Anyone Can Play Guitar (film)
| Anyone Can Play Guitar | |
|---|---|
 DVD release cover | |
| Directed by | Jon Spira |
| Written by | Jon Spira |
| Produced by | Jon Spira Hank Starrs |
| Cinematography | John Hunt Gary Shenton Jon Spira Danjel Starborg John Twycross |
| Edited by | Ben Lavington-Martin Jon Spira John Twycross |
Release date |
|
Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Anyone Can Play Guitar is a documentary film made by Jon Spira,[1] examining the music scene in Oxford over the period starting 1978, but focusing on 1984–2007. The film takes its name from the song by Radiohead from their 1993 album Pablo Honey.[2]
Through over 300 hours of interviews with band members and other key people in the Oxford music community, distilled down to one and a half hours,[2] the film examines the roles of community, the music industry, and luck in a band gaining commercial success.
Narrated by Stewart Lee,[3] it features interviews and concert footage of several bands that have been nationally and internationally successful (Radiohead, Supergrass, Foals), as well as some that had moderate success (e.g. The Candyskins, Ride, Swervedriver), and many more that were not commercially successful including The Cornflower Concept.[4]
Creation of the film was initially through a Production Award from Film Oxford as well as self-funded by Spira, but finishing the
Release
Previews were screened at the OX4 music festival in October 2010, as part of
The film's ticket-only premiere – for an audience of 300 donors and participants in the film – was on 20 September 2011 at Oxford's Phoenix Picturehouse.[8]
The BFI screened the London premiere on 31 October 2011, followed by a Q&A session with Spira, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead, Gaz Coombes of Supergrass, Mark Gardener of Ride, and Nick Cope of The Candyskins, hosted by Adam Buxton.[9]
The film's DVD release was set as 31 October 2011,[10] supported by a tour of independent cinemas.[8]
References
- ^ "Anyone Can Play Guitar", "Total Guitar" 209, Winter 2010
- ^ a b "Fans fund independent music film Anyone Can Play Guitar" "BBC Introducing", 24 September 2010, accessed 8 December 2010
- ^ a b Amanda Williams, "Music fans invited to back movie", "Oxford Mail", 10 January 2011, accessed 10 January 2011
- ^ Jason Martin, "Filmmaker talks music and movies", "BBC Oxford", 19 August 2009, accessed 8 December 2010
- ^ "6Q with Jon Spira of 'Anyone Can Play Guitar'", 19 October 2010, accessed 18 April 2011
- ^ a b Jon Spira, "Indiegogo updates", 10 April 2011, accessed 18 April 2011
- ^ Tim Hughes, "Code Red", The Oxford Times, 7 October 2010, accessed 9 December 2010
- ^ The Oxford Mail. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
- ^ "Sonic Cinema Presents" Archived 4 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine "BFI", accessed 5 November 2011
- ^ Music In Oxford, [1] Archived 27 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, 10 July 2011, accessed 18 September 2011
