OK, I cheated and looked it up...
URGH! A Music War (1981) (Video): The ultimate New Wave sampler concert movie. This film harkens back to a very interesting time in music history. The great old New Wave bands were in their prime, Punk was running through its second generation, and the emerging hardcore bands were making themselves known outside their small scenes. Back then New Wave and Punk were interchangeable (unless you were a punk purist). Under the banner of New Wave were many diverse musical styles - Punk, New Wave, Ska, Reggae, Electronic, Rockabilly, Pub Rock, Hardcore, Power Pop. On any given night at a New Wave club you could hear and dance to all of these. I would say that 1980 was the Golden Year for fans of New Wave and Punk. Now New Wave is a nostalgic joke and the Punks choose 1 or 2 styles and close themselves off to the rest of the world. I suggest anyone not around in 1980 should study this movie like it was a finals project for school. Once you find what ties together Klaus Nomi, The Cramps, Devo, and The Dead Kennedys (or any other band combo), only then can you say you know Punk history.
Shot in England and the U.S. (CBGBs, The Whisky, The Ritz), over 30 bands are filmed in concert. The Police open and close the show, not surprising since they were the most popular band at the time and the film was produced by Miles and Ian Copeland. Each group is shown in quick succession, which helps since this film is over 2 hours long. Quick staged bits set up Wall Of Voodoo and The Go Gos, but for the most part it's straight concert footage of the bands and only a little of the fans. What I picked up on most is the influence of Reggae on the bands, how synthesizers are used by New Wave and Punk bands alike, and how young and skinny everybody was back then. Here's some notes on some of the performances:
The Police: Before Sting fell in love with himself The Police earned their popularity. Stewart Copeland plays the biggest drum kit this side of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Wall of Voodoo: The Devo of minimilistic C&W existentialism. Stan looks like John Cusack. Toyah Wilcox: Cyndi Lauper meets Gary Numan. Much cooler than I remembered it at the time. Liquid Sky face painting and clothing. John Cooper Clarke: imagine John Sayles as a poetry spewing evil giant elf. OMD: a lightweight art-school version of Joy Division, but very underrated. A real drummer and nobody dances with a bass guitar like Andy McCluskey. Chelsea: A poor man's Stiff Little Fingers. Oingo Boingo: Most frenetic of the Wavers, you can see that Danny Elfman is a demented genius songwiter. Same vocal stylings as XTC's Andy Partridge. Jools Holland: Plays a little number on the keyboard "airport lounge" style. Where's the big cognac glass filled with a few dollar bills? XTC: They should have chosen another song besides "Respectable Street" to highlight Andy's amazing quirky singing style. You could never tell from this he had such a fear of performing. Klaus Nomi: Decadent Cabaret. The only man weird enough to work with Bowie during his Berlin period. Athletico Spizz 80: David Spade fronts a fun UK punk band. Go Gos: Girls just want to have fun. Discover what makes them a great band for punk bands to cover. Dead Kennedys: When Jello improvises he makes very little sense at times. Could have chosen a better song than "Bleed For Me". Steel Pulse: a great reminder of how important reggae was to early Punk and New Wave. Gary Numan: sings "Down In The Park" sitting in a cubic car that moves all around the stage and massive stage set. Eye liner and Bowie. Joan Jett: very Ramones sounding "Bad Reputation". Top notch. Surf Punks: A gimmicky little punk band I'm happy are long gone. The Members: an all white reggae band. Something strange about that... Au Pairs: early Gang of Four sound ("Damaged Goods") with agitated female singer. The Cramps: Best performance of the night! Will Lux Interior's rubber pants slide off his hips?! Looks and sings like a zombie Elvis from beyond the grave. Pere Ubu:David Byrne 10 times weirder. The fat man is in control. Pure f--king genius. Devo: It's all here - power synthesizers, live instruments, the flower-pot hat gimmick, hardcore nerds. Devo at their peak on "Uncontrollable Urge". John Ottway: Ian Dury meets Ray Davies. Gang of Four: Socialism you can dance to. Before they became a disco band. Jarring yet minimalistic. 999: when all is said and done, a one-hit-wonder band, but what a song! X: Billy Zoom for President and Bill Paxton on guitar. Skafish: Oscar to Murray the Cop: "I'd break your nose, but I only have 2 hands!" What a nose! My god, you could stick your whole thumb up there and not hit the sides. A stiff sideways wind and he'll snap his neck!
I forwarded through about 4 songs, which makes this a great tape as far as I'm concerned. A 2 record soundtrack was released at the same time. Find it and find out what made New Wave so cool so many years ago.
home.earthlink.net!
- Jeff
P.S. This site has a review of all the punk movies of that era. Amazing. |
