Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Barry Island Rock

Barry Island Rock (1985) was Wales's first rockumentary. Or so it says here. It is certainly a fascinating document of musical life in small town Wales. If the participants seem, at times, a tad miserable just remember that this was made in the 1980s when there were only about 11 jobs in the whole of Wales. Keeping yourself in cosmetics and Boots firm-hold hairspray was a difficult business for any young blade on the dole. I speak from bitter personal experience. I don't actually remember any of the 4 bands featured in this documentary but they do have a generic mid-eighties familiarity. Have a look - it's good.