community, it still holds just as much of an essential place in the cultural fabric of Brisbane as it did when it opened in 1936. If you haven’t paid a visit in a while, maybe now is a good time to get reacquainted and join in the celebrations.

Noises Off runs from July 4 to August 15. Tickets from http://www.artstheatre.com.au/

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Review: Brisbane Writers Festival’s INSPIRE:FESTIVAL – Brisbane Convention Centre – 13/6/15

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Hannah Pool

Hannah Pool

INSPIRATION was promised and inspiration was delivered and then some at Brisbane Writers Festival’s inaugural INSPIRE:FESTIVAL on Saturday (13th June) at the Convention Centre at Southbank.

Designed to evoke inspired thought and positive action, the event featured a range of inspirational speakers from Australia and elsewhere, who would spend a day making us laugh, cry, search our souls, fight back a few more tears, and ultimately, take heart from their incredible stories.

As 612 ABC’s Rebecca Levingston introduced a speaker, a new and fascinating story unfolded. First up was Eritrean-born journalist, author and commentator Hannah Pool, who spoke about her book, My Fathers’ Daughter: A Story of Family and Belonging. A memoir of her journey back to Eritrea to find her birth family, the book details Pool’s struggle with identity, leaving family behind in a poverty-ridden country and her journey to face her fears. An extract that finished just as Pool set eyes on her father for the first time in 30 years was a devastating cliffhanger for the audience to deal with.

Stephen Damiani

Stephen Damiani

Stephen Damiani established the Mission Massimo Foundation to promote the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood leukodystrophies after his son Massimo was found to have the condition. His book Cracking the Code tells the tale of a father who never gave up hope on helping his young son, and with no medical or scientific background, ventured into the field of genetics to uncover the truth. Damiani’s good humour, down-to-earth nature and simple message of hope meant his story remained positive despite relating the suffering his son has been through; a true story of determination and devotion.

Allan Sparkes

Allan Sparkes

Allan Sparkes is one of only five Australians in the past 40 years to be awarded the Cross of Valour, Australia’s highest decoration for bravery. He is also one of 10 Australians to be presented the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. During a 20-year career in the NSW police as a senior detective he witnessed many horrors, including seeing two of his colleagues killed in a gunfight. After barely surviving an encounter with a rapidly-filling storm drain as he searched frantically for a trapped boy, his world fell apart and he fell into deep depression and suffered badly from post-traumatic stress disorder. His book, The Cost of Bravery, tells how his love for his family (and the simple matter of an around-the-world sailing trip) saved his life. Sparkes’ embarrassment at showing slides of himself entering a storm drain in just his boxer shorts provided a laugh-out-loud moment.

Cate McGregor

Cate McGregor

Inspiration levels were already bubbling over by the time Catherine McGregor took to the Convention Centre stage. McGregor is the current speechwriter and strategic adviser to the chief of the Air Force, having entered the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1974 and graduated to the Royal Australian Infantry, as well as being an esteemed cricket commentator and writer. Speaking humbly of decades spent struggling with gender identity before “going public” as transgender in 2013, McGregor lead the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions as she detailed her defeat of prejudice, depression and suicidal tendencies to become one of the most respected figures in Australian life. After relating the tale of two very different encounters with taxi drivers, it was up to her to leave the audience with some choice advice.

“We all wear masks and chase the wrong things,” she said. “The greatest thing we can do is be ourselves.”

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Review: Heya Launch Party – Fortitude Valley, Brisbane – 27/3/15

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heya bar

Heya! It’s a greeting. It’s a song by OutKast. It’s Japanese for room and it’s now the latest addition to the Valley, inspired by the street markets of South East Asia and the alleyways and bars of the Golden Gai in Shinjuku.

So says the literature accompanying the invite to the opening party of Fortitude Valley’s newest drinking den, restaurant and live music venue: Heya Bar, located at 367 Brunswick Street.

Aligning your venue with a platinum-selling pop single, the sublime street food of South East Asia and one of the coolest nightspots around might seem cocksure to some, but after briefly sampling the ambience at the newly-opened venue, this reviewer can confirm that the description of the feel and fare on offer is just about right on the money.

The basement-level venue is at once dark but inviting; with a range of seating areas, each with an ambience of their own. A bar extensively decorated with liquor bottles dangling from above and wallpaper made from vintage comics divides the pool tables and retro video games from the kitchen and live stage, with horseshoe-shaped booths dimly lit by candles inviting punters to sit down and not get up again for several hours.

A range of craft beers, cocktails, ciders and good ol’ Sapporo on tap go down equally as well as the house special; a frozen espresso martini slushie topped with a handsome dollop of cream. Street eats on the evening included sashimi of kingfish and tuna, duck and spiced honey rice paper rolls, mushroom and bacon gyoza, mini crab and corn chiko rolls (perhaps never before has South East Asian and Australian cuisine collided so wonderfully) and the expertly-executed mini cheeseburger spring rolls. I would love to be able to comment on the quality of music on show for the evening, but the high standard and frequency of food being delivered to my table meant I wasn’t moving anywhere for quite an extended period of time (bands who play here in the future – you have major competition here).

Heya Bar’s appeal doesn’t lie in a sense of novelty or peculiarity that’s going to wear off by the second or third visit like a lot of similar venues. Instead, there seems to be enough of a wealth of ideas on offer to make it a prospect for Brisbanites to enjoy for the long-term. Hurrah for Heya.

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The White Album Tour: Prefab Four

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white album

IF YOU’RE GOING TO CHOOSE a single album to base your 21-musician show around, it had better be a good one.

Four of Australia’s top rock singers; Chris Cheney of The Living End, Tim Rogers of You Am I, Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon and ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter Josh Pyke have chosen to do exactly that. Thankfully for everyone concerned, they have chosen wisely.

Their upcoming White Album Concert tour will see the four musicians backed by a 17-piece orchestra to run through the 1968 classic Beatles album on a national tour, including such numbers as ‘Back in the USSR’, ‘Dear Prudence’, ‘Helter Skelter’ and ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ in a repeat of the widely successful 2009 tour that brought a slice of the swinging sixties into the modern day. High demand for the show at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre on 13th July has led to the addition of a matinee show on the same day.

Speaking to news.com.au, Jamieson and Rogers explained that it was an easy decision to reconvene and get into a Fab Four frame of mind once more.

“The timing worked,” Jamieson said. “We weren’t in a cycle trying to sell our own rubbish so we could do these amazing concerts again. It was a blast for the audience and you could not disguise the absolute joy we all had up on stage.”

Despite having commitments with You Am I and his solo work, Rogers was also quick to jump at the opportunity.

“We were completely surprised by the reaction to it,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been in anything that’s been so complimented. Anything I’m involved in there always seems to be a certain percentage of dissenting voices questioning as to whether I’m a complete hack or not! The four of us are quite different personality-wise and quite complimentary. Doing anything that’s other people’s material is not my automatic go-to thing. I prefer writing what I perform. But it’s like stepping into a character, it’s almost like sweet relief at times. You can go and be a performer. There’s less Rogers angst, more Lennon angst.”

In terms of musical releases, 1968 was a teeny bit special. Maybe it was the influence of the Summer of Love the year before, the rise of the counter-culture movement in America and elsewhere or the sudden widespread availability of a range of mind-altering new drugs, but one twelve-month period saw the release of some of the most influential and era-defining music of possibly any other year in musical history, and to say the charts of the day hosted an embarrassment of riches is an understatement. Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland, Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison, The Band’s Music from Big Pink, The Rolling Stones’ Beggar’s Banquet and Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks featured alongside albums by The Doors, The Byrds, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Aretha Franklin.

At the top of the pile, though, has to be the White Album, so called for its blank, nameless cover. Written at a time when the Beatles had long since quit touring and the distance between main song-writers John Lennon and Paul McCartney was growing ever wider, exacerbated by musical differences, ego and supposedly meddling spouses, the album still sounds fresh today. It also contains one of George Harrison’s finest compositions in ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’; a song only taken seriously by Lennon and McCartney after Harrison enlisted the help of Eric Clapton to play lead guitar on the track. Josh Pyke explained in an interview with the AU Review why the song and album will always be considered a classic.

“It’s just a genuine phenomenon,” he said. “There is never going to be another band like the Beatles. And even if there are bands that are technically as popular or sell as many records, I think it’s fair to say they will never have the lasting impact upon culture as the Beatles have; because the Beatles came at a time when nothing was like what they were creating and they kept on pushing the limits of records, and they peaked and kind of disappeared under tragic circumstances when they were still massive; there was no slow decline.”

“With the White Album, you’ve got your raw, Hamburg rock’n’roll,” Cheney told Time Out Melbourne. “Then you’ve got stuff like ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Rocky Raccoon’. It was pretty fractured at that point, so they were all in different studios doing their own stuff. I think every band needs that friction or it’s going to result in bland music. I know from personal experience, the hardest times with The Living End have produced the best results, because you’re fighting for something, and you’re pushing each other towards a greater result.”

The show will see the double album’s thirty songs played in full and in order, starting with ‘Back in the USSR’ and finishing with ‘Good Night’, and will include guitars, strings, horns, two drummers and musical direction by former Air Supply guitarist Rex Goh.

THE WHITE ALBUM SHOW APPEARS AT QPAC’S LYRIC THEATRE 13 JULY AT 3PM AND 7PM.

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The Top 10 Music Documentaries

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rory gallagher

When most of us think of the words ‘music documentary’, Spinal Tap springs to mind; and that’s not only because it’s one of the funniest films of all time, but because it’s also probably pretty close to the truth. That aside, the music doco can be a vital part of a fan’s collection, and more often than not, provide an intriguing insight into the lives and careers of our favourite acts. Here are the top ten music documentaries of all time; each one as unmissable as the last:

10. Gimme Shelter (1970)

An occasionally harrowing visual record of the Rolling Stones’ 1969 tour and free concert at Altamont that sees the unwitting band being present at the tragic killing of a fan by over-aggressive Hells Angels hired as security. Sometimes labelled as ‘the day the ’60s ended’, the Altamont concert has gone down in history as a defining moment in music and the Stones’ career. Watch Jagger & co. shake their stuff here:

9. Rory Gallagher – Irish Tour (1974)

The original Gallagher brother, Rory Gallagher was a blues-rock troubadour and – by all accounts – a gentleman of the highest order. Having disbanded his first group Taste shortly after wowing Jimi Hendrix at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 and rejecting a chance to join the Rolling Stones, Gallagher embarked on a long journeyman career, earning the respect of musicians and fans the world over, and it was in 1974 that he was probably at his peak. Check out Gallagher shredding like a demon on his signature tune ‘Tattoo’d Lady’:

8. New York Doll (2005)

This outstanding documentary tells the story of legendary punk trash band New York Dolls’ flamboyant bassist, Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane, as he hits rock bottom after the Dolls break up, to his final redemption and band reunion some thirty years later. From being at the epicentre of the musical world to doing volunteer work in a church, Kane proves to be a loveable and almost pathetic character in parts, but ultimately triumphs as the Dolls get back together. The fact that he dies shortly after the reunion makes this film all the more poignant. Here’s the trailer:

7. The Filty And The Fury (2000)

Julien Temple’s 2000 documentary The Filth And The Fury is the story of the Sex Pistols, as told by the band themselves, and is in part a response to his own 1980 farce The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle, which has been criticised for being too skewed to the outlook of band manager and prize buffoon Malcolm McLaren. It’s honest, dirty, and downright seedy in parts, and that’s what makes it so good. Watch the full film here:

6. It Might Get Loud (2009)

Three guys sitting around chatting about chords and stuff; sounds boring. But it’s unspeakably bloody intriguing. Starring Jimmy Page, Jack White, and U2’s The Edge, this is the musician’s music documentary first and foremost, but anybody who simply likes watching the masters at work will also get a major kick from watching it. Jack White and The Edge are both excellent guitarists, but there’s only one Jimmy Page. Watch the Led Zeppelin master show ’em how it’s done:

5. Woodstock (1970)

The one that started it all? Woodstock is the most famous music festival of all time, and the original gathering needed a concert film to meet the occasion. Jimi Hendrix’s set has been released as its own movie, as it has since been seen as a defining moment of the ’60s counter-culture movement, but check out 25 year-old Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee’ shredding it with the best of them in the festival’s overlooked musical highlight:

4. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)

Anyone who says they were a fan of Anvil before watching Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a liar. Anyone who says they aren’t a fan of them after watching it is an even bigger liar. The story of a down-on-their-luck Canadian metal band who never fully reached their potential and are barely holding it together, this is a touching, tear-inducing, and ultimately triumphant look at one bunch of guys who always kept the dream alive. Better buy some tissues before having a look at this one. Watch the trailer here:

3. The Doors – When You’re Strange (2009)

Described by keyboardist Ray Manzarek as the “true story of The Doors”, When You’re Strange turned heads upon its release in 2009, as the only film up to that point to make footage from Jim Morrison’s own HWY: An American Pastoral available for public consumption. It’s eerily beautiful, and you won’t be able to stop watching, even though you know how it all ends. Johnny Depp’s narration adds a touch of class to a fascinating look at one of the ’60s best bands. Watch the full doco here:

2. Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten (2007)

Alternating between uplifting and heartbreaking, The Future is Unwritten is an intimate and revealing look into the life of the late Clash frontman. Starting from his childhood as a British ambassador’s son, through squatting in the empty wastelands of West London, before finding himself as a new-age punk rock warlord, this documentary will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately have a better appreciation of where much of the Clash’s music came from. Beautiful. Check out the trailer here:

1. The Band – The Last Waltz (1978)

This Martin Scorsese-directed concert film is quite simply, the best music documentary of all time. Literally the ‘last waltz’ for a legendary band making their final concert appearance before breaking up, it is a stunning piece of film showcasing not only one of the best and most influential bands of all time, but also a ridiculously impressive cast of characters and cameos, and with more show-stopping moments than all of the other documentaries on this list put together. From Levon Helm’s drum-and-vocal mastery on ‘Cripple Creek’, to Bob Dylan’s ‘Baby Let Me Follow You Down’, and Van Morrison chucking a tanty after a career-best version of ‘Caravan’, The Last Waltz is the most essential music doco of any age. Check out the opening sequence, a version of Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘Baby Don’t You Do It’: