Awaydays
Encyclopedia
Awaydays is a 2009 British film directed by Pat Holden and stars Stephen Graham
. It is based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Sampson
, originally published eleven years previously in 1998.
The film follows Paul Carty, a 19 year-old in the aftermath of his mother's death who becomes part of The Pack - a legendary group of football hooligans who wear Peter Storm jackets, carry Stanley knives and follow Tranmere Rovers F.C.
) and father, at his mother's graveside. After his sister escorts her dad away from the grave, Carty, looking at his watch, starts to run off. Along his way he gets changed into casual clothing and carries on running until he catches a football special train.
Aboard the train, he meets the leader of the football firm, John Godden (Stephen Graham
), an ex-soldier who warns him he has no room for runners in his firm and he best stand his ground. When walking through the train, he meets Elvis (Liam Boyle
), and Carty reminisces about how they met in a series of flashbacks. We learnt that Carty has always been fascinated by The Pack, observing them at Tranmere games when they fight and trying to dress like them, at which point Baby Millan (Oliver Lee
), taunts Carty and threatens him but Elvis leads the other lads away and Carty stands his ground. Carty eventually meets Elvis at a club night and the pair realise they have many things in common from music taste to wanting out of Birkenhead. The pair fantasise about leaving for Berlin. Carty, over their next few meetings, begs Elvis to introduce him to The Pack but Elvis calls them a "gang of pricks" and says Carty does not want to be involved. Eventually, after Carty headbutts a rude sales assistant in a record shop to prove his fighting skills, Elvis gives in and tells him to meet him on the train at 12:00 on Saturday.
It fastforwards to on the train again, and The Pack are led by Godden to meet a rival firm. Once there, the two groups scrap and Carty is taken over by a thrill as he is embroiled in the fight. Carty returns home and we discover that his sister knows about his fascination with The Pack. The next day, Carty promises to take her shopping for her birthday in Chester. However, after an argument with Elvis when Elvis tells him he is making a "twat out of himself", Carty leaves work to find Elvis there. The pair go for a drink and forget about their argument, and Carty forgets completely about his sister. He promises he will take her out another time the day after, as his mind is firmly on the meet The Pack has when they travel to Wrexham that day. Once there, police attempt to form a barrier between the firms but Carty breaks through and cuts a Wrexham fan with his Stanley - much to the delight of Godden, who finally accepts him as one of The Pack. Everyone toasts Carty on the train home, except Baby Millan and Elvis who are far from happy about his new status. That night at The Pelican, the HQ and chosen pub of The Pack, Carty is "initiated" with a girl who he takes outside to have sex with. Once out there, Godden warns Baby Millan to not deal heroin to the members of the firm, warning The Pack cannot have any "smackheads". Baby replies "But its okay for Elvis to do it?", much to the puzzlement of Godden and the rest of the firm. Outside, Carty does not perform well with the girl, and the lads all rib him for this.
Carty and Elvis one night meet two women, Sonia (Rebecca Atkinson
) and Jackie on a bus and take them back to Elvis' bohemian-style flat, which has stars on the wall and a noose to remind him of the "certainty of death". Elvis' behaviour becomes erratic as he consumes heroin, and when Carty refuses, Elvis rejects Sonia's advances and plays the guitar instead. Carty, waking up, sees Sonia in the bathroom and the pair have sex. The next day, Elvis and Carty are on their way to another away day when the pair argue in front of Godden. Elvis, taunting Carty's choice of women, is obviously hurt when Carty taunts his performance in bed with the women in front of The Pack. Godden taunts Elvis for possibly being a homosexual. Carty tries to apologise to Elvis as the pair walk in front of The Pack, and Carty spots the opposition firm coming towards them. He yells at the firm and urges The Pack to join them - and Godden does, only briefly, before headbutting Carty and telling him he is the leader of The Pack. Carty's reign as a top boy in the firm is over and Elvis is back to his jovial self on the train home as Carty sulks in the corner.
Carty forgets about the Pack for a while and we see him telling his boss, Uncle Bob, that he will go back to college to do his A-Levels. He spends more time with his sister and he urges her to go out one night. In a taxi, Carty meets a pretty girl, Natasha (Sacha Parkinson
), whom he had previously met in a club. The pair are spending a romantic night in when Carty's sister enters, visibly shaken up. She has been roughed up by a gang of boys and Carty, attempting to sort them out, is beaten up by them too. He recruits the help of Elvis and The Pack (without Godden, who Elvis informs him, has been killed by Baby Millan after a disagreement in The Pelican). The Pack beat up the gang of lads who roughed up Carty's sister, and Carty finds Elvis crying on the waterfront. Carty thanks him and says he owes Elvis one, but Elvis replies Carty does not owe him anything, and tells Carty "He always loved you, Carty".
At Godden's funeral, Carty is sitting in the church after everyone leaves when Elvis enters and asks Carty if he will hear his confession. Carty, confused, agrees. Elvis is seen through the confession booth inhaling what appears to be heroin, and he tells Carty to come away with him to Berlin. Carty, currently enjoying a healthy relationship with his family, tells him he cannot yet. Elvis is upset by this, and tells him "He always loved you Carty", meaning himself. Elvis asks Carty for one more away day, before leaving.
At the final away day, Carty is stood on the station platform waiting for Elvis to meet him yet there is no sign of him. He catches the train just in time and as the train pulls away, Elvis is visible sat on top of a bridge overlooking the track, as the train crosses underneath it, the bridge is covered in smoke and once it clears, Elvis has gone, hinting at suicide. Carty is out of place in The Pack without Elvis and after a final meet with a local firm in which Carty does not get involved, he is cut with a knife by Baby Millan, who calls him a "ponce". Carty then turns away from The Pack and walks out of the street, saying "How long had I waited for this day? Out of here. Out of this."
) is pivotal to the film and comprises post-punk
and electronic music
, appropriate for the film's setting and atmosphere, especially focused on the music of Ultravox
and Joy Division
Track listing
Joy Division - 24 Hours
Stephen Graham (actor)
Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
. It is based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Sampson
Kevin Sampson (writer)
Kevin Sampson is a British novelist, best known for his novels Awaydays and Powder . Sampson is from the Wirral, England and was educated at Birkenhead School.-Career:...
, originally published eleven years previously in 1998.
The film follows Paul Carty, a 19 year-old in the aftermath of his mother's death who becomes part of The Pack - a legendary group of football hooligans who wear Peter Storm jackets, carry Stanley knives and follow Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
Plot
The film begins with Paul Carty, with his sister (Holliday GraingerHolliday Grainger
Clark Holliday Grainger is an English actress primarily active in television. Over the past couple of years, she has moved into films...
) and father, at his mother's graveside. After his sister escorts her dad away from the grave, Carty, looking at his watch, starts to run off. Along his way he gets changed into casual clothing and carries on running until he catches a football special train.
Aboard the train, he meets the leader of the football firm, John Godden (Stephen Graham
Stephen Graham (actor)
Stephen Graham is an English actor from Kirkby, Liverpool. He is best known for his roles as Tommy in the movie Snatch, Combo in This Is England and its four-part television sequel This Is England '86, Danny Ferguson in Occupation, Billy Bremner in The Damned United, notorious bank robber Baby...
), an ex-soldier who warns him he has no room for runners in his firm and he best stand his ground. When walking through the train, he meets Elvis (Liam Boyle
Liam Boyle
Liam Boyle is a hurler who playes with Ballyduff and Kerry. His family are a famous Hurling and Football family in North Kerry and he has played both Football and Hurling with Kerry.Club CareerHurling...
), and Carty reminisces about how they met in a series of flashbacks. We learnt that Carty has always been fascinated by The Pack, observing them at Tranmere games when they fight and trying to dress like them, at which point Baby Millan (Oliver Lee
Oliver Lee (actor)
Oliver Lee is a British actor first known for his role as gay teenager Josh Jones in the television series Hollyoaks: In the City...
), taunts Carty and threatens him but Elvis leads the other lads away and Carty stands his ground. Carty eventually meets Elvis at a club night and the pair realise they have many things in common from music taste to wanting out of Birkenhead. The pair fantasise about leaving for Berlin. Carty, over their next few meetings, begs Elvis to introduce him to The Pack but Elvis calls them a "gang of pricks" and says Carty does not want to be involved. Eventually, after Carty headbutts a rude sales assistant in a record shop to prove his fighting skills, Elvis gives in and tells him to meet him on the train at 12:00 on Saturday.
It fastforwards to on the train again, and The Pack are led by Godden to meet a rival firm. Once there, the two groups scrap and Carty is taken over by a thrill as he is embroiled in the fight. Carty returns home and we discover that his sister knows about his fascination with The Pack. The next day, Carty promises to take her shopping for her birthday in Chester. However, after an argument with Elvis when Elvis tells him he is making a "twat out of himself", Carty leaves work to find Elvis there. The pair go for a drink and forget about their argument, and Carty forgets completely about his sister. He promises he will take her out another time the day after, as his mind is firmly on the meet The Pack has when they travel to Wrexham that day. Once there, police attempt to form a barrier between the firms but Carty breaks through and cuts a Wrexham fan with his Stanley - much to the delight of Godden, who finally accepts him as one of The Pack. Everyone toasts Carty on the train home, except Baby Millan and Elvis who are far from happy about his new status. That night at The Pelican, the HQ and chosen pub of The Pack, Carty is "initiated" with a girl who he takes outside to have sex with. Once out there, Godden warns Baby Millan to not deal heroin to the members of the firm, warning The Pack cannot have any "smackheads". Baby replies "But its okay for Elvis to do it?", much to the puzzlement of Godden and the rest of the firm. Outside, Carty does not perform well with the girl, and the lads all rib him for this.
Carty and Elvis one night meet two women, Sonia (Rebecca Atkinson
Rebecca Atkinson
Rebecca Atkinson is an English actress and model. She is best known for playing Jamie Maguire's wife, Karen Maguire in Channel 4's Shameless, and she has been in the show since the inception...
) and Jackie on a bus and take them back to Elvis' bohemian-style flat, which has stars on the wall and a noose to remind him of the "certainty of death". Elvis' behaviour becomes erratic as he consumes heroin, and when Carty refuses, Elvis rejects Sonia's advances and plays the guitar instead. Carty, waking up, sees Sonia in the bathroom and the pair have sex. The next day, Elvis and Carty are on their way to another away day when the pair argue in front of Godden. Elvis, taunting Carty's choice of women, is obviously hurt when Carty taunts his performance in bed with the women in front of The Pack. Godden taunts Elvis for possibly being a homosexual. Carty tries to apologise to Elvis as the pair walk in front of The Pack, and Carty spots the opposition firm coming towards them. He yells at the firm and urges The Pack to join them - and Godden does, only briefly, before headbutting Carty and telling him he is the leader of The Pack. Carty's reign as a top boy in the firm is over and Elvis is back to his jovial self on the train home as Carty sulks in the corner.
Carty forgets about the Pack for a while and we see him telling his boss, Uncle Bob, that he will go back to college to do his A-Levels. He spends more time with his sister and he urges her to go out one night. In a taxi, Carty meets a pretty girl, Natasha (Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Louise Parkinson is a British actress best known for playing Sian Powers in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street from January 2009 onwards. Her character will leave the show in January 2012.-Career:...
), whom he had previously met in a club. The pair are spending a romantic night in when Carty's sister enters, visibly shaken up. She has been roughed up by a gang of boys and Carty, attempting to sort them out, is beaten up by them too. He recruits the help of Elvis and The Pack (without Godden, who Elvis informs him, has been killed by Baby Millan after a disagreement in The Pelican). The Pack beat up the gang of lads who roughed up Carty's sister, and Carty finds Elvis crying on the waterfront. Carty thanks him and says he owes Elvis one, but Elvis replies Carty does not owe him anything, and tells Carty "He always loved you, Carty".
At Godden's funeral, Carty is sitting in the church after everyone leaves when Elvis enters and asks Carty if he will hear his confession. Carty, confused, agrees. Elvis is seen through the confession booth inhaling what appears to be heroin, and he tells Carty to come away with him to Berlin. Carty, currently enjoying a healthy relationship with his family, tells him he cannot yet. Elvis is upset by this, and tells him "He always loved you Carty", meaning himself. Elvis asks Carty for one more away day, before leaving.
At the final away day, Carty is stood on the station platform waiting for Elvis to meet him yet there is no sign of him. He catches the train just in time and as the train pulls away, Elvis is visible sat on top of a bridge overlooking the track, as the train crosses underneath it, the bridge is covered in smoke and once it clears, Elvis has gone, hinting at suicide. Carty is out of place in The Pack without Elvis and after a final meet with a local firm in which Carty does not get involved, he is cut with a knife by Baby Millan, who calls him a "ponce". Carty then turns away from The Pack and walks out of the street, saying "How long had I waited for this day? Out of here. Out of this."
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of Awaydays (released by the Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
) is pivotal to the film and comprises post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, appropriate for the film's setting and atmosphere, especially focused on the music of Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
and Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
Track listing
- UltravoxUltravoxUltravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
- Young SavageYoung Savage"Young Savage" is the second single of the experimental New Wave band Ultravox!. It was released as a single by Island Records on May 28, 1977, during a time of experimentation to define a new sound for the band, in advance of their second album....
(2:58) - Carty And Elvis in Eric's (0:21)
- The RascalsThe Rascals (English band)The Rascals were an indie rock band from the Hoylake, England. Consisting of Joe Edwards and Greg Mighall .Both members were previous members of now-defunct indie band The Little Flames....
- All That Jazz (2:57) - Cabaret VoltaireCabaret Voltaire (band)Cabaret Voltaire were a British music group from Sheffield, England.Initially composed of Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, the group was named after the Cabaret Voltaire, a nightclub in Zürich, Switzerland that was a centre for the early Dada movement.Their earliest performances...
- Nag Nag NagNag Nag NagNag Nag Nag was an influential former London club night at the late Simon Hobart's Ghetto nightclub for six years, founded by veteran DJ, promoter and musician Jonny Slut. It is commonly associated with the ambisexual post-electroclash scene. The Independent described the night as a "legendary...
(4:38) - “Sunrise” (0:49)
- “Liverpool 1979” (1:11)
- MagazineMagazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
- The Light Pours Out of Me (4:35) - “When We Go To Berlin” (0:58)
- UltravoxUltravoxUltravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
- Slow Motion (3:27) - “Wool Stomp” (1:17)
- The CureThe CureThe Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
- 10:15, Saturday Night (Home Demo) (4:35) - Joy DivisionJoy DivisionJoy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
- InsightUnknown PleasuresUnknown Pleasures is the debut album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released in 1979 through Factory Records. Martin Hannett produced the record at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, England. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the...
(4:23) - “Come And See The Stars” (0:39)
- “Elvis's Dub” (2:36)
- “Carty Deflated” (1:48)
- “Carty's Revenge” (1:07)
- Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
- Going UpCrocodiles (album)Crocodiles is the debut album by the British post-punk band Echo & the Bunnymen. It was released on 18 July 1980 in the United Kingdom and on 17 December 1980 in the United States. The album reached number 17 on the UK Albums Chart...
(4:01) - Carty's Last Awayday (1:27)
- UltravoxUltravoxUltravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
- Just For a MomentSystems of RomanceSystems of Romance, released on 8 September 1978, is the third album by British band Ultravox...
(3:12) - The Mekons - Where Were You? (2:42)
- The JamThe JamThe Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
- When You're YoungWhen You're Young"When You're Young" was released as a one-off single by The Jam. Released on 25 August 1979, it charted at number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. The B-side, "Smithers-Jones", is widely considered to be Jam bassist Bruce Foxton's finest song-writing moment and also appears - with an orchestral...
(3:12) - Elvis CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
- Night RallyThis Year's ModelThis Year's Model is Elvis Costello's second album and his first with The Attractions, released in 1978 . It was recorded mainly at Eden Studios in West London....
(2:44) - Dalek I - The World (2:28)
- The Teardrop ExplodesThe Teardrop ExplodesThe Teardrop Explodes were an English post-punk/neo-psychedelic band formed in Liverpool in 1978. Best known for their Top Ten UK single "Reward" the group originated as a key band in the emerging Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 1970s, the group also launched the career of group frontman...
- Sleeping Gas (Zoo Version) (4:39) - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the DarkOrchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
- ElectricityElectricity (OMD song)"Electricity" is the debut single of the New Wave and synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It is notable for having been recorded numerous times. The earliest versions are live recordings by Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys' previous group The Id. The song is one of the OMD's most...
(3:34) - The Human LeagueThe Human LeagueThe Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
- Being BoiledBeing Boiled"Being Boiled" is a song composed by Sheffield musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, and recorded by them as The Human League...
(3:51) - WireWireA wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
- I Am the FlyChairs MissingChairs Missing is the second album by the British rock band Wire. It was released in 1978.Although it shares a punk-derived "outsider" voice with the band's debut, Pink Flag, it features more developed song structure and a broader palette of emotional and intellectual subject matter...
(3:08) - Gang Of FourGang of Four (band)Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
- Damaged Goods (3:29)
Joy Division - 24 Hours