After successful, raved-about screenings at fests held in Portland and Glasgow and after selling out at the SENSORIA music/multi-media megafest in Sheffield, England, last month, A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK, an oral biography of the UK's first independent pop record producer (everybody knows "Telstar" by the Tornados), will be screened as part of BIG SMASH! MUSIC SCENE at the Winnipeg Cinematheque this Thursday, May 8th at 9pm.

This documentary has become the one to watch, plucking Meek out of obscurity and heralding him as a producing pioneer who, despite not being able to read or even notate music, paved the way for horror/sci-fi rock, techno, hip-hop and every other musical genre that employs sampling and electronic manipulation. All that, and his untimely death by alleged murder-suicide remains mired in controversey.

Co-director Howard S. Berger will be in attendance. Come on, Manitoba... show him what you're made of!

One of the rare instances where I was in the right place at the right time, about a year and a half ago Howard dropped by Chris Poggiali's apartment when a few of us were there hanging out and showed us a two-hour+ rough cut (he was writing a screeenplay with Chris at the time), under the longer title SOMETHING I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU: A LIFE IN THE DEATH OF JOE MEEK. I knew "Telstar" but nothing else about Meek, and so was shocked that such an important music pioneer and fascinating character had flown below my radar for so long. I can't wait to see the final cut, because what was shown to us in rough form was excellent.

"I hear a new world (I hear a new world) Calllllllllllling meeeeeee"

Joe Meek was the bomb. Pity about the amphetamines. Alan Moore did a nice tribute to him in one of his occult history performance pieces.