King Rocker

King rocker is the realest documentary of the past few years. Genuinely funny and doesn't take itself too seriously, yet also manages to feel warm & human in ways few other productions have been able to match.

This is, ostensibly, a documentary about a musician i'd never heard of. But i was captivated throughout. I'm a big fan of Lee, and his warmth and love for Lloyd and his music carries this. To him The Nightingales are a band worth celebrating unashamedly, rather than treating as a curio.

You never know where it's going, and strangely there's not a lot of music. And i liked how Frank Skinner, John Taylor, Nigel Slater and Robin Askwith pop up throughout to entertain.

One quibble was the appalling Sky presentation. In the second half adverts every five mins proved disruptive. The is an enjoyable documentary celebrating the outsiders, the also-rans and the nearly-weres; and the enduring appeal of cult bands and scenes that exist away from the scenes of mainstream success

Warm, bit rough around the edges, p*ss-taking, just like that band it's about. A proper documentary that weaves facts, half-truths and a bit of welcome over-reaching of ideas

I've heard Stewart Lee (and Michael Cummings on one) on a round of podcasts promoting this so am well versed on the challenges they had in funding to get this made - as well as it being impossible to distribute in a Covid world.

Furthermore challenges around available footage plus the amused frustration created by finding out elements of story that Lloyd either forgot or hadn't bothered to tell them - with the difficulty on having the opportunity to include these. His friendship with The Ramones is an example of this, albeit they managed to pull off getting this included via Danny Saltzman.

What they have managed to cobble together is a charming ride through the life and career of a real outlier. Lee's relationship with Lloyd is truly one of warmth and really helps the engagement throughout.

So listen to the band!

This documentary was bloody wonderful. We were aware of The Nightingales but discovering the story of such a fantastic human staying true to his art made us talk about how we judge success in our own lives. If you do what you want to do, you are successful, and to navigate this world and still be a funny, creative and a warm human you have succeeded. The thread running through of the journey of the giant King Kong sculpture from Bull Ring to car lot to Art Gallery was perfect, Robert Lloyd is a real artist in a world of surface tripe. My youth, going to gigs and working in record shops, spent in part, in the midlands, was brought back to life through their journey and I feel pretty privileged to have lived through that time. Thanks for making a real treasure of a film and for reframing that period & Robert with the love and reverence it deserves.