There’s a new documentary about XTC in the works that’s currently titled “This Is Pop,” and a 6-minute, 20-second trailer for the film — featuring archival footage of the band and much screen time by frontman Andy Partridge — has made its way online.
You can watch the whole thing below.
UPDATE: The trailer has been removed from YouTube, but can now be seen c21media.net.
Not much is known about the film itself, but the production company apparently sent the trailer and a description of the film to British digital publisher C21Media, where it is now no longer visible to non-subscribers. But the trailer, as such things do, has made its way to YouTube.
As you can see, the footage in the trailer includes appearances by Stewart Copeland of The Police and actor Harry Shearer. XTC’s Colin Moulding appears briefly, and according to the posted description, bandmates Terry Chambers and Dave Gregory are included as well. There’s no indication whether early member Barry Andrews participated. All of the XTC interviews are new.
In the trailer, Partridge discusses writing “Senses Working Overtime,” and the “mother of all panic attacks” that ended XTC’s touring days. He also compares his band to a certain Liverpudlian quartet: “Occasionally, once in a very rare while, you get a band that starts pretty good, gets better and better and better. And that’s rare. And I think, and I have to say, I have to be immodest… We are the other band that did that.”
It ends with Partridge proclaiming: “The whole rockumentary thing bores the very buttocks off me.”
Here’s the official description of the film:
XTC: This Is Pop
An alternative look at one of Britain’s best-loved and most influential bands – XTC.
Emerging from the late 1970s punk and new wave explosion, XTC amassed a devoted following with hit singles “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me),” “Senses Working Overtime,” “Dear God” and “Mayor of Simpleton.”
Featuring brand-new interviews with Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers and Dave Gregory, “This Is Pop” film abandons the traditional, linear story structure to illustrate the band members’ words and music through animation, archive and specially-shot sequences.
Below, watch the 6-minute trailer and see Partridge’s reaction to it on Twitter:
Trailer: XTC “This Is Pop” documentary
Andy Partridge’s thoughts on the trailer:
The trailer for the coming XTC documentary was leaked. I’ve been told it won’t look like that and the title could change.I haven’t seen it.
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 3, 2017
Apparently it was made to sell to foreign buyers?
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 3, 2017
I’m not sure I want to watch the finished thing? I’m torn about the whole thing anyway.
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 3, 2017
Ideally, I would have wanted 4 teenage Japanese girls to play XTC, and it all take place in the Japanese equivalent of Swindon. Subtitles
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 3, 2017
Really, XTC was all about the music. A blank screen for an hour would be the best visual.
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 3, 2017
My God, just saw the trailer for this forthcoming doc…I am one fat, bald fuck.
It’s official.Ah well, I know how it pans out.
— XTC (@xtcfans) March 4, 2017
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Andy Partridge working to restore XTC’s ‘Oranges and Lemons’ for audiophile reissue
- XTC’s ‘Drums and Wires’ audiophile reissue to include new 5.1 mix, demos, rehearsal tracks
- Reissue of XTC’s ‘Skylarking’ with ‘corrected polarity’ finally coming to CD
- XTC’s Andy Partridge: New ‘Drums and Wires’ mix ‘so good it’s upped my opinion of the album’
- XTC launches new reissue series with expanded audiophile edition of ‘Nonsuch’
One of the best bands ever.
Ever…
Sincere thanks to Andy, Colin, & Dave for being a major component of my life’s soundtrack. You’re in the Pantheon of New Wave/power pop/whatever shifting styles you want to consider for XTC. Never stop playing & composing!
Was just listening to English Settlement the other day and after 30+ years it’s even more the masterpiece it was the day it came out. One of the greatest bands ever, can’t wait to see this.
Thank you all so very much for painting the most beautiful pictures with your music. It never gets old.
XTC make me feel proud to be a Swindonian. I’m not somebody who is obsessive about bands, but XTC are the exception, just love them. Only disappointment is that English Settlement was the album that got me hooked and that was the time they stopped gigging. Would have loved to have seen them live. Wouldn’t care if Andy stood on a stage and just read out song lyrics, I would be there. Really looking forward to the documentary.
Every time I listen to this music I am astounded at how good it is, and equally astounded that everyone in the world doesn’t (didn’t) follow this band. I hope Colin Moulding is right, and that the time has finally come when the appreciation of this great body of work begins to equal its excellence. Andy may be uncertain if he wants to see this documentary – I’m not. Thanks, XTC, for enriching, ornamenting, and redeeming my life.
Dear God is one of the greatest songs ever written. Generals and Majors is pretty darn good too.
Hey Andy, instead of sitting there being a selfish arsehole whining about the utter indignity of being in a rockumentary, how about showing some appreciation for the filmmakers busting their asses just to celebrate your music and maybe introducing it to a new audience? Does he have any idea how hard it is to get films like this made? Does he think that they’re going to make some huge profit from this? They’ve made some of the greatest music of the last forty years, but Andy really needs to grow up.
You’ve probably been told, but Andy gave you a personal reply on Twitter: https://twitter.com/xtcfans/status/903620228608876545
Wonderful. I can’t find anything else to say.
Xtc were great and are still great lov there music allways remember there songs lov your music guys
I love XTC! One of the biggest regrets of my life was never seeing them live. I went to a tribute concert in Massachusetts a few years ago and it was incredible fun. I listen to a great deal of music and in my mind XTC is one of the best bands ever.
Andy no one cares that you aren’t a spring chicken anymore. We love you and XTC for it’s rare brilliance!
For me the quintessential XTC were Black Sea and English Settlement. Those two albums were Rubber Soul and Revolver ! Love all the albums really but these have almost a medieval Englishness and uniqueness that belongs only to XTC. I never get tired of hearing them.
Criminally underated band . Followed them right from the off . I remember Zeppelins Jimmy Page , commenting on the punk / new wave scene at the time , saying that the better bands would last … XTC being amongst his favourites . Rook and Chalkhills and children stand out for me as two of the best songs they ever put out . I look forward to anything and everything that this band puts out ….
Well I may never see this documentary but at least I got to see them live in 1980 at Emerald City, the coolest nightclub ever in the state of New Jersey. It’s on YouTube Somewhere. The show was recorded live on WMMR here in Philadelphia. And it’s an awesome recording and it was a great show. I remember it like yesterday