If you like rock music, you may want to take a look at these two documentaries now on dvd.
Electric Purgatory:The Fate of the Black Rocker
This film takes a look at black rock musicians from the 70s and 80s through to the present. The documentary features many interviews with musicians from Fishbone, 24 7 Spyz, King’s X, Living Colour, Burnt Sugar, music journalists, and others giving first-hand accounts of their experiences and frustrations in the music industry. Much of the focus is the failure of large corporate music companies to sign and foster rock acts that feature black musicians even when these bands are selling out their live shows influencing white artists. There is also a lot of discussion about the history and influence of black musicians in all genres of music. In addition, the dvd has several extras including a gem of an interview with H.R. from Bad Brains.
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
This film documents a few years in the life of Acrassicauda, possibly the only Iraqi heavy metal band. The documentary focuses on the difficulties these young men have pursuing a very American art form in a Musislim country in the middle of a war. The film also highlights the difficulties the filmmakers had in navigating Iraq during the height of the U.S. invasion. Even with the difficulties these young men endure, what is universal is the desire to be free and the joy found through music which cannot be eviscerated even admidst war.
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Hi, Heavy Metal in Baghdad really rocks, I like it a lot, I have seen it 3 times.
The concept of an electric purgatory inhabited by rockers of colour is fascinating – I never viewed it at this level before.
I believe the allusion to “purgatory” comes from the quandary POC rockers find themselves in when they don’t get the marketing, promotion or support in the music industry as similar white bands. In the film, the filmmaker does a good job of illustrating this through its focus on Fishbone which influenced a lot of bands, including No Doubt, but did not get the same support or the mainstream success as No Doubt.