Reviewed: Slade in Flame

It has been called the Citizen Kane of Rock and Roll movies, although, 5o years ago, when it was first released, it was received in a far less reverential way. Now, it has been re-released, and, on Wednesday I went to see what Slade in Flame was all about. I have to say, I absolutely loved it. It is not a cheery pop movie in the vein of ‘A Hard Day’s Night‘ or ‘The Young Ones’, instead, you get a dirty, gritty 1970’s film  that has far more in common with the brilliant David Essex film ‘Stardust’. This is about how the music industry can pick up and then spit out young talent, without a second thought for the people behind the band.

Flame is the name of the band formed when two different local groups merge. Original lead singer Jack Daniels ( a brilliantly seedy Alan Lake) is discarded after ripping off his backing group once too many times and Stoker, played in his inimitable manner by Noddy Holder, becomes the lead singer of the new band. This is Slade, but none of the characters have their own names. Instead we have the musical brains behind the band Paul (Jim Lea), a family man with dreams of making it big, much to the chagrin of his quiet wife Julie. We have Charlie (Don Powell), a drummer who owes money for his drum kit and lives for his music, and the rogueish Barry, a cheeky chappie with an eye for the ladies. The characters are very similar to the real life Slade and the acting is actually fine, naturalistic, often funny, but there is also pathos  in some of the scenes, as the band realise that fame isn’t all its cracked up to be.

What makes Slade in Flame different to other rock and roll films is that, at times, it has a genuinely nasty feel. This is something that does reflect the music business, but is often glossed over in the earlier films of The Dave Clark Five, The Beatles and Cliff and the Shadows. Flame’s first manager Ron Harding (Johnny Shannon),  is clearly a London Gangster, not adverse to threats of violence that he is more than happy to carry out, when he decides he wants a piece of the Flame action. Robert Seymour, played by Tom Conti, is equally odious, but in a far more gentlemanly way. He’s happy to pick Flame up and make them famous, but will drop them without a second thought when Harding ramps up his threats.

This is a film made to be watched on the big screen, and is definitely worthy of its now legendary status. Catch it in cinemas while you can.

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