‘Sometimes I don’t thrill you
Sometimes I think I’ll kill you
Just don’t let me **** up will you?
’cause when I need a friend it’s still you…’
Dinosaur Jr’s Freakscene was one of the songs of my teenage years; an off-kilter anthem, it’s messy, grungy style was very much of a piece with the sounds of Nirvana and The Pixies, but offered something else too, a blurred snapshot of emotion that rocked the world of those around me. In these days, you not only bought the single and the album, but the T-shirt too; a purple one with a cartoon dinosaur on it. This would become melted onto your sweat-soaked back as you were flung by a stage-bouncer back into the throng of the mosh-pit.
New from Munro Films in UK cinemas, Philipp Reichenheim’s documentary uses a gold-mine of contemporary footage and interviews to tell the story of Dinosaur Jr, and that means shining a light on J Mascis, the enigmatic lynchpin who created their sound, and bandmates Lou Barlow and Murph. Mascis was a famously retiring character, and as a doc, Freakscene benefits from the lack of attention that’s been paid to the band in the past; this feels like a very small and personal film, with no need for too many extraneous talking heads to tell us how significant the band were in musical history.
In ideal style, the film starts with the song Freakscene played from start to finish; there’s no point in holding back. But the band’s development, and different incarnations, makes for a fascinating trip for fans, who will be amused as the candour with which Mascis and co viewed their mercurial rise. Contributions from the likes of Kim Gordon, Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore and Bob Mould help pin down the band’s appeal; shambolic, yet endearing, Dinosaur Jr were a band well worth cataloguing, and with Mascis on board as a producer, there’s lots of personality in the clips chosen.
Perhaps there’s little here that would encourage new listeners, but this kind of retrospective film is very much made for the long-time admirers of Dinosaur Jr, and right now, scores points as the most detailed account imaginable of the life and times one of indie-rock’s most influential bands. For me personally, it brings back memories of nights at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom, and the band’s epic 1992 Rollercoaster tour with Blur, My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain. And if you’ve ever wondered where a song like Freakscene might have sprung from, this is as close as you’ll ever get…
Freakscene is in select UK cinemas from October 1st 2021. Thanks to Munro Films for advanced access.
Nope never heard of them, sound a bit like Stone Roses but not as good.
Sigh.
Oh well. Never heard of the band, or the song. Are you in the movie?
Not as far as I could see, but still worth a watch. Every day a school day.
And another band I’ve never heard of and will probably forget their name in about 15minutes. I’m obviously the Prime Audience for this movie, hahahahaha 😀
Glad it brought to mind some good memories. It’s really amazing how sounds and smells can be so integrally wound up into memories.
I’m not sure good is the right way to describe it, I wouldn’t be up for being tossed around like that now!
Ahhh, ye old dayes of yore. Well, old dayes of yore or not, I agree about today. No way I’d be tossed around either. I’m a bit on the plump side for that kind of thing 😀
I guess it’s a rites of passage in our formative years. I guess there must have been a transitional period in your life between the fourth and fifth song you heard?
For me, that was falling in love for the first time. Pretty much defined me for the next decade 😀
I would not want to fall in love for the first time at my age now either, hahahahahaa!
That is so romantic, I’m sure your wife never stops talking about being the luckiest girl in the world!
Oh, I laughed out loud at this. Good job 😀
We don’t discuss that aspect of my life. I tried once and it ended in buckets of tears. So I learned my lesson. My love life began with Mrs B and that’s it 😉
Is the correct answer.
Yep, I learned that lesson the hard way 🙂