For those that attended the Salt Lake City Film Festival there was an incredible documentary about a band that helped influence an entire generation of musicians throughout the 80’s. If you missed it, please find a way to see it, the show left me breathless. Co-Writer and Director Lev Anderson was good enough to share his thoughts on working on the film, and we here at BSR figured you’d like to hear them! Thanks again to Mr. Anderson for taking the time, and as always feel free to discuss below!
BSR: What inspired you to make the film on Fishbone?
Lev: We figured that if you are to choose one music documentary, Fishbone would be a great band to cover as you can talk to all kinds of musicians from metal-punk rockers to jazz or hip hop artists. Also they had a an interesting story of how they met and started playing this wild mix up of musical styles. Their story, and music, kind of paralleled what was going in L.A.’s Black community over the last 30 years starting with being bused into the suburbs as part of desegregation efforts, dealing with the rise of gangs and the crack epidemic and the whole Rodney King thing as well. Plus, even just watching them perform you can just tell they could be great characters to follow around with a camera.
BSR: Was Fishbone a band you listened to growing up?
Lev: I listened to the band growing up as my dad used to bring home all kinds of records, and he took me to see Fishbone when I was 10 years old. Like many people, I sort of lost track of them starting in the mid-90s and would just see them pop up here or there. Little did we know, they never stopped. They didn’t break up and have kept at it for almost 30 years.
BSR: What was your favorite part of making this film?
Lev: We got to see a lot of Fishbone concerts! Really, just knowing the guys on a personal level and being inspired by their creative fire and love of the music. A lot of musicians may have given up at some point but they are dedicated to their dream of making funky hardcore music that is different than anything else you might hear. Angelo is coming up with stuff non-stop whether picking up new instruments like the theramin or taking his Dr. Madvibe solo act into unchartered waters.
BSR: Many documentaries seem to have a “breakthrough” moment where an interview hits an emotional high, were there any points in the filming of the movie like that?
Lev: There may have been a couple breakthrough moments. First, and I don’t want to give away the movie, but a missing character returns, there was a lot of mixed emotions around that and it sort of allows for some resolution for this group of guys that have loved and fought like brothers for so long.
BSR: How long was the film in production before you were ready for release?
Lev: We worked on the film for almost 4 years. Part of that was that we were based in San Francisco and the band was in Los Angeles. This was a DIY effort all the way so between paying gigs, we would make road trips and get as much footage or research done as possible. But it was probably the right way to do it as you can see the ups and downs of the rock n roll life and we could allow for a story to naturally play itself out without having to impose some fake drama.
BSR:At the end of the movie it seemed that Fishbone was going to continue playing together, what is the band thinking as far as next step?
Lev: The band is rocking still and they have been doing well. They are currently touring in Europe and will be releasing a new album this October, at about the same time we will be starting our theatrical run of the film. We’re excited to hear the new music and it’ll be fun for the band to continue the hard work. It’d be great if the film’s audiences that had never even heard of the band before get a chance to experience a Fishbone show!
BSR: What other festivals have shown the film? Where are you headed after the SLC Film festival?
Lev: We’ve been screening at a lot of festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the SXSW Music Festival (where they performed with the Wu Tang Clan), and we also screened at the Southern Utah Documentary Festival in St. George. It was that festivals first year but they had a lot of great films and the band even got to perform there. The film screened, and the curtain came up and there was Fishbone live in true 3D! We will launch our theatrical run in October, starting in NY and L.A. and then hitting as many other cities we can, hopefullky with the band in tow.
BSR: Will the film be available for purchase for anyone?
Lev: We will be releasing the film on DVD towards the end of the year. People can keep track of DVD release and other news on our facebook and twitter pages and our website www.fishbonedocumentary.com
BSR: What are your next projects?
Lev: I am working on a new film about the City of Irvine California, the safest city in America. Chris will likely be helping out with that one as well. And we’re always looking for fun stories so we’re keeping our eyes wide open.
Once again I can’t stress enough what a great film this is. Keep an eye on their site so you can order a copy if you missed it, and if you need convincing you can read my review here.