212. You Weren’t There – A History of Chicago Punk – 1977-1984; movie review

YOU WEREN'T THERE - A HISTORY OF CHICAGO PUNK - 1977-1984
Cert TBA
130 mins
BBFC advice: TBA

I guess almost every city in the world has a tale to tell about a groundbreaking music scene.
However, they may not all be as celebrated as Liverpool's, Machester's, San Francisco's or New York's.
It turns out that there was a punk rock movement in Chicago for nearly a decade but the ripple did not make waves outside of the windy city.
Consequently, I had not previously heard of the bands or the contributors in You Weren't There.
Nevertheless, I became immersed because the voyage of musical discovery ran in parallel to mine in Coventry which had its own moment in the sun in the late 70s and early 80s.
I digress.
I have never been to Chicago but everything I have read or heard about it suggests that it is a tough city.
Nowadays, much of the violence seems to be gang-related but, according to Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman's documentary, it was also part of the music environment back in the day.
Therefore, there is much talk of the police being involved in closing down venues almost as soon as they sprang up.
There are many contributors to You Weren't There and they don't all sing off the same hymn sheet - indeed, a few old rivalries are exposed.
They tell some extraordinary tales of how bands were founded and split and how stages popped up across the city.
Incredibly, one of the bands was so young it included a guitarist who was just ten years old.
They are also critical of today's musicians who still see punk rock as revolutionary, challenging to come up with fresh ideas rather than just copying theirs.
Anyway, there is some great footage, some raw and exciting music and a nostalgic throwback to the days when record shops mattered and people had a deep belief that music could change the world.

Reasons to watch: A movie for musos
Reasons to avoid: A tad earnest at times

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Greg Shaw was the first music critic to employ the term punk rock: In the April 1971 issue of Rolling Stone, he refers to a track by The Guess Who as "good, not too imaginative, punk rock and roll. 

The final word. Steve Albini: "Many music scenes formed around charismatic but brain-dead personalities and flamboyant showmen who were otherwise without substance. An awful lot of those people are now bitter burnouts or embarrassing parodies of themselves. It was great to be reminded that Chicago really was different and that the people who did things here were genuine, perverse, gifted and unique. Regressive Films

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