In 1991, Mötley Crüe released a cover of Sex Pistols' anthem "Anarchy in the UK." Such an atrocity inspired Sonic Youth to proclaim 1991 as the year punk broke during a European tour that saw them take their friends in an up-and-coming band called Nirvana as support. This was months before Nevermind went to number one, and thanks to director David Markey, it was all caught on tape. Finally released on DVD with over an hour of bonus footage, 1991: The Year Punk Broke is a tour documentary unlike any other. Interspersing concert footage with backstage monkey business, the film is consistently hijacked by the shit-disturbing but hilarious Thurston Moore. The draw for many will be to witness rare moments with Kurt Cobain, who doesn't disappoint when he's caught on film (though his Kevin Costner impression is rather weak). Plus, where else would you hear why Sonic Youth opted not to name their band Fart Patrol?
The Year Punk Broke
BY Cam LindsayPublished Sep 26, 2011
