A Band Called Death
Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett:
A Band Called Death (USA, 2013)
96 min. - English
K-12
Before Bad Brains, Sex Pistols or Ramones, there was a band called Death. Before punk was even a twinkle in Iggy Pop’s eye, the Hackney brothers had formed a band that would remain unlike any other for years. The three African-American siblings rehearsed in their own house, honing their skills and attitude. They got some gigs and released a single in hopes of attracting a record deal. However, the world of the early 1970s was not ready. Their protopunk was overrun by Motown and disco.
To record companies Death’s music and especially their name was too intimidating and they were never given the chance they deserved. However, almost thirty years later their music reached a whole new audience. Mark Christopher Covino’s and Jeff Howlett’s bran-new documentary tells the miraculous story of a how a dusty demo from 1974 was discovered. Death was no doubt ahead of their time. This film will finally restore them to the statuses of protopunk godfathers and the first black punk band.
A Band Called Death charmed everyone at the South by Southwest festival. This is not only an excellent music documentary but also a powerful and touching story about family and love between brothers.
Wed 13th Nov at 5:00pm Tapio 3
Fri 15th Nov at 10:30pm Tapio 3