THREE REASONS TO BE EXCITED ABOUT
“ANYONE CAN PLAY GUITAR”


1 – WE ARE LIVING IN A GLORY AGE OF MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Music documentaries can easily escape the criticisms sometimes thrown at documentary film in that they are usually joyously fun to watch, without ever being void of intelligence – Stewart Lee’s narration on “Anyone can Play Guitar” promises to provide some well-informed wit. The success of the excellent Creation records documentary Upside Down seems to have laid the foundations for this kind of well-made entertaining film, usually crafted by independent film makers but also not shied away from by major directors – witness, for example, Martin Scorsese’s “Living In The Material World” (on George Harrison) and “Shine A Light” (on the Rolling Stones.) John Spira’s direction on “Anyone Can Play Guitar” will be as well-informed and interesting as previously well- directed documentaries from filmmakers of all levels.

2 – SUCH DOCUMENTARIES ARE OFTEN TO BE FOUND IN EXCELLENT CINEMAS
Documentary film, with a few exceptions, often never reaches the soulless multiplex, something particularly true of music documentaries. My local screening of “Anyone Can Play Guitar” will be a Nottinghams Broadway cinema, a truly wonderful intimate venue. For the past seven years, the Broadway has been the only cinema I have been to – warm, friendly and comfortable, with a terrific bar- if anybody spots me at the premier, feel free to buy me a Sailor Jerrys.

3- ITS GIVING EXPOSURE TO AN UNDERRATED SCENE
“Anyone Can Play Guitar” has been selling itself by talking about how nobody acknowledges Oxford as musical scene, but it undeniably has one. Ride, Supergrass and of course, Radiohead…we have all heard of these bands, why do we not give any thought to the City that produced them, in the same way we would if they were from, say, Manchester?The truth is, like its neighbour Cambridge, there is clearly an exciting scene embedded within Oxford. Radiohead in particular have provided some of this generations most important music. Somewhat surprisingly, there has not been any documentary films made about them throughout their career. “Anyone Can Play Guitar” (which draw its title from a Radiohead song) is this and more, focusing on not only Radiohead (referred to as “the R word!”) but the wider scene around them. It is also neglected as a scene due to an apparent lack of unity, but I feel this may not be the case – look at how Radiohead were prepared to delay having John Leckie produce their second album The Bends in order for him to go and do some “emergency production” on fellow Oxford band Ride?


This city clearly has a musical story to tell. “Anyone Can Play Guitar” should be the film to do it.

Amy Britton

Catch the film here
15th Oxford Phoenix Picturehouse
17th Sheffield Showroom Workstation
18th Nottingham Broadway
22nd Preston Continental
25th Leeds Hyde Park Picture House
26th Bristol Watershed
29th Edinburgh Cameo
1st Dec London Prince Charles Cinema

Buy the DVD here