A bit of New Year fun for you … Looking at a favourite music list from a couple of years ago, I noted the jazz club scene from the film ‘Collateral’, and how much I enjoyed such scenes in films. So Chris Jones and I have been playing a little game, augmenting our fading memories with the magnificent YouTube, in order to create a list of the classic band performances in films.
The completely arbitrary rules are these: it mustn’t be a musical like ‘An American In Paris’, or music-orientated like ‘Round Midnight’ or ‘Downtown 81’, or about a band, like ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ (which sadly rules out this classic Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band clip. Take a look anyway). Many early films are counted out as they would often feature a number as part of the show, functioning more of as entertaining interlude than plot device. Obviously, we’re not talking backing music á là Scorcese’s ‘Mean Streets’, either.
No, the examples we’re looking for are those where a band performance is used as a signifier or symbol. They’re not a character as such, more an atmospheric effect into which characters are thrust. Not part of the plot, but part of the scenery, almost. So there’s a golden era for these, from the late 1950s, when jazz and then psychedelic bands would be used to indicate when a character was about to dally in something a bit shady, up to the mid-1980s, when bands stopped being, well, bands. In a meaningful sense for the movies, like.
They don’t have to be real bands, though bonus points if they are.
Last rule is that the sequence has to exist on YouTube. That’s just for practicality’s sake. I just hope the following stay up long enough.
So here’s our top twelve sequences of bands in films, in no particular order. There must be many more out there, so use the comments to suggest other contenders. In the meantime, enjoy! (Tip: If you’re finding the videos a bit jerky, as I’ve embedded quite a few here, click the YouTube logo on the video itself and watch it there.)
San Francisco dinner jazz in ‘Bullitt’
The scene that got me started. I’ve seen Bullitt so many times and this is as emblematic a scene as the famous car chase. Steve McQueen manages to look both super-cool and out-of-place simultaneously, eyeing up the beautiful Jacqueline Bisset, as a boho ‘Frisco jazz band get busy amidst the diners. It’s fantastic. No idea who they are. All we know is that the guitarist is Mike Deasy. He was also in ‘Dirty Harry’ you know. Correction! See comment below.
Jazz club scene in ‘Collateral’
Jumping forward, this scene is related to ‘Bullitt’ perhaps, yet this is a sharper brew – a version of Miles Davis’ ‘Spanish Key’. Michael Mann’s use of music is exemplary, although he rarely places it in the foreground like this. The club shootout scene (here re-edited with just track, no dialogue) later – soundtracked to Paul Oakenfold – is more contemporary Mann. But this is beautifully put together.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in ‘Wings of Desire’
Fantastic couple of performances. A classic example of mood-setting, Aussie wasters conveying Berliner decadence as angels wander invisibly on stage. Lovely. See also Crime and the City Solution’s ‘Six Bells Chime’ in the same film.
Cliff Richard ‘Junior’ in ‘Thunderbirds’
Oh yes, this qualifies. Just in case you thought this was all getting a bit dour. Cliff and The Shadows in puppet form, guitar-shaped rockets and all.
The Pretty Things and Norman Wisdom in ‘What’s Good For The Goose’
Yes, you read that right. Norman Wisdom plays a hippy in this 1969 British film, and goes to see a band called The Electric Banana. They’re played by The Pretty Things. Norm seems to be getting into it. As Chris said: “Far out Mr. Grimsdale” etc. There’s another clip here, dubbed in German and featuring swings, for added surrealism. (Norman Wisdom link for overseas readers.)
Graham Bond Organisation in ‘Gonks Go Beat’
To complete this triumvirate of unbelievably dated British movies, here’s a groovy classic featuring Carry On player Kenneth Connor encountering The Graham Bond Organisation, in some kind of future ‘beat club’. Absolutely hilarious. And a fantastic track. The dancing is particularly enticing. Features the young Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and John McLaughlin before their subsequent stellar careers. Oh, and Kenneth Connor. Dig?
Warhol party scene from ‘Midnight Cowboy’
OK, the band aren’t actually visible in this, but it’s clearly a Warhol Factory affair, so we can assume that John Cale arguing with LaMonte Young about tape loops somewhere while Nico and Lou Reed check out the girls. And boys. Actually, according to the comments, the track is ‘Old Man’s Willow’ by Elephant’s Memory. It’s a great example of rock being used to denote seediness.
Moby Grape from ‘Sweet Ride’
You have to fast-forward this one to about 5′ 28” in. (Although you’d be advised to just let it play through, as Moby Grape were rather good.) Anyway, when you get there, you’ll see a scene from ‘Sweet Ride’ (1968), showing a freak-out in full effect. Note how ‘engaged’ the San Francisco crowd are compared to the London scene in ‘Blow Up’ (below). Check the drummer in a pith helmet. See if you can spot Lee Hazlewood and Peter Fonda too. “Phew it sure is wild out there …”
Chico Hamilton Quintet in ‘Sweet Smell of Success’
Noir often used jazz as one of its key signifiers. Frankly, could’ve used many similar clips here. I discounted Frank Sinatra as Frankie Machine in Preminger’s superb ‘Man With The Golden Arm’ due to it being too obviously about music. This strikes a better balance of scene-setting for the principal characters. Features Chico Hamilton. And it’s a great film.
Jazz band creates havoc in Tati’s ‘Playtime’
Tati himself helps with the destruction of the impossibly ill-conceived modern restaurant in ‘Playtlme’ yet the super ‘ip jazz band help things along by filling the dancefloor and playing at one hundred miles an hour. And keep going while everything falls apart around them and new social groupings emerge. Fabulous.
Bauhaus in ‘The Hunger’
Sadly I can’t embed this one, so you’ll have to follow this link to see Bauhaus performing ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ at the start of ‘The Hunger’. Deneuve, Sarandon, Pete Murphy. Hmm doesn’t quite follow does it. Anyway, this one just sneaks in, despite being a little bit promo/title sequence.
The Yardbirds in ‘Blow Up’
Perhaps the quintessential ‘band in film’ scene features The Yardbirds – Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck an’ all – in Antonioni’s ‘Blow Up’. Love the way that Beck so carefully wrecks his amplifier. It’s all so studied. As are the crowd. Look how utterly London they are. Motionless, too-cool. Compare again to the Moby Grape crowd earler! Save for a couple of groovers at the back, they’re barely there. At least they wake up a bit when Beck chucks what’s left of his guitar into the crowd. This was shot in the 100 Club on Oxford Street, which is still there, although Oxford Street looks a bit different now.
There’s a couple of acapella clips I’ve always enjoyed.
In It’s a Wonderful Life, on Jimmy Stewart’s wedding night, when the Cop and the Taxi Driver sing to Stewart and Donna Reed after they’ve given all their money away in the run at the bank.
And in GBH, when Andrew Schofield and Tom Georgeson sing Jimmy Brown (it’s not called that, but I can’t seem to come up with the name of it) to Gareth Tudor-Price.
Both songs are kind of unneccesary, but all the more beautiful for that.
Couldn’t find either clip on Youtube, but I did come across this trailer for Hitchcock’s version of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’:
Worth noting that Stereogum and The Guardian subsequently picked up the baton, with results varying from the inspired contribution to, well, ignoring the rules.
Two bands from the great movie “Ghost World.”
Ted Lyons and his Cubs, the Indian rock band that wore bandit masks. Blues Hammer in the club scene.
Fire Inc. performing Tonight is what it’s mean to be young in Streets of Fire.
How about Tenacious D in Bio-Dome?
What about The Clash in “The King of Comedy”?
How about Pearl Jam in “Singles?”
I didn´t find any clip on youtube and only Flea is credited hera at IMDb, but how about Red Hot Chili Peppers in the lovely classic Thrashin´ performing the wonderful “Black Eyed Blonde”?
The Ramones in rock and roll high school….
The Donnas (as the Electrocutes) in “Drive Me Crazy”
How could you forget “The Offspring” in idle hands??
How about Sade in “Absolute Beginners”
The band in Rififi? Don’t know the name.
Oh, yeah: The Beau Brummels in “Town of the Giants” with Beau Bridges and Tommy Kirk.
The Vandals (seminal CA punk band) playing live in an NYC club in cowboy gear, singing the classic “Urban Struggle” in the Penelope Spheeris’ film ‘Dudes’ starring Jon Cryer, Flea and Lee Ving, from another seminal LA band, FEAR.
Don’t forget the best musical movie sequence ever – Tito & Tarantula in From Dusk Till Dawn. They sing After Dark while Salma Hayek dances half naked with a huge snake. Genius, pure genuis!!!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFHau6mTVAc&w=425&h=350%5D
Honorable mention goes to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in Swingers.
Siouxsie and the Banshees in “Out of Bounds” with Anthony Michael Hall and The Raveups in “Pretty in Pink” (I like the aforementioned “Repo Man” and “Valley Girl” references, too)
I can’t believe you didn’t list the scene from The Crow where My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult is playing on stage in the bar. It seems to realy set the mood for what transpires upstairs.
The L.E.S. Stitches had a good performance scene in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam(S.O.S.). Or the eight bucks experiment playing the band E.C.P. (extreme corporal punishment) in S.L.C. punk. I dont think anyone mentioned George Clinton in P.C.U.. I think I just cornered the market on bands or movies using three letter acronyms. Lets see If anyone can beat that.
Vanilla Ice in TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze.
Tenacious D in Biodome!
What about GWAR in Mystery Date? Ethan Hawke and Teri Polo in a Tiki bar with GWAR kickin’ it out.
A lot people mentioned the Yardbirds, but what about Jeff Beck playing at the Santa Fe (N.M.) bar in Twins just before Arnold opens a can of whup-ass on the clueless bad guys. Does Dianne Reeves performance interludes in Good Night and Good Luck qualify? Hoagy Charmichael in Best Years of Our Lives and to Have and Have Not. Dueling Banjos in Deliverance.
What about the AFGHAN WHIGS performing in the bar scene in Ted Demme’s BEAUTIFUL GIRLS???
Amazing cover of Barry White’s CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE
CANNIBAL CORPSE in Ace Ventura!
WHITE LION in The Money Pit!
STEVE VAI in Crossroads!
How about a couple of film-noir appearances: Aaron Neville in “Mulholland Falls” and Kitty White & Nat King Cole in “Kiss Me Deadly”
Chuck Berry in Wim Wenders “Alice of the Cities” !!!!
couldn’t find it on youtube tho…
Cannibal Corpse in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective! Come on now! You gotta have that in there!
Another Awesome band: Powermad in Wild at Heart.
Herbie and The Heartbeats (Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids) in “American Graffiti”. Way cool.
“Get Crazy” & “Ladies & Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains”
Checkout the music in those movies…if you can find them, classic stuff.
Also – The Busboys doing “Boys are back in town” in 48Hrs.
You forgot Vanilla Ice in the Ninja turtle number one, That’s that shit right there. Clear cut number one. Ninja Ninja rap
wheres The Misfits appearance in George Romero’s Bruiser? how bout when Doyle threw the donut at the cop in that lame icp flick?
Burt Bacharach in Austin Powers (not sure which one)
“Morris Day and the (motherfuckin’) Time!” in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.
A couple of the ones that I was thinking about have already been mentioned in the comments. So, here’s one that hasn’t been mentioned: L7 performing as the Camel Lips in “Serial Mom.”
everclear in the loser
how about Alice Cooper or Aerosmith in the Wayne’s World movies????
how about the scene with Antonio Banderas in the beginning of Desperado? Does that count, or not since it (I assume) was not actually him playing?
The Blasters…in “Streets Of Fire” (1984). Two songs, no less.
And glad to see commenters giving a shout to the Danny Elfman/Oingo Boingo appearance in ‘Back To School’ and Circle Jerks in Repo Man.
As for the Red Hot Chili Peppers…I got that beat.
They had an earlier appearance in the skateboard flick “Thrashin”. They played the hit Fight Like A Brave.
The Lovin’ Spoonful in What’s Up Tiger Lilly??? anyone? anyone?
E.U. in “School Daze” playing “Da Butt” at the swimsuit dance. Also, my sister’s band Dance Yourself To Death plays the prom scene in the new lame “A Boy Girl Thing” that’s out in England. Check them out.
When I read the title of the article, I thought if these guys don’t have Blow-Up they are clueless… And I’m happy to see not only is Blow-Up in, but it’s the #1 to boot.
Good job.
The Zombies in “Bunny Lake is Missing”.
Pearl Jam in Singles!!!! = )
I was also going to say the ‘Circle Jerks’ in Repo man, but since others already mentioned that, I’ll go with Huey Lewis in Back to the Future, and Tina Turner in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome!!!
Does Matt Damon lip-synching “Scotty Doesn’t Know” in EuroTrip count for anything? I like the way they reprise it later as a techno remix…but Damon fakin’ it as a punker fronting for Lustra was worth the trip.
PRIMUS playing ‘Tommy The Cat’ at the battle of the bands in BILL AND TEDS BOGUS JOURNEY
…Suprised noone mentioned that one yet. Also METHOD MAN reciting ‘BRING DA PAIN’ while he leads Damon Wayans’ character to the boxing ring in THE GREAT WHITE HYPE. I love his cheekiness.
Very suprised SNOOP DOGG in OLD SCHOOL hasn’t been mentioned yet, either.
How about BLUES TRAVELLER in the comedy KINPIN, dressed as Amish performing at the end of the film.
Matt Damon’s (anonymous?) band doing Suzie Q in Gus Van Sant’s TO DIE FOR? Damon in drums.
The Offspring in Idle Hands.
What about Buddy Rich in Jerry Lewis’s
visit to a small planet