Taking off after the end of filming on the last season of 24, Kiefer Sutherland heads to Europe with his band Rocco DeLuca & The Burden. As their road manager, Sutherland faces the trials and joys of life on the road, whether it is locked venues, storming gigs, quiet audiences or giving out free tickets at the last minute to avoid an empty venue. The tour takes across Europe, including England, Germany and Iceland.
Like many other casual viewers, I came to this film off the back of 24 (indeed it was shown in the UK on the same channel that shows that series). In this way I was a bit worried that the film would be just about him. However when I understood that the band is question is one under his management, I worried that the film would just be a bit of him combined with a big promotional push of DeLuca & The Burden. In a way my fears were justified because the film is mainly a cross between a cool bit of Kiefer-following and lots of live music from the band. However this wasn't a massive problem and these parts were still good enough to be worth watching. Of course it helps if you like Sutherland, which as a 24 fan I do. It is interesting to see him working another career and being a bit wild certainly seeing him jump into a Christmas tree is something that you'll be unlikely to see no matter how many series of 24 you watch. It also helps to like the music. I'm more into my hip-hop than rock but I found it a good sound thanks to good guitar work and DeLuca's unique voice; fewer songs might have freed up the film to do something else but I guess it is what it is.
Aside from these two elements there isn't that much. At times it serves as an interesting look at life on the road, with some nice comic moments and insight into life on the road. However these moments do not come often enough to make this a really interesting documentary and it is never long before we are back into a fan moment or a song. Those involved manage to keep their contributions interesting enough to carry the film and it is hard to deny that DeLuca et al have talent.
Overall this is an OK music documentary. The music is good and there is just about enough going on of interest to sustain the film, but not enough to make it a particularly valuable one to come back to unless you are specifically a fan of Sutherland or DeLuca.
