Column: A Visual Revolution

I can’t deny that over the last few weeks a welcome revision break of mine has previously been to fill the time meant for learning of Churchill’s cabinet for war and the spate of unemployment throughout the interwar period, to instead indulge in some of the finest offerings the BBC’s archive has had to offer in the way of Top of the Pops classics. Great pleasure was taken from watching a surprisingly fresh-faced Bowie, as well as Robert Smith’s eternal battle with his inordinate amount of hair. There was also the treat of the quite brilliant gyrations of a certain solo male dancer to accompany the funk-ridden grooves of 70s disco favourite, Shirley Lites.

Fast-forward twenty years and it’s a very different world. Last Friday saw the release of The Chemical Brothers’ debut film Don’t Think. Taken from a concert with what’s considered to be one of the band’s most receptive audiences, the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, the 85-minute theatrical roller coaster documents the true experience of the band’s live performance. Brought to us in high definition and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound (I realise that doesn’t really mean very much to almost all of us, apart from the fact that it’s fucking loud), the truly terrifying nature of the band’s notorious clown insignia is brought to a harrowing reality, that even the most sinister of horror films would find it hard to convey.

Yes, this production may just be seen as a self-indulgent, glorified gig. Nevertheless, whilst other Mancunian acts from their time are dredging through the past to gain one final payout off the back of a comeback tour, The Chemical Brothers are still pioneers within their field. Long gone are the days of one slick-hipped young gentleman being the accompaniment to dance music; the industry is moving at a rapid rate and on this evidence, it’s only going to get better.

Full trailer for Don’t Think