For a relatively small city, Oxford has a remarkable musical lineage that’s delivered the likes of Radiohead, Supergrass and Foals. In his debut film (available online through ACPGTheMovie.com), Jon Spira examines the recent musical history of Oxford, charting how earlier bands such as The Candyskins and Swervedriver offered vital inspiration to the all-conquering groups that followed in their wake.
Constructed around interviews and archive footage, Anyone Can Play Guitar often comes across as the indie Anvil. While Gaz Coombes and Ed O’Brien feature prominently, more fascinating stories emerge from the cult favourites (Dustball) and those who merely brushed stardom (The Unbelievable Truth). The pervading sense of community ensures that there’s no real bitterness on display, yet a precarious balance between comedy and melancholia guarantees an entertaining and authentic take on what being in an aspirational band is really like.
As excellent as the music is, Anyone Can Play Guitar’s appeal stretches beyond its obvious demographic, for, like Spira, any devoted music fan has their own list of those who should’ve made it. Throughout, it demonstrates that the gap between a band that invades the charts and one that doesn’t escape its own hometown is miniscule. Cruelly, talent and application isn’t always enough.
