Glasgow Film Festival 2015: Music Highlights

Claire Sawers
12 February 2015

Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden takes us back to 1990s Paris

Musical picks in this year's GFF programme include glimpses of Daft Punk, the Mekons and Talking Heads

Claire Sawers picks out some musical highlights from Glasgow Film Festival's 2015 programme

Stop Making Sense

A chance to catch big Dave B and Talking Heads at their glorious, ants-in-the-pants, frenzied-pop best, in Jonathan Demme’s 1984 live concert film. Expect oversized suits, boxfresh white shoes and some of their itchiest, new wave art-pop. Presented by monorail Film Club.
Glasgow Film Theatre, Fri 20 Feb.

The Fall of the House of Usher, accompanied by a live score

The doomy angst of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic Gothic short story 'The Fall of the House of Usher' is the basis of this superbly creepy 1928 silent movie by Jean Epstein. Spend two hours in Pollokshaws suitably Gothic hall, accompanied by a haunting live score by Irene Buckley, featuring Wurlitzer organ, electronics and vocals.
Pollokshaws Burgh Hall, Sun 22 Feb.

Eden

Flashback to 1990s Paris, when the ‘French Touch’ euro-disco sound of Air, Bob Sinclar, Cassius and Justice was throbbing out through clubs and onto MTV. Mia Hansen-Løve’s French language feature homes in on her brother’s memories, and follows a DJ named Paul as he parties, drinks, sleeps around, and bumps into a mysterious duo called Daft Punk.
GFT, Sat 28 Feb & Sun 1 Mar.

Revenge of the Mekons

A documentary about Leeds punks the Mekons, formed in 1977, whom Lester Bangs called ‘the most revolutionary band in the history of rock ‘n’ roll’. Bragging’s not their style though, and the band who sang they’d ‘never been in a riot’ confess here they were just art student slackers, the police scared ‘the living shit’ out of them and were trying out an experimental project that happened to stick.

Memphis

Chicago songwriter Willis Earl Beal added a religious cult spin to the blues / gospel tradition with his ‘Church of Nobody’ video series, featuring Mischa Barton and Cat Power. Here he plays a struggling artist in this Sundance-selected film, and provides the score too.
Grosvenor, Thu 26 & Fri 27 Feb.

Part of GFF, various venues, Wed 18 Feb–Sun 1 Mar.