'Guitars From the Leafy Suburbs' Music Documentary
03.10.08
"In some towns kids play soccer, - in this town the kids play rock 'n' roll" Ed Knowles of The Checks
Behind Devonport's sleepy façade beats a thriving pulse of the rock n roll kind. Often heralded by the media as a 'phenomenon', the local music scene is growing ever stronger, with scores of young musicians clamouring to follow the legacy of bands such as The Veils and The Checks.
This musical thread of the community - its past, present and future - has been captured in Guitars From the Leafy Suburbs, the latest work from documentary maker Julian McCarthy. The film follows several of the Devonport's finest young bands from their humble beginnings as recorded by studio engineer and mentor Rikki Morris, to their heady live concerts and growing success, as recording deals and album releases start to become a reality. Filmed over two years, Guitars From the Leafy Suburbs blends interview with footage from recording sessions and live shows that tell the story in a fly-on-the-wall style.
The film features music from The Checks, The Electric Confectionaires, White Birds & Lemons and The Earlybirds.
"I had the idea of filming them over a period of time, and seeing what developed, - of following particular bands and seeing how things panned out."
The result is a slice of history - or perhaps of history in the making.
Guitars From the Leafy Suburbs' about the bands of Devonport starts at The Academy Cinema, Auckland central, on Thursday October 9th.
