Ondi Timoner’s 2004 documentary, DIG!, should be required viewing for all aspiring rock bands. It presents a warts and all insight into the desperate struggles to achieve fame and recognition while clinging to some semblance of artistic integrity. There’s nothing particularly glamorous about this process; desperation and frustration are the most common themes.
The film follows the fledging careers of The Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM) & The Dandy Warhols over a seven-year period. Both bands are heavily influenced by druggy psychedelic rock of the 1960s and their respective career paths speak volumes about the current state of rock music and the record industry in general.
Courtney Taylor of The Dandy Warhols acts as the movie’s narrator and in the voiceover at the start of the film he says of BJM’s singer and songwriter: “Anton [Newcombe] is by far the craziest and most talented musician I have ever met …..he is my friend and my enemy; my greatest inspiration and,ultimately, my greatest regret”. Continue reading
