DVD Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust

COSMIC PSYCHOS: BLOKES YOU CAN TRUST. I must admit that I am not a fan of the Cosmic Psychos, and their hard and heavy blend of grunge and punk rock is not to my taste. But having said that, this fascinating and revealing documentary tracing the band's thirty year musical journey is very entertaining and enjoyable. A lot of that is down to their charismatic front man Ross Knight, a modest and unassuming and unlikely rock hero who is our guide on this warts and all journey. Knight is candid about the history of the band as he talks about their internal tensions, their tours and the famous people they have met along the way, and the sense of loss over the death of their guitarist Robbie Watts. A farmer from rural Victoria for who music is pretty much a hobby, Knight is candid, but he is also unassuming and down to earth, and has a wonderfully self deprecating sense of humour. The Cosmic Psychos played hard both on stage and off stage, and their heavy drinking reputation preceded them on their tours. The band largely influenced much of the grunge scene in Seattle in the 80s, and we hear from the likes of fellow musicians like Eddie Vedder, the Mudhoneys, and record producer Butch Vig, who all sing their praises. The documentary unfolds in linear and chronological fashion which makes it easy to follow the band's journey from high school punk band to one of the foremost grunge bands in the world, although they have never quite hits the same level of mainstream success. Director Matt Weston is a veteran of rock music videos and has worked with the likes of Beasts Of Bourbon and he clearly knows the rock industry. The documentary is full of grainy archival footage and videos of live performances, lots of intimate and personal photographs, and plenty of talking heads interviews with former band members like drummer Bill Watts and other musicians who are fans of the band. And there are some clever animated sequences that illustrate some of the more colourful anecdotes, including a visit to a New York S&M bondage dungeon. While Weston was shooting the film though Knight was in the midst of a bitter divorce, and his concerns about whether he would lose his farm and house have worked their way into the documentary, adding an extra level of emotion and empathy to the material. Raw, revealing and essential Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust is a must for fans. This superb music documentary is up there with the likes of Anvil and Metallica: Some Kind Of Madness, which also offer a raw and candid look at both the creative pressures and the internal tensions of successful bands.

Here we are treated to a documentary with some thought out of the box, notjust watch this band, look at how they run amok . Matt Weston has provided the viewer with an insight into the behind scenes of the bands real life, tribulations, highs and lows, as well as their silent achiever status they have. They have played with the worlds biggest grunge / punk scene without all the bells and whistles.

The movie contained a real roller-coaster ride of emotion's that even brought a tear to the eye in some scenes as well as huge amounts of fun and laughter. Good on you Matt and keep on rocking the psychos. You cant keep a good man down I say.