Steel Pulse

The narrative frame of this documentary is a 1999 Amnesty International concert in Dakar to promote human rights. As such, filmmaker Michel Moreau follows the veteran British reggae band around as they prepare for the show in Africa and then subsequently process the experience on tour in America and start to write songs for the album African Holocaust. Three scenes are particularly moving: first, the band’s excursion to Gory Island to experience the horror enslaved Africans suffered en route to the Middle Passage; second, David Hinds composing "Door of No Return” in the studio; third, interviews with Hinds, Grizzly and Selwyn Brown as they walk around their old neighbourhood of Handsworth, Birmingham. The live footage here is a bit disappointing, as Moreau rarely lets us hear a full song and occasionally the mix is poor. More time spent interviewing bandleader David Hinds and less time spent with backing musicians, monitor technicians and promoters would have resulted in a stronger doc. Plus, the extras menu includes several minutes of tedious personal tributes to the band from various minor industry folk.