Music madness

Well last night I walked down the red carpet in Leicester square, to take my place in the audience of a new premiere, and nod graciously as my 'thanks' appeared in the credits. Okay, sort of. I did get to walk up the red carpet in a fetching jeans, trainers and hoody ensemble, but only because I was brandishing a couple of Times BFI London Film Festival tickets a good while after all the important people (and in fact, most of the on-time audience) had gone in. Technically though we were thanked, being vaguely part of that valued and unforgettable group of contributors “the residents of Holloway Road.” For the premiere was Telstar, a biopic of eccentric/genius/disturbed Joe Meek (based on the play by James Hicks) whose recording studio above a leather-goods shop in North London led to multiple top ten hits in the 60s, and developed key new recording techniques in the music industry (for more details of his legacy - but may include spoilers -see Wikipedia.

The film is wonderfully and authentically British (albeit with Kevin Spacey's presence, but he carries the accent well) in feel, language, and on the odd occasion, quaintness. Being of the younger generation some of the music references were lost on me, but not so much as to detract from being gleefully swept up in the chaos of a man self-destructing from the taste of success and obsession. Meek is played by Con O'Neill in a superb performance (reprising his stage role – it tells in the quality), that draws you in from comedic first to tragic last. In fact, the standard of acting generally was very impressive, drawing you in to the complex and combustible relationships (all male, apart from the ever-present landlady played just right by Pam Ferris) unfolding in Joe's claustrophobic studio world.

I'm not too sure how wide the release of this film will be, but I'll be adding it to my collection when it's released on DVD. If you're interested in London's music history, behind-the-scenes 60s, music biopics generally or even just for the queer cinema element, this will be going in my top ten for the year.