clare-i-kelly

I was fortunate enough to see an early screening of this film at Streatham Free Film festival, which was the perfect setting as several band members hail from south London (Balham and Catford I believe).

It's really well produced. Although there are underlying political themes about racism in the UK, particularly how the music industry turned a blind eye to black talent in the 70s, the overall tone is a huge celebration of the intensely powerful music that these guys produced that's been sampled well over a hundred times by huge artists over the past fifty years.

If you haven't heard of them before, go look them up, share their music, and keep the legacy alive.

I dated a head chef about Andy's age for several years... mostly during the COVID19 pandemic... and lived above a couple of gastropubs with him. I met quite a few of his colleagues, live in staff, regulars, etc along the way. I learned a lot about their personal lives, and was often debriefed on all the drama after each shift.

This movie felt utterly real to me. It's very well cast and shows the diversity in people who work in hospitality in London. I was so absorbed so quickly I just burst out crying at one point quite early on. (You'll probably figure out which part if you watch it.)

Be kind to restaurant staff. And tip big.