Three and a Half Minutes of Fame is an independent film from author Alex Boucher
A frame from Three and a Half Minutes of Fame – Shot by Luke Hallett – showing Chiedu Oraka at The New Adelphi Club, Hull.(Image: Luke Hallett)
A new documentary produced by Hull creatives and heavily featuring the city’s grassroots music venues has been teased in a trailer. Three and a Half Minutes of Fame is an independent film from author Alex Boucher, whose band of the same name played the city’s Adelphi club in 1992.
Production by the mostly Hull-based team, including Luke Hallett and Jenni Harrison of Pink + Red, is still under way. But audiences have been given a first look at the piece, which presents conversations with musicians and others, comparing the 1990s with today, and examining the role of grassroots venues and the artists who rely on them.
The film features performances from inside the The New Adelphi Club and the Queens Hotel, as well as interviews with bands, venue teams and author Lucy Nichol, whose books were heavily inspired by her experience attending gigs in the city during the 90s.
Other notable musical figures to appear in the documentary include Miki Berenyi of Lush, Sam Duckworth and Sophie Asquith of the Music Venue Trust, Steve Tannett of Marshall Records, Lesley Bleakley of Beggars Group, among others. It draws on Alex’s memoir which chronicles his seven-year pursuit of fame, from signing a record deal at the age of 17 to performing across the UK and coming across top acts such as The Fall, Suede, Blur and Mansun.
Alex Boucher said: “The documentary raises an important question about how much support artists and venues receive, and how much has changed for them since the 90s. We hope to amplify those challenges and make the conversation louder with “Three and a Half Minutes of Fame. Music and Arts is such a long standing and important part of the UK’s DNA, so I think It’s important to understand the impact that music and culture had on us during the 90s and to reflect that special time to make sure venues keep thriving and to support new talent.
“Pink + Red have the same ethos, and bring a new dynamic that I would have struggled to replicate, they’ve also benefited from having an established grass roots venue and music community in Hull that’s helped bring a fresh perspective to the doc.”
Alongside the trailer for Three and a Half Minutes of Fame, a crowdfunder has been launched to raise money to bring the full-length documentary to completion. From there, its creators plan to tour it across UK grassroots venues.
Director and co-producer Jenni Harrison, said: “The roots of this story started with Alex’s memoir and his experience living through the 90s music scene, but what came out during filming really subverted our expectations of how people view that era compared to now. The narrative of this film has been shaped entirely by the people featured in it, from then and now, and we know there’s a real appetite to hear these stories in the current climate.”
You can watch the trailer for Three and a Half Minutes of Fame on its dedicated YouTube page.
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