Urgh! A Music War (1981)

Director:

Derek Burbidge

Release Date:

May 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

Live it... 'Cause You Can't Stop It!

Plot:

Punk, New Wave, Reggae and Techno bands from Europe and the US recorded live in several locations in 1980...

Plot Keywords:

Rock Music | Reggae | Band | Punk | Ska

Cast

Sting	...	Himself - The Police vocalist / bassist (as The Police)
Andy Summers	...	Himself -The Police guitarist (as The Police)
Stewart Copeland	...	Himself - The Police drummer (as The Police)
Toyah Willcox	...	Herself
Joel Bogen	...	Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Charlie Francis	...	Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Pete Bush	...	Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Steve Bray	...	Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
John Cooper Clarke	...	Himself
David Hinds	...	Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Stan Ridgway	...	Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Chas T. Gray	...	Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Bruce Moreland	...	Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Marc Moreland	...	Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Joe Nanini	...	Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Andy McCluskey	...	Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Paul Humphreys	...	Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
David A. Hughes	...	Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Malcolm Holmes	...	Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Gene October	...	Himself (as Chelsea)
Barry Smith	...	Himself (as Chelsea)
Mike Howell	...	Himself (as Chelsea)
Chris Bashford	...	Himself (as Chelsea)
Steve Ace	...	Himself (as Chelsea)
Danny Elfman	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Steve Bartek	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Sam Phipps	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Dale Turner	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Richard Gibbs	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Leon Scheorman	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Kerry Hatch	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
David Eagle	...	Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Will Sergeant	...	Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Ian McCulloch	...	Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Les Pattinson	...	Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Pete DeFreitas	...	Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Jools Holland	...	Himself
Andy Partridge	...	Himself (as XTC)
Terry Chambers	...	Himself (as XTC)
Colin Moulding	...	Himself (as XTC)
Dave Gregory	...	Himself (as XTC)
Klaus Nomi	...	Himself
Julie Berger	...	Herself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
April Lang	...	Herself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Jon Cobert	...	Himself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Rick Rasouh	...	Rick Pascual
Daniel Beassy	...	Daniel Elfassy
Scott Woody	...	Himself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Spizz	...	Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
James Little	...	Himself (as Jim Solar)
C.P. Snare	...	Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Mark Coalfield	...	Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Dave Scott	...	Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Belinda Carlisle	...	Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Jane Wiedlin	...	Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Margot Olaverra	...	Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Gina Schock	...	Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Charlotte Caffey	...	Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Jello Biafra	...	Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
East Bay Ray	...	Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
Klaus Flouride	...	Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
Bruce Slesinger	...	Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
Selwyn Brown	...	Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Steve Nisbett	...	Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Phonso Martin	...	Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Basil Gabbidon	...	Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Gary Numan	...	Himself
Russell Bell	...	Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Paul Gardener	...	Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Roger Mason	...	Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Ced Sharpley	...	Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Chris Rime	...	Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Joan Jett	...	Herself
Howard Devoto	...	Himself (as Magazine)
Barry Adamson	...	Himself (as Magazine)
John Doyle	...	Himself (as Magazine)
Dave Formula	...	Himself (as Magazine)
Robin Simon	...	Himself (as Magazine)
Dennis Dragon	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Drew Steele	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Ray Ban	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Mark the Shark	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Bill Dale	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Andrew Jackson	...	Himself (as Surf Punks)
Nicky Tesco	...	Himself (as Members)
Chris Payne	...	Himself (as Members)
J.C. Mainman	...	Himself (as Members)
Nigel Bennett	...	Himself (as Members)
Adrian Lilywhite	...	Himself (as Members)
Lesley Woods	...	Herself (as Au Pairs)
Paul Foad	...	Himself (as Au Pairs)
Jane Munro	...	Herself (as Au Pairs)
Pete Hammond	...	Himself (as Au Pairs)
Lux Interior	...	Himself (as The Cramps)
Nick Knox	...	Himself (as The Cramps)
David Thomas	...	Himself (as Pere Ubu)
Mark Mothersbaugh	...	Himself (as Devo)
Gerald V. Casale	...	Himself (as Devo)
Robert Mothersbaugh	...	Himself
Bob Casale	...	Himself
Alan Myers	...	Himself (as Devo)
Randy Stodola	...	Himself (as Alley Cats)
Dianne Chai	...	Himself (as Alley Cats)
John McCarty	...	Himself (as Alley Cats)
John Otway	...	Himself
Alan Ofter	...	Himself - John Otway's band
Steve Bodon	...	Himself - John Otway's band
Mark Freeman	...	Himself - John Otway's band
Jon King	...	Himself (as Gang of Four)
Andy Gill	...	Himself (as Gang of Four)
Dave Allen	...	Himself (as Gang of Four)
Hugo Burnham	...	Himself (as Gang of Four)
Nick Cash	...	Himself (as 999)
Guy Days	...	Himself (as 999)
Jon Watson	...	Himself (as 999)
Pablo LaBritain	...	Himself (as 999)
Peter Zaremba	...	Himself (as Fleshtones)
Keith Streng	...	Himself (as Fleshtones)
Jan Marek Pakulski	...	Himself (as Fleshtones)
Bill Milhizer	...	Himself (as Fleshtones)
John Doe	...	Himself (as X)
Billy Zoom	...	Himself (as X)
D.J. Bonebrake	...	Himself (as X)
Exene Cervenka	...	Herself (as X)
Jim Skafish	...	Himself (as Skafish)
Barbie Goodrich	...	Herself (as Skafish)
Ken Bronowski	...	Himself (as Skafish)
Javier Cruz	...	Himself (as Skafish)
Larry Mysliewiec	...	Himself (as Skafish)
Jim Brown	...	Himself (as UB40)
Robin Campbell	...	Himself (as UB40)
Norman Hassan	...	Himself (as UB40)
Michael Virtue	...	Himself (as UB40)
Ali Campbell	...	Himself (as UB40)
Earl Falconer	...	Himself (as UB40)
Brian Travers	...	Himself (as UB40)
Astro	...	Himself (as UB40)
Julien Griensnatch	...	Himself (as The Cramps)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
999	...	Themselves
The Alley Cats	...	Themselves
Chelsea	...	Themselves
The Cramps	...	Themselves
Dead Kennedys	...	Themselves
Devo	...	Themselves
Echo & The Bunnymen	...	Themselves
The Fleshtones	...	Themselves
Gang of Four	...	Themselves
The Go-Gos	...	Themselves
Oingo Boingo	...	Themselves
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark	...	Themselves
The Police	...	Themselves
Surf Punks	...	Themselves
Poison Ivy Rorschach	...	Herself - The Cramps guitarist (as The Cramps)
Steel Pulse	...	Themselves
UB40	...	Themselves
Wall of Voodoo	...	Themselves
X.	...	Themselves

Directed by
Derek Burbidge

Produced by
Lyndall Hobbs	....	associate producer
Michael White	....	producer

Film Editing by
Jim Elderton

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Migel Reed	....	assistant director

Art Department
Glen Habgood	....	artwork

Sound Department
Greg Bailey	....	sound supervisor
Ed Collier	....	sound transferer
Richard King	....	dubbing mixer

Visual Effects by
Hugh Gordon	....	titles and opticals

Camera and Electrical Department
David Anderson	....	camera operator
Peter Bryant	....	camera maintenance engineer
Kate Humphreys	....	camera operator
Steve Lewis	....	stage lighting director
Patrick McCann	....	camera operator
John Metcalfe	....	camera operator
Mike Metcalfe	....	camera operator
Dick Pope	....	camera operator
David Scott	....	camera operator
John Simmons	....	camera operator
Phil White	....	camera maintenance engineer
Rick Schmidlin	....	lighting director (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Simon Mune	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tim Summerhaynes	....	music recording engineer

Other crew
Peggy Chane	....	production assistant: USA
Miles A. Copeland III	....	creative consultant
Ian Copeland	....	creative consultant
Kelly Ann Page	....	production secretary
Helen Pritchard	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Lorimar Productions

Distributors

• Filmways Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pan-Canadian Film Distributors (1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min | USA:124 min (video release)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | USA:R

Filming Locations:

CBGB's - 315 Bowery, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Lorimar Productions

Movie Connections:

References Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Soundtrack:

Two Little Boys

way cool groovy

i remember being so impressed that someone had filmed the bands i was listening to as a kid.... i saw this movie in the theatre once and on cable about 400,000,000,000 times. I used to stay up and watch it on Night Flight (as so many others have mentioned) and it used to run on Showtime, HBO and Cinemax quite a bit back in the day. Awesome performances and a whole *@#$load of music that's all but been forgotten... like the best band and best performance in the movie (which thus far no one has mentioned): Gang of Four totally rocking out in London.

If you really want to treat yerself, i highly recommend finding a copy of this, but wait to watch it until you can go back-to-back with Decline of Western Civilization. Ah, what a great time to be alive that was :D

One of my favorite movies; I wish i could see it again (come on Rhino! save us from another pop diva and re-issue this film on DVD!)