Don Letts' Punk:Attitude documentary on IFC/BBC

Sunday, July 24 10:00 PM
Monday, July 25 3:45 AM

Yeah that hip-hop/Beastie Boys thing was kind of odd. But then it might've been because Don Letts is all about the black-->white-->black cultural exchange. Still seemed forced though. And I was also waiting for them to talk about, say, Husker Du or the Minutemen. And it was annoying that Rollins was presented as the face of Black Flag, although there was that bit about how "he didn't really join until two years in."

So I agree, end it at say 1982 or so and add lots more bits about the lesser known bands. That first hour was still great though.

Mission of Burma
Husker Du
Pixies
Sonic Youth
Nirvana
Green Day
Blink-192
Sk8er Boi
Green Day

YAY THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE!!!

I think we should have a thread where every genre is summed up with such simplification and gross distortion.

Loved the lead singer of ? & The Mysterians' shades in their clip.

Well, since that's precisely what punk did, it kinda would, wouldn't it?

If this is "a co-IFC/BBC production and was written and directed by Don Letts", how come it hasn't been on TV in the UK (or, if it has, how come I missed it?)

(How) did the programme makers attempt to reconcile the difference between the UK attitude / experience and the US?

I'd have thought it would need at least an hour and a half to try to explain that alone.

Still a very worthwhile documentary.

Everybody should also watch the Classic Albums: Never Mind The Bollocks doc.

They spent a little bit of time on the the UK/US differences, some of the NY guys basically calling UK punks fashion victims, etc..

I think I read this in Time Out, or maybe New York Magazine. There was a good interview with Letts where he said he was happy to get some of the lesser known people in there, he didn't include John Lydon because he didn't want him to dominate the film (although he let that happen with Rollins), and that he was tempted to skip over the Pistols, Clash & Ramones because he'd assume that viewers already knew about them, but thought that was weird. But yeah... Great first hour. I also really liked the Jim Jarmusch interviews.

WHEN YOU ARE ALONE
YOU ARE THE CAT
YOU ARE THE PHONE
YOU ARE AN ANIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!

Oh, sorry, that's the screamo tribute...

Now: gorn.

Madly frustrating, for all those proto videos for "Typical Girls" and "Oh Bondage", and "Stop your sobbing" that need to go somewhere, full length. Oh how about the extra DVD? nope.

There's a longish interview with Dave Goodman, that wasn't used at all on the main doc.

It was interesting for being USA-centred for the first time, yes the UK version was accorded due respect, but it wasn't really acknowledged that the UK more than progressed. They do bring out James Chance a lot in these docs. Don't they?

"Although punk in its pure form lasted longer in Manhattan, it never really broke out from its original scene. Punk was largely confined to Manhattan, despite Malcolm McLaren's attempt to convert cowboys in the Southern States. Unlike the later grunge on the West Coast, where Kurt Cobain became a latterday Sid Vicious..." [etc. etc. ad nauseum]

Where does it?

I also recently caught most of Don Letts' Clash documentary "Westway to the World and was quite impressed. There is some really amazing footage of The Clash in this one that reminded me how much I loved that band at one time. It is one of the best biographical films I have ever seen on a band.

Poly Styrene in her interview bits = k-rowr

If you read the "Where are They Now?" section on her, it says she went Krishna ffs! (meanwhile, Ray Cappo has "distanced himself" from the religion lol)

Anyone got any idea what point Don Letts is trying to make here? Is in fact just about whether the Clash could have recorded "Police and Thieves" in 2021, as I suspect?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/16/woke-culture-is-threat-to-protest-songs-says-don-letts

I don't think there's any value in trying to divine his point from dozens of sentence fragments scissored out of something else that he wrote himself.

It's usually about the Clash with Don Letts, so I'll stick to my original theory.

Probably, but it's a chance to use the phrase "woke culture" in a headline I guess. Don's appearance on Gardeners' World last summer was a cultureal highlight of 2020 for me.

I really hate his voice.

He does a show on 6music.

Idk what point hes naming except that white artists would be criticised for doing black mysic today. Not sure where protest music and cultural appropriation align though.

Not familiar with Letts recent work on Brit BBC radio 6 music, but just enjoyed 2022 Rebel Dread doc about his life ( was directed by William E. Badgley , best known for music documentary Here to Be Heard: The Story of The Slits, and is executive produced by Letts himself ). Some good super 8 footage from late 70s, and some interesting interview bits from Letts himself as well as Mick Jones, Paul Simonon (The Clash), John Lydon (Sex Pistols, PiL), and Jazzy B (Soul II Soul) among others.

Dennis Bovell and others interviewed too. Brit history that some non- Brits might not know included too- Notting Hill Riots, Enoch Powell ugliness and how it all related to Letts . Young white punk future stars hanging at Letts place after Roxy shows footage. Later , Letts in NYC

Letts was hired by Chris Blackwell of Island to direct "Good to Go" the film intended to make dc go-go a worldwide genre, but then Letts was fired halfway into it. That was good for Letts long term as the film was a disaster.

https://www.donletts.com/film-qe1gl

Letts did a Sun Ra doc and a Gil Scott-Heron one

The Letts bio doc is so good. Love the footage of Strummer/Jones making the second BAD album.

Yes!