At the Branchage film festival a while back, The Quietus was fortunate enough to catch an excellent documentary called The Beat is the Law: Fanfare for the Common People about the Sheffield music scene, by the good folk who brought us Made in Sheffield. The film centres on the rise of Pulp from regional obscurity to their pivotal headlining set at Glastonbury in 1995.
As with the previous film about the birth of electronic pop, Beat… places the music in the social context of 80s dole culture and Thatcherite politics and features key interviews with Pulp and their fellow travellers including Richard Hawley, members of Clock DVA and founders of Warp records. It also features never before seen concert footage of Jarvis and co in their prime.
The film will be receiving its (mainland) UK premier tonight at the Leeds Film Festival where there will be a Q+A with Pulp’s Candida Doyle and director Eve Wood. If you’re not in striking distance of Leeds you can also buy the DVD here which includes extended bonus interviews, full Pulp concert footage and a part II of the documentary, totalling 4 hours.
Stay tuned for more on the film in the coming weeks.
