A Gala Screening and World Premiere was on the cards at the recently refurbished Leicester Square last week, as the 56th BFI London Film Festival played host to a documentary feature focusing on the birth and meteoric rise of one of the UK’s most iconic and celebrated rock bands – a group who have truly earned ‘legendary’ status.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, and to mark this occasion, documentary Crossfire Hurricane (a line lifted from their 1968 hit, Jumping Jack Flash) has been made. With footage culled from endless hours of incredible archive material, this patchwork-like trawl through the first two decades of the Stones was very much a product generated by members of the band themselves, with frontman extraordinaire Mick Jagger on producing duties and retired member Bill Wyman credited as archivist.
The two were joined on stage with the rest of the troupe and director Brett Morgen to introduce the film. Jagger made a humorous forewarning and tongue-in-cheek apology for the some of the outlandish attire the audience were about to witness, and his promise of an evening of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll (all within the confines of the cinema screen, of course) was pretty much delivered.
Celebs enjoying the hedonism on screen included a dapper-looking Colin Firth (whose own Gala screening, The King’s Speech, made a huge splash here two years back) and such contemporary rock luminaries as Liam Gallagher and the boys from Kasabian.
The after party was held down the road at Quaglinos, with Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards making a brief appearance. Presumably their early exit (and Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts’ absence) was down to the group conserving all their energy for the upcoming O2 dates in November. After half a century in the music biz, The Rolling Stones show no signs of calling it a day just yet, and Crossfire Hurricane is a timely reminder of their enduring legacy.
Crossfire Hurricane will go on general release in November. The LFF comes to a close on October 21.
American Express is the headline sponsor of the 56th BFI London Film Festival, one of the handpicked events that make up the 2012 American Express Preferred Seating programme. For more information visit amex.co.uk/potential
