By Adam Goetz
Everyone has a story to tell. In the case of Joe Stummer his story begins in 1976 with his prolific band The Clash. Touting themselves as “rebels with a cause” the band managed to gain enormous support from the young British populous. Strummer’s hands on approach to rebellion landed him in jail for various minor indiscretions, ranging from vandalism to stealing a pillowcase, which only seemed to bolster their punk rock image. Although his pillowcase stealin’ days have fizzled out by 1986, his love for music had stayed with him in various incarnations, until his untimely death in 2002.
Let’s Rock Again! is about a punk rock legend past his prime and his struggle to re-enter a musical landscape he helped shape in the late ’70s. Director Dick Rude, also a close friend of Strummer, uses a gritty documentary style to perfectly represent The Clash’s frontman’s honest personality and his DIY mentality. A collection of personal interviews, back stage footage and concert performances with Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros are the focus of the film, although the interesting stories throughout that capture are the highlights. Admittedly, the performances themselves aren’t quite as engaging.
Rude does a good job creating a dignified documentary celebrating Strummer’s life and his love for music.