Do opposites really attract? After watching 20 minutes of the 2004 documentary DiG!, the story of two burgeoning west coast rock bands, Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, devolves into a tale of polar opposites trying to exist on the same plane. There's BJM's lead singer Anton Newcombe and his combustible attitude leading a pack of drug-happy musicians, all of who are Anton's worst enemies. And then there's the Dandys' front man Courtney Taylor, whose laid back nature is a driving force behind The Dandy Warhols' tight-knit community of sonic revolution. Their paths cross many times, but never travel down the same course.
The film revolves around Brian Jonestown Massacre, the greatest band to never make it. Why they've never made it is debatable, and much of the movie explores this dynamic through the voice-over quandaries of Courtney Taylor. Anton is dissected throughout the movie, whether the focus is his yo-yo attitude, his descent into heavy drug use, or his role as the root cause of the band's in fighting. What's never in question is Anton's penchant for writing and playing some of the best rock/pop songs this side of Brian Jonestown Massacre's namesake. He clearly is a musical genius, but his destructible personality is his professional downfall. It holds the band down and buries the egos of the contributing forces behind the band, the most notable being Matt Hollywood. Matt isn't looking for the limelight or the credit he rightfully deserves; rather, he just wants acknowledgment and acceptance from Anton. When it never comes, the band and Anton take a turn for the worse.
Conversely, the Dandy Warhols' story acts as the counterbalance to the shenanigans of Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band earns the much sought after major label contract, only to discover the true nastiness of recording albums, making videos and having little label support. Whereas the strains of everyday band business weighs down on Anton, Courtney Taylor and company are able to persevere and push ahead. The Dandys learn to adapt without compromising their spirit or their sound, even if it means being at odds with Capitol and fashion photographer-turned-video director Dave LaChapelle.
The wonder of DiG! is discovered within each band's interaction with the other. Anton is turned onto the Dandys from a tape he receives from a friend, and soon the bands meet and become quick party buddies. Performances throughout the west coast solidify this friendship until the Dandy Warhols get the call to big leagues, leaving Brian Jonestown Massacre to wallow in minor obscurity. Their paths continue to cross again in the wildest of places: at a guerrilla photo shoot for the Dandys at Brian Jonestown Massacre's home, when Courtney Taylor flies across the country to hang out with Anton and company on their first major American tour, or when Anton passes out Brian Jonestown Massacre albums to anyone and everyone outside of a Dandy Warhols performance in NYC as the Dandys question Anton's sanity.
The sad truth behind DiG! is discovering that Anton, no matter how capable he is behind a musical instrument, is nothing more than a fallible human. His constant fights with audience members, band members and his past leave him angry at everything but himself. He may want to live in the '60s, but he can't give in to peace, love and happiness. No matter the success and failures he and Brian Jonestown Massacre face, they're doomed to live in musical hell -- obscurity. Meanwhile, the Dandy Warhols rise above to discover that they're a band on the rise when left to their own devices. Whether it's rekindling a love of music in the basking glow of European admiration, or pushing the envelope of sound, the band seems to have it all -- or at least, everything Anton Newcombe wants but will never let himself have.
The film revolves around Brian Jonestown Massacre, the greatest band to never make it. Why they've never made it is debatable, and much of the movie explores this dynamic through the voice-over quandaries of Courtney Taylor. Anton is dissected throughout the movie, whether the focus is his yo-yo attitude, his descent into heavy drug use, or his role as the root cause of the band's in fighting. What's never in question is Anton's penchant for writing and playing some of the best rock/pop songs this side of Brian Jonestown Massacre's namesake. He clearly is a musical genius, but his destructible personality is his professional downfall. It holds the band down and buries the egos of the contributing forces behind the band, the most notable being Matt Hollywood. Matt isn't looking for the limelight or the credit he rightfully deserves; rather, he just wants acknowledgment and acceptance from Anton. When it never comes, the band and Anton take a turn for the worse.
Conversely, the Dandy Warhols' story acts as the counterbalance to the shenanigans of Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band earns the much sought after major label contract, only to discover the true nastiness of recording albums, making videos and having little label support. Whereas the strains of everyday band business weighs down on Anton, Courtney Taylor and company are able to persevere and push ahead. The Dandys learn to adapt without compromising their spirit or their sound, even if it means being at odds with Capitol and fashion photographer-turned-video director Dave LaChapelle.
The wonder of DiG! is discovered within each band's interaction with the other. Anton is turned onto the Dandys from a tape he receives from a friend, and soon the bands meet and become quick party buddies. Performances throughout the west coast solidify this friendship until the Dandy Warhols get the call to big leagues, leaving Brian Jonestown Massacre to wallow in minor obscurity. Their paths continue to cross again in the wildest of places: at a guerrilla photo shoot for the Dandys at Brian Jonestown Massacre's home, when Courtney Taylor flies across the country to hang out with Anton and company on their first major American tour, or when Anton passes out Brian Jonestown Massacre albums to anyone and everyone outside of a Dandy Warhols performance in NYC as the Dandys question Anton's sanity.
The sad truth behind DiG! is discovering that Anton, no matter how capable he is behind a musical instrument, is nothing more than a fallible human. His constant fights with audience members, band members and his past leave him angry at everything but himself. He may want to live in the '60s, but he can't give in to peace, love and happiness. No matter the success and failures he and Brian Jonestown Massacre face, they're doomed to live in musical hell -- obscurity. Meanwhile, the Dandy Warhols rise above to discover that they're a band on the rise when left to their own devices. Whether it's rekindling a love of music in the basking glow of European admiration, or pushing the envelope of sound, the band seems to have it all -- or at least, everything Anton Newcombe wants but will never let himself have.