Rock Documentaries?
 

Sorry if this has been covered before--

Can anyone recommend some good rock documentaries-- not so much extensive footage of performance, but more behind-the-scenes kind of stuff, focusing on the front man/band/day-to-day lifestyle. The ones I've really enjoyed recently were Hail Hail RocknRoll, Lemmy, It Might Get Loud, Decline of Western Civilization Part II, that sort of thing.

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

When You're Strange --- The Doors
Some Kind of Monster --- Metallica
Beyond the Lighted Stage --- Rush
Crossfire Hurricane --- Rolling Stones
God Bless Ozzy Osbourne -- Black Sabbath / Ozzy
Anvil: The Story of Anvil --- Anvil
Foo Fighters: Back and Forth --- Foo Fighters
Pearl Jam Twenty --- Pearl Jam
Iron Maiden Flight 666 --- Iron Maiden

Enjoy :D

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Also one of my favorites is
Festival Express (2003) - A Festival traveling by train including grateful dead, janis joplin...etc. Its really good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1t5VR5ruBI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqiS1CVuLWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OykCNJ0Lps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiajK7BjPgI
*Any and all of the Rock Family Tree series*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyPnNsY_0Pc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfNldqntWKA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnUOpIZwDC0
*Again, the Classic Album series is very good for this stuff, so there should be something in, pretty much, all of them, whether you like the band or not.*

It probably doesn't need saying, but the language in some of these is NSFW.

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

spinal tap!!

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Don't know if you'd get them in the U S but bbc made some really good ones on the british invasion of the 60's and as well on the origin of punk.

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Afropunk: The 'Rock n Roll ******' Experience by James Spooner

Dig! by Ondi Timoner

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

You should probably watch Sound City by Dave Grohl and maybe The Last Supper by Black Sabbath (50% concert - 50% interview).

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

This will blow your socks off if u don't know this story. Very graphic, very sad, and unmissable.

http://youtu.be/eDsv_oG3KWY

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Seven Ages of Rock, the best one I've seen... A must-see for any aspiring rocker :)

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

The Leningrad Cowboys trilogy

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Gimme Shelter

Nice call on this one, watched one and will watch more :)

you mean ROCKumentaries?

The Last Waltz (The Band + Guests)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXVD-nSSKE

The Filth and The Fury (Sex Pistols)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuWGrAGKt-c

No Direction Home (Dylan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOUtzHizr9A

Krautrock - The Rebirth of Germany

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHUwkYkn_kA

Cracked Actor (Dame David Bowie)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKILbensN6I

A couple of cheats as they're more or less straight concert movies:

Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKsxbPSdqnM&list=PLBEFF095F303F5CED

Tourfilm (REM)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrpwYhDxfsc&list=PLAEC6D9C2602111C1

And one to avoid at all costs:

Prattle & Bum (U2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRHV-HWhqWQ

*shivers* :p

HK's already mentioned Anvil, and I'd highly recommend it. Think Spinal Tap with added pathos. ;)

This is a fascinating look at the world of Ginger Baker.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJVgFQS6ndQ

there are I believe 2 versions of the first episode, as I recall one for the americans, one for the british... one is about jimmi hendrix, other about stones I think...
Also they could have developed more the grunge era since its my favorite but irs still quite informative...
Oh yeah and you can try and find the documentary about indie rock - oasis vs blur... rather fun :)

I saw the Hendrix and the Stones sections (Episode 1, the Birth of Rock)-- always thought Mick Jagger was trying to sound like Howling Wolf-- now I see the connection-- great series!

One of the best rockumentaries I have seen is Depeche Mode 101 it is like 3 stories in one, firstly a behind the scenes look at the band during their 1988 us tour secondly some concert footage and backstage moments from the final show of the tour where they shocked the music world and sold out the Pasadena rose bowl this alternative new wave band did what many of the biggest rock bands in the world couldn't do and lastly they filmed a group of "devotees" following them around the country in a bus trying to see the band in concert, this part is what makes the film so good I highly recommend it....it is a great film showing one of the most original and important bands of our time....right at the moment they were conquering the world and making alternative music and that underground sound huge in America and around the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiQQUOLUL38

if you want to know a little more about Depeche Mode before you watch this here is a great write up about them.

Depeche Mode are an English rock band formed in 1980 in the London suburb of Basildon. The band is often referred to as the leaders of the Electronic Post Punk movement. According to EMI, Depeche Mode have sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the most successful bands in music history. Rolling Stone magazine calls Depeche Mode "The most popular alternative band the world has ever known" and included the band in the list of the "50 Bands That Changed The World!". In 2010 Depeche Mode were ranked on VH1's list of the "100 greatest artists of all time". One of the most influential groups over the last 30 years, Depeche Mode have inspired generations of new musicians while consolidating their considerable reputation. In the process of selling over 100 million records they have also played to audiences in excess of 30 million. Their sold out 1988 concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl where they played to over 90,000 screaming fans is considered an unheard of legendary accomplishment in the music industry especially when you take in to account that they had never even had a top hit on mainstream radio. In August 2008, Coldplay released an alternative music video for their single Viva la vida" which was inspired by the "Enjoy the Silence" video. On their website the band are quoted as saying, "This is our attempt at a video cover version, made out of love for Depeche Mode and the song writing genius of Martin Gore as well as the visual brilliance of Anton Corbijn. Brandon Flowers, the vocalist of The Killers, claimed, "Before I even thought of myself as a musician, I was affected by Depeche Mode as a person, they shaped me as an individual before I ever wrote a song. Kurt Cobain was quoted as saying that Depeche Mode are the finest example of a band doing it their own way and on their terms, without any support from mainstream radio they have reached millions of their devoted fans and influenced those fans in a way that no band has done since The Beatles. Over the years the band has influenced countless other artists including Johnny Cash, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Marilyn Manson, U2, Rob Zombie, Guns n Roses, Sound Garden, Lady GaGa and Rage Against The Machine just to name a few. Drawing their influences from punk rock and early electronic music like kraftwerk as well as 1970's glamrockers like Bowie and Roxy Music Depeche Mode have crafted a huge catalogue of smart, original, important and influential music that runs the gamut from an early 80's purely electronic synth-pop to mid 80's politically flavoured industrial new wave followed by a driving rhythm based dance rock sound that is found on their early 90's masterpiece "Violator" before the 1994 release "Songs of faith and devotion" sent the band in a more amped up bluesy rock direction accompanied by a dark spiritual realization. After losing a member (Alan Wilder) due to creative and financial differences as well as almost losing frontman (Dave Gahan) who nearly died do to a drug overdose while battling a 6 year heroin addiction the band managed to forge ahead and ended the 90's experimenting with a hybrid of their classic electronic sound and their newly found talent for producing soulful blues influenced electro-rock. As the new millennium rolls on Depeche modes style of music has continued to stay one step ahead of trends mixing more digital electronics into the driving live drum beats and soulful guitar riffs of principle songwriter (Martin Gore)'s creations, this has enabled the band to remain fresh and original and be seen as the elder statesmen of modern alternative rock. All Depeche Mode songs are originally written on an acoustic guitar and then during recording and production layers of both electronics and classical instrumentation are added in as well as vocals, effects and sampling to complete the music making process. Depeche Modes energetic concert performances are a mixture of some pre recorded electronics with live played synth melodies, drum beats and guitar riffs as well as (Dave Gahan)'s live vocal performance. This combination provides Depeche Modes highly devoted fan base with an emotionally charged energy filled passionate and charismatic live rock show like no other. (There is nothing like the energy you feel at a Depeche Mode gig). All this ensures that Depeche Mode remains a hugely popular yet never mainstream band that always has and continues to play by their own rules while amassing millions of adoring devoted fans the world over that continue to buy albums and concert tickets making Depeche Mode one of the most successful most influential and greatest bands in the history of music.

Re: Rock Documentaries?
 

Have you seen "The other F word"? It is mostly about the life style rather than anything else, you might enjoy it.