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Special: Foo Fighters Documentary Insights

• 11th Apr 2011

Well, the weekend of summer is over for another year. Put your flip-flops away and get the umbrellas back out, as you won't see the sun again 'til next April. How does that make you feel? Severely depressed?

This week's editorial is devoted to the recently-released Foo Fighters documentary Back And Forth, and features a fantastic review by Glasswerk writer Kathy Alys. We've been talking quite a bit here at Glasswerk in the past seven days about this doc; it hasn't been met with approval (let's just say) by Grohl & Hawkins, who have both publicly announced their discomfort with the documentary, which hit 80 cinemas across the US last week.

Some band documentaries are only for the most loyal of fans. But others, a few rare gems, stand alone as well made, interesting films, regardless of the band they cover. James Moll’s “Foo Fighters: Back and Forth”, while slightly forgiving of its subjects and rather promotional, tends more towards the latter.

For the average punter, even someone not particularly into the Foo Fighters, this is a nice looking, great sounding insight into a band’s dynamics. Or just plain people dynamics – it’s a film seemingly interested in the humanity of its subjects. And humanity is always pretty darn interesting.

For the Foo Fighters fan though, this is an orgasmic array of footage – from the green room, the stage and recording studio – fused seamlessly with interviews with band members past and present, providing a satisfyingly tidy version of the Foo Fighters’ story so far.

While the live footage, and the music in general, add a sense of immense scale to this production (the sound is huge), it’s the low-key interviews and self-deprecating humour of Dave Grohl et al that work best, giving the film a sweet, warm, feel-good factor. Fans will lap it up. Others might just think, aw, what nice blokes.

But therein lies the film’s flaw. Talking solely to the band’s members makes for a rather insular view of proceedings. It still works – let’s face it, it was never going to be a dull story, and the band do give the impression they’re talking about a few things they’ve not discussed on film before. But it feels a bit one-sided in the band’s favour, ignores the wider context, and (like everything else Foo apparently) seems very much Grohl-controlled.

We do see some nice dramatic little moments – such as Grohl ineptly trying to justify his re-recording of drum tracks by the band’s first drummer, William Goldsmith, for “The Colour and the Shape”, before we cut to Goldsmith bewilderedly saying he never really understood what happened back then. Grohl is visibly cringing while talking, while Goldsmith patently harbours a fair bit of resentment. That’s good stuff.

The final third of the film is devoted entirely to the making of the band’s new album, “Wasting Light”, in Grohl’s garage. Watched cynically, it could feel very much like an infomercial. With your benevolent hat on though, it’s a little insight for the uninitiated into the recording process and it finishes the story off nicely – that bunch of nice blokes contentedly hanging out with their families, getting to keep making music for a living.

The screening of “Back and Forth” last Thursday night was followed by a streamed (delayed in the UK) performance of the Foo Fighters playing “Wasting Light” live, front to back, in an LA studio. It was a one-night-only affair though, so fans will most likely have to wait for the DVD release. Which seems a shame really – faults aside, film production of this quality deserves a big venue. And big speakers.

Kathy Alys

What is yet to be discovered is this; could the band's unrest around the interview prove to be the best publicity they could ask for? Whilst they are probably the biggest name in rock today, a band documentary on cinematic release is a daring move. The majority of fans will most likely see the documentary on Vh1, and I suspect that the true fan's reaction to the portrayal of the band will be evident after it has been televised. I suspect that, until the band comment further, speculation about the past, present and future of The Foo Fighters will linger on for a while.

MSD