Sundance London returns with a keen momentum to the O2 Arena from the 25th to the 28th of April and this year the festival’s twin strands of music and film are even more intertwined with some must-see headline events.
Below we’ve picked three of the events we’ll be looking out for in our coverage and we’ll be in attendance bringing you reviews of the festival’s films and events. If the events spark your interest we’ve included further information and booking details for each of our selection and for the list of features playing in this year’s festival get busy clicking here.
Our interview with John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival can be found here and you can see all of our coverage for Sundance here, and, importantly, here’s the link to book tickets and join in the fun.
Gregg Allman, John Paul White and the UK Premiere of Muscle Shoals
Synopsis: Down in Alabama Rick Hall founded FAME Studios and gave birth to the Muscle Shoals sound. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Gregg Allman, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono and others bear witness to the greatest untold American music story.
Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier’s documentary on the legendary music studio is one of the highlights of that particular strand this year and in celebrating both aspects of Sundance London it seems an obvious choice to highlight here.
Looking at the history of the studio, and Rick Hall’s tireless work, the film becomes a portrait of a country in the throes of great change. The music created at the studio was born of the unstable melting pot and helped to define a generation. Featuring contributions from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Gregg Allman, the lat Etta James, Alicia Keys and Bono the spirit and the sound of Muscle Shoals should provide fertile ground for a fine film.
SPECIAL EVENT: A Celebration of Muscle Shoals with Gregg Allman and John Paul White of The Civil Wars
And for one night Greg Allman, one of the founders of legendary band the Allman Brothers, and John Paul White of the Civil Wars will be performing following one of the screenings. This is what Sundance London does best, immersing you in a unique night of film and music. For more info click here.
For more information, showing dates and times, and to book tickets for this film click here.
British Sea Power performing the Soundtrack to From The Sea To The Land Beyond
Synopsis: A fascinating and moving film by award-winning director Penny Woolcock, paints a lyrical portrait of Britain’s coastline, created through an exquisite combination of evocative archive footage drawn from the BFI National Archive and stirring music
Having an artist performing a live soundtrack at a screening of a film is usually the preserve of the silent era, but Sundance London is offering up the chance to see a spectacular one off show as the Brighton rockers come to the O2 on the 28th of April.
In place of the usual narration the score links Woolcock’s epic depiction of the changing face of our coastline over the past one hundred years. The band are playing a series of gigs in April to promote their fifth album, Machineries of Joy, and the Sundance stop allows fans to see another live score, similar to the acclaimed soundtrack to the 1934 Michael Balcon produced Man of Aran.
The chance to see the powerful visual feast accompanied by the soaring soundtrack should make for a defining Sundance London moment, as usual you can find everything you need to know right here.
Peaches Will Do Herself Live on Stage at the UK Premiere of her Directorial Debut
Synopsis: On the advice of an old stripper, Peaches makes sexually forthright music. This electro rock opera follows Peaches’ rise in popularity and her love affair with a beautiful Shemale that ultimately leads her to realize who she really is.
An electro rock opera which challenges sexual prejudices on a quest for identity should shake up the O2 good and proper when the musician and filmmaker arrive on Friday the 26th of April. The outlandish and uncompromising theatricality of the film provides the perfect backdrop to tell a unique story, whose roots are autobiographical, from an artist at the height of their creative power.
The energy Peaches brings to the screen was evident in the glowing reviews from Toronto last year and in keeping with the edict of producing powerful and forceful music bringing the live show to Sundance London should make for quite a night.
If you have no idea what you’re in for then check out the NSFW trailer below, and click here for further details and booking info.
