Metro Australia – July 2019

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

Allofthisspeakstohowhumans– betheyactivepar­
ticipants,observantchroniclers,underpaidcriticsormere
membersoftheaudience– relatetomusicsointimately,and
tohowmusic,in turn,is fosteredandbirthedin a fardifferent
fashionto film. Musiccriticismis often viewedas ‘support’,
a qualitythatmusicscenesare,themselves,builton.They
arecommunalentities,functioningviaa networkofpersonal
relationships;oneofthereasonsthat‘cancelculture’^7 is so
potentin theindependent­musicworld– take,say,a band
like the queer-friendlypunk duo PWR BTTM,whosecareer
vanishedovernight,in 2017,afteraccusationsofsexual
misconductcameout^8 – is thatsomuchofanunderground
musicscene’sworkingsrevolvearoundgoodwill,personal
affinity,an air of (possiblytenuous)friendship.In the absence
of money,these scenesinsteadfoster camaraderie,amplified
bytheinherentlysocialsettingsofperformances,whichtake
placein hyper­festivespaces like dive bars, house parties
and music festivals.


xxxx


A perenniallypopularstapleof
film-festivalprogramsandstreaming-


servicemenus,the‘rockumentary’is
almostalwaysanartless,inherently
un-cinematicaffair.It marshalsthe


mosttiredtropesofnonfiction
storytelling... in serviceof what’s,
usually, sheer nostalgia.


Thispage,fromtop:A gigat TheTote,asseeninNowSound:Melbourne’sListening; JuliaStone(secondfromleft)andMojoJuju(farright) withHer Sound, Her Story
producer Michelle Grace Hunder (far left) and director Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore; DRMNGNOWinNow Sound: Melbourne’s Listening


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