Decline Of The Western Civilization - Part 2 - The Metal Years
Part 2 of a three part trilogy by filmmaker Penelope Spheeris documents the decadent days of the hair band scene in Los Angeles around 1988. Sure that may sound like the musical equivalent of a root canal but this cult favorite is just too hard to pass up and must be seen if you haven't. It centers around concert footage and interviews with musicians and fans alongside various scenes showing the sleazy LA rock scene of the late 80's.
Its been bandied about in recent years amongst musical historians that this very film may well have played a role in the downfall of the hair band scene and for good reason. It holds nothing back and does a fantastic job exposing the shameless decadence and excess for which the scene was notorious. Some argue the over the top rock stars and brain dead fans shown along side sophomoric, almost comical performances and trashy club scenes made the whole thng look ridiculous in the eyes of the fans who flocked to see it. Keep in mind not everybody shown in this film looks like a complete moron and a few interviews and performances really shine through and provide a nice balance.
Anyway its a little slice of modern music history sitting online free for the viewing if you're interested and trust me its worth a viewing.