Anyone Can Play Guitar (film)
Encyclopedia
Anyone Can Play Guitar is a documentary film
made by Jon Spira, examining the music scene in Oxford
over the period starting 1978, but focusing on 1984–2007. The film takes its name from the Radiohead song of the same name
.
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, the film examines the roles of community, the music industry, and luck in a band gaining commercial success.
Narrated by Stewart Lee
, 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.
Creation of the film was self-funded by Spira, but finishing the sound mix
and picture grade
to a professional standard needed additional funding, which Spira sought through the Indiegogo
crowd funding
site. The initial target of $15,000 was reached before the campaign closing date, and the campaign was extended to $30,000 to raise funds for final music and film footage rights clearance.
's OxJam
musical fund-raising initiative, and at an industry screening in April 2011.
The film's ticket-only premiere – for an audience of 300 donors and participants in the film – was on September 20, 2011, at Oxford's Phoenix Picturehouse
.
The BFI
screened the London premiere on October 31, 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.
The film's DVD release is set as the 31st of October 2011, supported by a tour of independent cinemas.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
made by Jon Spira, examining the music scene in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
over the period starting 1978, but focusing on 1984–2007. The film takes its name from the Radiohead song of the same name
Anyone Can Play Guitar
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a single taken from Radiohead's first album Pablo Honey, released just in advance of the album. It is the band's second single, and their first to receive a wide hearing...
.
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, the film examines the roles of community, the music industry, and luck in a band gaining commercial success.
Narrated by Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
, it features interviews and concert footage of several bands that have been nationally and internationally successful (Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
, Foals), as well as some that had moderate success (e.g. The Candyskins
The Candyskins
The Candyskins are a rock band formed in 1989 in Oxfordshire, England. Though early members of the 'Oxford Scene', they enjoyed limited commercial success compared to their contemporaries Radiohead and Supergrass. They were considered by the British music press as one of the seminal early bands of...
, Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, Swervedriver
Swervedriver
Swervedriver are an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band went on hiatus in 1998 before reforming in 2008 for a world tour, which included a performance at the high-profile Coachella Festival...
), and many more that were not commercially successful.
Creation of the film was self-funded by Spira, but finishing the sound mix
Audio mixing (film and television)
Audio mixing for film and television is a process during the post-production stage of a moving image program by which a multitude of recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels...
and picture grade
Color grading
Color grading or colour painting, is the process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image either electronically, photo-chemically or digitally. The photo-chemical process is also referred to as color timing and is typically performed at a photographic...
to a professional standard needed additional funding, which Spira sought through the Indiegogo
Indiegogo
IndieGoGo is a crowd funding site founded by Slava Rubin, Danae Ringellmann and Eric Schell in 2008. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, California...
crowd funding
Crowd funding
Crowd funding describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations...
site. The initial target of $15,000 was reached before the campaign closing date, and the campaign was extended to $30,000 to raise funds for final music and film footage rights clearance.
Release
Previews were screened at the OX4 music festival in October 2010, as part of OxfamOxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
's OxJam
Oxjam
Oxjam is a charity music festival in the United Kingdom that raises money for Oxfam, whose mission is to fight poverty worldwide. Events are held in multiple cities across the United Kingdom, normally in the month of October...
musical fund-raising initiative, and at an industry screening in April 2011.
The film's ticket-only premiere – for an audience of 300 donors and participants in the film – was on September 20, 2011, at Oxford's Phoenix Picturehouse
Picturehouse Cinemas
Picturehouse Cinemas is a network of art house cinemas in the United Kingdom. it has 19 sites, all in England and Scotland.The first Picturehouse opened in Oxford in 1989, but many of its cinemas operated independently before being adopted by City Screen Ltd., the official trading name of the...
.
The BFI
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
screened the London premiere on October 31, 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.
The film's DVD release is set as the 31st of October 2011, supported by a tour of independent cinemas.