Miscellaneous - All Tomorrow's Parties

  by Chris O'Toole

published: 24 / 9 / 2009

intro

Chris O' Toole finds much to recommend in the new 'All Tomorrow's Parties' film, which has been released to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the influential indie rock festival

Ten years in the making. A cast of a thousand, young sunkissed actors. A soundtrack to win the approval of even the most devout of music snobs. Exhibitionist consumes sanctified by discerning Shoreditch tastemakers. The 'All Tomorrow's Parties' film always had all the ingredients of a bona fide classic; echoing through the ages as a towering monument to what once was. Essentially a collection of fan generated clips from the (first) ten years of All Tomorrow's Parties, the film is a collage of memory tracing the roots of this most exclusive festival back into the late 1990s. This newer footage is juxtaposed with material from the 1960's heyday of the summer camps which the ATP Festivals now call home; ostensibly to illustrate how distinctive today's incumbents are from their forebearers. Comparing the old and the new in this manner goes further, however, towards demonstrating a shared desire for hedonism on a budget – whatever the decade. The film then is more of an exercise in fast-paced editing, rather than an attempt at genuine film making. No new footage is included, with a narrative constructed around existing material, including a young looking Barry Hogan, ATP's founder and promoter, explaining how the festival began and where he hopes for it to go. There is no plot, or development of characters – despite a bravura performance from Dirty Three fiddle player Warren Ellis – but somehow this most niché of festival movies provides enthralling viewing for an hour and a half. Ten years from its inception and the ATP brand has gone nova – celebrated here. Festivals are planned for the UK and USA later this year, while Nick Cave has already taken the merry wagon on a tour around Australia. London echoes to eclectic sounds almost nightly as Hogan and his troop promote some of the most esoteric offerings from around the world – leaving crowds in startled wonder. A record label is also growing – releasing material from the Drones and Deerhoof to name but two – with the Don't Look Back series (which sees artists perform their favourite album in its entirety) also considered a resounding success. Of course approval for the film is going to be directly correlated with attendance of the festivals. Those who were there for the original Belle and Sebastian inspired Bowlie Weekender are likely to be crying in the aisles with remembered joy after a few moments, while more recent visitors will also be richly rewarded. However, the 'All Tomorrow's Parties' film is unlikely to engender much mass appeal; nonbelievers might fail to understand why it is funny to wear sunglasses on the SpaceBowl, entertaining to jump from the balcony of a second floor chalet or inspiring to endure a two hour Sunn O))) set. Naturally those who made the final cut and actually appear in the film are likely to be the biggest fans of all. Personally the movie generated an air of nostalgia. A pining for the smaller Camber Sands venue – before the shift along the coast to Minehead – coupled to a hazy memory of some of the more obscure bands who came, played and disappeared. Most of all, however, the film created an overwhelming desire to get back to the beach later this year for the latest incarnation of the festival and in that sense it can be considered a roaring success.