Monterey Pop, Hard Days Night, Pink Floyd at Pompei
Directors
Steve Sattler and Desmond Horsfield
Awards
Emmy Award winning Filmmakers
welcome
Listen to London's Interests
General
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Music
The Thompson Twins, BIM, New Musik, The Papers, Manufactured Romance, Duran Duran,
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Movies
I've been told that sometime around 1981-82, an American documentary film crew pinned me down to ask questions about the current indie music scene in London, the answers to which were interspersed with performances by some of the relevant bands.
The film has been pulled from its dusty shelf and turned into a DVD which is to be launched on Saturday 6 December at the Komedia in Brighton at 13.00.
OK, now I have a better idea of what happened. After the film , there was a panel discussion, admirably chaired by Lisa Holloway of Creative Brighton (*), including contributions from the film makers themselves.
In 1981, Steve Sattler and Desmond Horsfield were both cameramen for local TV stations in New England. and occasionally chatted to each other at events as they waited for something to happen. When Desmond (an Englishman) told Steve (an American) that he had made a documentary about the local bluegress music scene, Steve watched it and was so impressed, it triggered a thought had had been carrying at the back of his mind. Fascinated about the new wave music coming out of the UK, he suggested to Desmond that they go to London to make a documentary about some of the unknown bands who must be playing clubs at the time. Long before Myspace and email, they made enough contacts to convince themselves they would be able to find others when they got here, and so they came over, spending a disproportionate part of their time in South London.
With no commentator, the film tells its own story, a succession of gigs, rehearsals and recording sessions intercut with interviews. Unlike the standard TV approach of today, the restless and relentless switching from one musician to another, the camera remains stationary; sometimes it moves sideways and we have a clear sense of the actual performances, most of which are allowed to finish, so we understand the structure of the whole songs.
Television
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FILM CLIP OF
RADIO INTERVIEW IN ENGLAND!
Radio Brighton
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BIM
The number one 1981 Club Band of London, "BIM" Featured in the Documentary.
Steve Street, Producer, Cameron McVey Singer.
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LISTEN TO LONDON PROMO
Listen to London Promo
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Film Review From Jeremy K 99X Radio
http://99x.com/jeremy_retrobeach.aspx
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Rio & the Robots
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Who I'd like to meet: -------------------
THE POLITICS OF DANCING
The year is 1981. The Cold War was either going to obliterate the opposition or collapse with clever leadership and policy. Those not on the commanding playing field- Brits and Americans alike, feared the power of the Red Square and the retaliation of their own governments. Some artists like Gary Numan saw nuclear weapons as essential in the global stability of the World while others feared the consequences of widespread radiation. With a socio-political situation so grey, musicians reacted by being colorful and vibrant. Whereas punk rebelled against fashion and conservatism, the new wave indy movement embraced the ‘Peter Pan philosophy’ such that anyone could dress in the theme of a pirate, futurist, or medieval Carolingian to accompany the variety of sounds that would quickly become labeled by critics as the new romantics. While hardcore and even sometimes violent punk clubs like the Roxy and the Vortex closed their doors as mohawked gangs faded like the bands that had inspired them, London club enthusiasts took their energies to the dance clubs and cabarets, discovering that the post punk scene was much more tolerable, inviting and entertainingly fun. No longer unifying just the aggressive youth, the dawn of the 1980s provided an escape route for nuclear fears and economic recession plaguing the city. Unlike punk or even political rock today, these artists didn’t offer any solutions to the issues; they just wanted you to dance. No other film or documentary has ever seized the moment and the environment better than Listen to London.
Note: Check out the bonus material and watch the valuable Mr. Le Bon preach a sermon of Simon-Says anti-political commentary. You’ll find his view quite differently from his current stage monolog based on the last couple of Duran shows I’ve been to!
One of the most valuable lessons learned from watching this film is that although the punk movement did inspire the DIY strategy to presenting lyrical messages to the masses, unapologetically, punk was bottled frustration and yes, anarchy to the culture. It was the standard. Nonetheless, according to the artists at the forefront of the Eighties, it was painful, there were sacrifices, and it became a cliché. There was no multiplicity with punk. The antidote: Diversity. As proven by the assortment of original, creative artists featured in this film (the Papers, New Musik, Manufactured Romance, BIM) the new wave movement encouraged rising electronics, Caribbean reggae, dance and jangling guitar riffs. Post punk was technically more confident and serious without discriminating musicians who weren’t part of the angered youth that punk targeted. It was kosher to want financial security. It also emancipated bands who liked fashion, experimentalism and social conformity. Sid Vicious and Johnny Fingers were no longer the protégés of the day; David Bowie and Bryan Ferry were now favored upon.
Like the music highlighted in Listen to London, the film itself is an independent release. If you do purchase it as I highly recommend you do, be sure to check out the bonus features, especially the commentary by filmmakers Sattler and Horsfield. Neither Sattler nor Horsfield try to interpret the film but rather provide enriching details of each interview, the survival of the reel tapes that became the movie and their own personal recollections of each band featured, including a rare video clip of an early 7-piece Thompson Twins outfit that relied on guitars instead of synthesizers to make their dance music rise to the occasion. The only criticism I have for this ingenious production is that it leaves you with a thirst for more footage and ultimately, records from artists that may never be resurrected again.
You can preview the trailer and purchase your own copy of Listen to London (1981, 2008 White Light Productions) at www.listentolondon.net . For those in the U.K., the film is being presented on the big screen on December 6th at the Komedia Club in Brighton, U.K. Some of the film’s featured artists, including the Papers, will be performing in an after-show party following the presentation.
ATLANTA: CINEFEST FILM THEATER PRESENTS LISTEN TO LONDON in a special double-feature presentation with Filth & Wisdom: A film by Madonna MARCH 23 – MARCH 29 M-F: 1pm, 5pm, 9pm S-Sn: 1pm, 5pm No 1pm screening on Sat. March 28
"Listen to London 2009" is dedicated to the re-released of the long lost film about the 1981 British Indy Music Revolution, which is now available again on DVD.
Made in 1981 exclusively for an American audience, Listen to London is a documentary about the amazing explosion of talent and energy in early eighties London, as British rock bands attempted to escape the strangle-hold of the recording industry.
"Listen to London" recently had it's "27 year late" British premiere in Brighton, England.
The December 2008 event was staged by "The Papers" who opened and closed the film, as they re-launched their agit-pop band with a new format and new line-up.
The filmmakers attended the premiere. The day included an interview at a local rock and community oriented radio station, a panel discussion on issues in British music, then and now and a gig by "The Papers" that evening at the local popular venue, The Coalition Club.
Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins attended, as did Author and BBC/Capital Radio DJ, Charlie Gillett, who was interviewed in the film.
The whole day was a blast. It showed that there is an enormous resurgence of interest in the music of those almost ancient and distant days.
This site is dedicated to keeping that interest alive and updating everyone in the progress of "Listen to London" as it emerges from the mists of time.
We invite anyone interested in the music and politics of the eighties, to contact us with news, views, questions and comments. The industry and creative changes that have taken place are enormous and we want to hear your reflections on the evolution of the whole British music scene and the world in general.
We particularly want to hear from those musicians who appeared in the film and their fans.
We will also keep you posted on when and where"Listen to London" will
