WATCH the REVIVAL69 Documentary Trailer
ABOUT THE FILM
REVIVAL69: The Concert That Rocked the World, is the remarkable, behind-the-scenes story of how a little known, but life-altering music festival came together — against all odds. Young, scrappy concert promoter John Brower puts his life on the line (literally) to turn his failing Toronto Rock n Roll Revival into a one-day event, later coined in rock mythology as “the second most important event in rock & roll history.” And it almost didn't happen.
The festival united rock legends like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Gene Vincent, with The Doors, who were the biggest band in the world. But it was the 11th hour arrival of John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band that ignited a truly seminal moment for the 20,000 fans at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium.
Through exclusive conversations with iconic musicians like Alice Cooper, Robbie Krieger (The Doors), Alan White (Yes), Geddy Lee (Rush), Danny Seraphine (Chicago) and Klaus Voorman (Manfred Mann, The Beatles), and over 60 minutes of remarkable archival footage and audio tapes, the documentary immerses us in the whirlwind chaos leading up to the festival — the biker gang, threat of cancellation, a mid-flight band rehearsal, and inexplicable luck that culminated in Lennon shedding the mantle of the Beatles and nervously taking the stage with Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and Alan White — an unforgettable happening that triggered Lennon's decision to leave the Beatles forever.
Forged with rare, recently discovered behind-the-scenes Super 8 verité footage, and including never-before seen 16mm film of the concert shot by D.A. Pennebaker and his crew, REVIVAL69: The Concert That Rocked the World, is an exhilarating VIP ride into a pivotal moment in music history, told through the eyes of those who were there: the musicians, the mavericks behind the scenes, and all who witnessed history in the making.
FEATURING
News
Director's Statement
Ron Chapman and Klaus Voormann
My previous work as a documentary filmmaker has been centred around the world of music which has always been a great love and passion of mine.
The film and story focus on a truly pivotal event in music history. I actually knew of John Brower, the film's protagonist, back in 1969 and although I was barely a teenager, I attended his concerts and festivals, got introduced to some of the great bands of all time at his events, and that exposure inspired me as I pursued my career as a musician, promoter, artist manager and finally a filmmaker.
The narrative of “REVIVAL69: The Concert that Rocked the World”, is driven by three main characters, each with their own arcs that unfold over the course of the film:
John Lennon: The film charts his transition from Beatle to his first solo performance without them and with The Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock & Roll Revival, and his ultimate decision to leave the Fab Four.
John Brower: The young concert promoter with something to prove.
D.A. Pennebaker: The renowned New York documentary filmmaker who, like Brower, frantically hustles and schemes to put together a crew to shoot the concert in Toronto.
Their arcs are braided across the film, with each individual’s perspective illuminating their own struggles and the momentous significance of this event. Voice-over conversations from significant characters are blended with our three main stories establishing both an audio and visual narrative experience.
Together, these combined memories piece together the “in the moment” anxieties, threats, and euphoria. We explore how the experience of the concert altered the personal and professional paths of many artists: reviving the Kings of Rock n' Roll, jump-starting 'new' bands like Alice Cooper and motivating John Lennon to take a hard left and breaking out toward his solo career.
The visual approach can be defined in one word: immersive. I wanted to place the audience directly into the story. Leveraging Pennebaker’s sensational and never-before seen Super8 behind the scenes verite, and newly, mined concert footage of the event, the film transports us back to 1969, allowing us to not only hear and see the story but also to feel the electricity of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
In addition to the over 60 hours of Pennebaker’s footage, every piece of archival material – articles, stills, promotional materials and other footage – is integrated with a view to maximising the visceral, “I can’t believe this is really happening” thrill of the moment.
The remainder of the storytelling is written and lensed with elements of a feature dramatic film. Animator Mathew den Boer created beautifully conceived, period driven animated moments which are used to amplify key events and take the viewer back to the world of 1969.
The interviews were really conversations and are designed to feel “organic” . It was a thrill and privilege to spend time with each of the music icons, as well as those who were there, both backstage and in the audience.
Editorially, the film is defined by its energetic cross-cutting among the three main perspectives and its seamless blending of archival, recreations and contemporary interviews. I’m pleased to be working again the Canadian Screen Award-nominated Eugene Weis, and Canadian Screen Award Winner and Emmy-nominated Phyllis Ellis, writer.
The film becomes a wild ride, a kind of rock and roll rollercoaster, fever pitch romp, with this iconic cast of characters that guide a legend, a maverick and the 'witnesses' to one of the most significant moments in rock and roll history that almost never happened
We express how the experience of this concert in Toronto altered the personal/professional paths of so many - not only Lennon but everyone attached to this burgeoning ‘comedy of errors and seminal moments in rock history, that was marked indelible in all of their lives.
- Ron Chapman, Director