American Hardcore

Between 1979 and 1986 something faster, harder and shorter came out of punk in America: hardcore. The bands did not look for labels; they made their own records, built their own tours and played in youth centres. Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and hundreds of others did the same thing without knowing about each other. Then the scene fell apart. Paul Rachman's documentary takes off from Steven Blush's book American Hardcore. The narrative looks less at the music than at the infrastructure: who stayed at whose house, how the tour routes were built, and when the violence at shows became the scene's own problem. Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye and other musicians of the period speak. Rare concert footage makes up a significant part of the film. Who it's for: Anyone interested in punk history, independent music infrastructure, and the American underground of the 1980s. Who it's not for: There are many speakers and the narrative is loose. The room given to women and to Black musicians in the scene is also insufficient.