WE JAM ECONO:
THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN
Year: 2005
UK: ICA Projects
Cast: Richard Bonney, D Boon, Flea, Greg Ginn, Richard Hell, George Hurley, Ian MacKaye, Thurston Moore, Henry Rollins, Mike Watt
Director: Tim Irwin
Country: USA
UK: 90 mins
UK Release Date: 7 October 2005 (Limited Release - London, ICA)
UK Distributor
Synopsis
The brief career of seminal 80s punk band the Minutemen is celebrated in this documentary portrait, from the group's inception in the late 1970s to the tragedy that caused them to disband when at the height of their power.
Founder and bassist Mike Watt provides a new interview telling how he and guitarist D Boon became childhood friends and formed a band at the insistence of Boon's mother. The brand of punk that ultimately emerged was certainly not conventional, and the film doesn't shy from analysing what made the Minutemen's music so distinctive.
A rare band interview, fantastic performance footage and commentary from Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, Fugazi's Ian Mackaye and Wire's Colin Newman help to explain and illustrate the dynamism and drama of this singular band.