Having won acclaim for several Channel 4 documentaries on aspects of contemporary youth culture, filmmaker John Dower now looks at the rise and fall of the 90s musical phenomenon known as Britpop.
Why did you make "Live Forever"?
We thought there hadn't been that many contemporary music films with ambition. I, for one, was fed up with the way music and British popular culture was packaged into clip shows like I Love the 70s/80s with celebrity chefs talking about albums. We thought we'd do something revolutionary and actually speak to the musicians.
How important was it that you secured the co-operation of Britpop's leading figures?
We made a pact that we had to get the big three - Oasis, Blur, and Pulp. We got Noel [Gallagher] first, and we were still waiting for the other two. I was very much willing to press on and do the film. But John [producer John Battsek] said, "No. We've got to get all of the big three." So we held out. We got them by stalking them really.
Did it help that Passion Pictures, the company behind the film, had an Oscar for "One Day in September"?
Yes! When we finally managed to lure Noel Gallagher into our offices to pitch him the film, he came in and saw the Oscar sitting on the mantelpiece and picked it up and said, "You know, the only reason I'm talking to you is because you've got an Oscar. I'm that ****ing shallow."
Were you worried that your focus on Britpop was too narrow?
We are going to get a kicking from some quarters on this film. People are going to say, "Where are Radiohead?" or, "Where are The Prodigy?" But we put our hands up. We wanted to be selective. We wanted a steady focus in the film.
What was the thinking behind the settings of the interviews?
We didn't want the usual, "He's a musician, let's plonk him in front of a mixing desk." We were trying to make them a little bit evocative. Noel did suggest Knebworth. A lot of people think that's Noel in his home. But he doesn't actually own 17th-century oil paintings, I believe. Jarvis [Cocker] in a sleazy hotel in King's Cross is how he felt on "This is Hardcore". He felt a little bit dirty. And Damon [Albarn] sitting in front of that dartboard in the pub is particularly "Parklife".
What's your own verdict on the film?
I do think they are quite good interviews. They're honest and open. They're quite forthright. Most musicians only turn up to talk on camera if they're plugging an album.
"Live Forever" makes the point that the Britpop explosion coincided with a period of political optimism. Are there any similar links today?
I think Pop Idol is the ideal soundtrack for New Labour. It's music by focus group. I'm sure they love it.
