Punk docu shown at Swedish television March 2012
Punk i Kina (original title; This Band Is So Goregeous)
Directed by Dunstan Bruce
Topic; Sham 69 tour in China
Quote
“Some people said that Sham 69, your band is the most real punk band back in England at that time and just now”
Said on Chinese radio.
"We got this Email it said, Hello Sham 69 wow it´s so famous punk band. Chinese punk scene so young…"..So starts the punk documentary About Sham 69 tour and punk in China.
An E-mail from a Chinese punk rocker to the old farts of the British punk, Sham 69, was the starting point of the Sham 69s Chinese tour. The mail written in an even more poor English than I can produce was the starting point of the tour and the documentary of the tour.
Back in the early eighties there was all this mystique around the band sham 69. The band was formed in 1976 which makes them one of the first wave of punk bands. Personal problems made them change their line ups. The Most classic line ups is the 1977 line up with Jimmy Pursey (vocals), Dave Parsons (guitar), Dave Tregunna (bass), Mark Cain (drums). . From that line up the guitarist Dave Parsons is still holding the Sham 69 banner high during the tour. In this docu they explain a bit why sham 69 didn’t reach the sky like Sex Pistols and The Clash did. However sham
69 was as influential as their more successful peers. It have been said that Sham was the main role model for the Oi! Genre in the early 1980ies with its football crowd (soccer) chants. Songs like “If the Kids are United”, “Borstal Breakout” have been covered by thousands of bands all over the globe. Even I have played “If the Kids are united” onstage.
69 was as influential as their more successful peers. It have been said that Sham was the main role model for the Oi! Genre in the early 1980ies with its football crowd (soccer) chants. Songs like “If the Kids are United”, “Borstal Breakout” have been covered by thousands of bands all over the globe. Even I have played “If the Kids are united” onstage.
The film covers three main themes. The ever ongoing tension within the band, The oppressed youth of China are in a struggle with a punk scene with its Asian urge to be real punks and the international brotherhood and bonding among punks.
The old and grumpy old geezers of Sham69, possibly accused of being in mid life crisis meeting an audience that’s in the same position as they were them self 30+ years ago, In a state of rebellion against the boredom the conform society pushed upon us. It affects the band as they don’t compromise with their ideals. The problem is that its obvious that Sham 69s ideals are not to obvious within the band. As a viewer I can´t decide if the band is behaving like a bunch of over aged brats or if they are right about their deeds. And of course, being abroad with something as British as Sham 69, in a world that been closed to the western society so long can´t be an easy task. The docu´s most sympathetic character is Ray, The tour manager, promoter and singer in the band NoName. He seems to be so jolly taking the Sham 69 on tour that he hardly seems to give a fuck about the beer bellied and thin haired brats whining about this and that. Without him it propably wouldn’t being possible,.
A short (to short) glimpse on the Chinese punk scene, is great. The paranoia within that society are always there so I guess its hard to get to close.
Misandaos singer are there, one of the Chinese Oi! Bands I´m familiar with.. Those scenes are a bit touching. The young Chinese punker telling that Sham are great even if they are at his grand parents age.
The film itself lacks something. Because its obvious that something have happened inside the band during the tour, And that isn’t fully shown in the documentary..
As a filmmaker I suffer with the man behind the camera, because the tension within the band must been awful to experience.
Still I was touched by the film. Because its about humans with it fragility and faults, more than a look at rock stars or a punk rock clichés. It left me with a feeling that experienced something. And that can´t be wrong.
Still I was touched by the film. Because its about humans with it fragility and faults, more than a look at rock stars or a punk rock clichés. It left me with a feeling that experienced something. And that can´t be wrong.
But the real interesting thing happened after the film. Today we have two Sham 69. The Official which is pretty much the guys in the docu. Minus Dave Persons where the original Guitarist Neil Harris taken his place, and the Classic line up that call themself the Original Sham 69. Weird but interesting.
BTW take your time listen to Demerit, an excellent Chinese punk band well worth listen to.
Official Sham 69 (the one in the movie)
Original Sham 69 ( the classic lineup)
NoName at Myspace
This band is so Gorgeous Official siite
You tube
Misandao
Demerit
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