Review
DIG!
Directed by Ondi Timoner
Palm Pictures, 2004
If a sociopath makes an album but nobody hears it, does anyone really care? So is the story of Anton Newcombe and his band The Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM). Or is it better to sell out and be heard, as is the case of The Dandy Warhols?
Dig!, the acclaimed rock documentary from director Ondi Timoner, records seven years (1996 to 2002) in the life of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. Narrated by Dandy’s singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor the film explores the complicated relationship and bitter rivalry between the two bands.
Newcombe is the troubled singer and cultish leader of BJM. He fancies himself a musical prophet and the only thing bigger than his ego is his addiction to heroin. Newcombe is the focal point of the film and repeatedly builds himself up only to break down. His paternal and often condescending relationship towards The Dandy Warhols – a band he claims to have discovered – eventually sours due to his erratic and sometimes dangerous behaviour.
Much to Newcombe’s dismay, The Dandy Warhols get signed to Capitol Records, where they’re swept up in corporate-rock hell, making expensive videos and unsuccessful radio singles. It’s obvious that this is not the musical revolution Newcombe had envisioned.
The Dandy Warhols then become tourists in Newcombe’s world of endless parties, drugs and alcohol – especially Taylor, who leaches himself onto BJM as a way to gain authenticity and escape the pressures of dealing with a major label. Taylor is little more than a groupie, and his fanaticism towards Newcombe blinds him to the ongoing problems regarding his friend’s mental health.
Newcombe finds a way to ruin any chance for his own happiness or success. A troubled kid from a dysfunctional family where alcoholism, emotional abuse and mental illness ran rampant, Newcombe is a master of self-destructive behaviour. Whether it’s beating up his band onstage during an industry showcase or missing the birth of his son by getting arrested, it seems as though he is addicted to misery and enjoys the feeling of failure.
Taylor, on the other hand, is all business. He may be a disciple of BJM, but he never crosses that line of losing self-control. He’s aware that his own talents fall short of Newcombe’s genius and seems to be OK with that – as long as Capitol keeps signing the cheques.
Although the documentary is sometimes hard to watch, it has many hilarious scenes. At one point, BJM is pulled over by Georgia state troopers and, to everyone’s surprise, Newcombe allows the cops to search the vehicle. When the officer opens the door, drugs and rolling papers fall out of the van and onto the highway. It’s hard to tell who’s more stunned – his band members (who end up spending a night in jail) or the state troopers.
An epic and entertaining story, Dig! could be the best rock doc ever made. It’s hard to imagine how anyone involved survived Newcombe’s reign of terror, and although there is an amazing amount of footage, the story is effortlessly told, almost as if Timoner had written the ending herself. It is an intrusive, gripping and flawless account of two bands at odds with their fame (imagined or otherwise).
Newcombe has flatly stated on his website that he does not endorse this documentary. But, apart from his depraved drug use and total narcissism, Newcombe comes across better than his doppelganger Taylor. Although both bands share an affinity for ’60s psychedelia, only BJM seems authentic about it.
After destroying his own band, Newcombe continues to play solo but becomes a freak show, making himself a footnote in indie-rock history. The Dandy Warhols may have created a forgettable legacy, but this compelling documentary shows that money, success and notoriety have less to do with talent, than how you play the game. |
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