It has become a trend for bands of yesteryear to resurrect and rise up again in the face of modern music. And thank god for that, as most modern new bands are not a patch on what music used to be. So it’s nice to have the likes of The Police, Soundgarden, Pink Floyd, Faith No more back. Bands from various genres reforming for short tours or to try breaking new material and now The Stone Roses have joined those ranks and start from home before heading out round the world to conquer it once again.
Filmmaker (and outright fan of the band) Shane Meadows is along for the ride to document the reformation and the initial journey the band take right from the announcement to the sound testing required for their gradual journey back on the road.
Intercut with this is some brief band history as they started out in their early years; what inspired them to start and how they met each other. Former band members are mentioned, but the focus remains on the main four right up to the initial break up in the mid-90’s.
Around the mid-point though it turns away from documentary and becomes a pure concert footage film. And whilst you get less of the behind the scenes chatter with the band on their resurrection – the footage shot is nothing short of spectacular.
It probably helps if you are a fan of the band, but even if you just have an appreciation for the time that they were popular, or some terrific live performances then this is highly recommended.
Steven Hurst