The list of good fictional films about bands is a pretty slim one, but the team behind British football hooligan flick “Awaydays,” which showed at SXSW this year, is looking to add another with an adaptation of Kevin Sampson’s novel “Powder.”
Produced by former Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark member David Hughes, “Powder” covers the rise of fictional Liverpool band The Grams, and will begin shooting this weekend at the annual celebration of mediocrity that is the UK’s V Festival.
The cast is pretty decent, featuring Alfie Allen (“Atonement”, and brother of Lily), Al Weaver (“Marie Antoinette”) and Ralf Little (“24 Hour Party People”), along with, as NME reports, cameos from supermodel Agyness Deyn and, more intriguingly, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
“Awaydays” was better than most football hooligan films, mainly due to an excellent central performance from Stephen Graham and a storming post-punk soundtrack with the likes of Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen, Magazine and Cabaret Voltaire, so at the very least, “Powder” should be worth listening to. And, if it can avoid the well-trodden success-goes-to-their-heads beats of the band on film, maybe it’ll also be worth watching, even without a telepathic albino kid?…