The history of music tends to find ways to classify every genre’s origins by who made it popular first. Chuck Berry invented rock and roll. The Who invented the rock opera. Most of the history remains undisputed by the general public, even the idea that punk rock was invented by the Sex Pistols in the 70’s. The documentary A Band Called Death is being sold as the story of a band who came before them and while nowhere near as influential, set the scene long before Malcolm McLaren teamed up Johnny Rotten and Steve Jones with lousy tour management. Is this documentary out to rewrite history, or is it one of the most blasphemous selling points in rock and roll history?
The band Death comprises of the three Hackney brothers from Detroit who had a spiritual upbringing, listened to everything and bugged their parents with loud practicing. The general set-up is standard origin story with plenty of relatives chiming in to justify statements. It isn’t until later on when the band’s name takes on an ironic, more profound meaning that Death becomes more than a story of a band with great musicianship and some of the best music that you’ve never heard. There’s plenty of heartbreak and overcoming hardships in such a way that the final act of this story may be one of the more uplifting victory laps that avoids sappiness by just being honest.
The story of Death has a lot to do with loyalty and family. Beyond the connection of the brothers, the rest of the family seemed to be supportive in varying ways. Even though their music was rebellious, there isn’t any animosity or great falling out. The music was their drive, and the documentary does a great job of portraying the impact that the music had on selected niche record collectors. This included the Dead Kennedy’s singer Jello Biafra, who helped boost their popularity in a magazine interview 35 years after they quit with only an LP to their name.
The most fascinating thing about the story is the Hackney family in general. The mastermind behind most of Death’s symbolism and music, David, is the provocateur who gave the band their distinct edge. He is painted almost as the spiritual crux that saw dying as something more profound and refused to compromise. His passing almost serves as a significant step in the band’s progression, as displayed through the interviews with brothers Dannis and Bobby. He almost has an aura of genius simply by not being present. What is more impressive is that despite this, there was never a sense that the band had any creative disputes.
Outside of the family, Biafra appears to be the only celebrity guest who brings any weight to the story. While people like Henry Rollins, Alice Cooper, or Elijah Wood provide testimonials to the band’s quality, it feels like filler. Biafra is painted as the band’s unsung hero largely thanks to his knowledge on bizarre records. He seems to know the band’s history and it helps to provide context, especially as the Hackney brothers stopped paying attention. It even got to the point where their LP was worth $800 on eBay. It wouldn’t be until more recently that they got their due, but what is amazing about Death is how slowly they became a sensation.
Despite all of the conflict, the one matter that the band doesn’t seem bitter on is their placement in history. While the Sex Pistols end up in record books as the first punk band, Death are fine just having an audience. In fact, the whole selling point involving punk feels facetious. The band’s D.I.Y. ethics and sound suggest that they were in fact punk, but it was a label thrown onto them by a New York Times’ article. The whole selling point of the film exploits this, and I feel it is unfortunate. It distracts from the central story and makes the entire journey of brothers making music sound like a gimmick. While it is true that this would help to double the documentary’s audience, don’t go in expecting this to be about punk attitudes. The Hackney brothers are far from that. It could be even argued further that punk originated years before Death with fellow Detroit bands like the MC5 and the Stooges.
A Band Called Death is shot in a very formulaic documentary style. Relying on interviews and still images, it almost makes everything feel nostalgic. But what makes this essential is the feeling of discovery. Hearing songs like “Politicians In My Eyes” and “Keep On Knocking” is an invigorating experience that is only made more meaningful with the overall narrative. The final act also helps to give relevance to the story by showing the surviving members reuniting for another album and Bobby’s son playing covers in a band named for David’s old nickname: Rough Francis. The legacy lives on and while they may never become as stratospheric as most of their peers, they have a far more fascinating story than most of them.
A Band Called Death is a simple yet poignant name for a fascinating story. While catchy music is at the core of the narrative, it is about a family that worked together to make things happen. There may have been a few bumps along the way, but the success is well deserved. Even though the gimmick of this being the first punk band may mislead you, don’t let it stop you from enjoying the ride. It may not have flashy packaging, but like Shut Up Little Man before it, this is a reflection of forgotten D.I.Y. culture that is able to reach a wider audience, thanks to those who took the time to dig up old records.
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