The little-known story of of some rock and roll pioneers has just opened in theaters and on VOD. The rockumentary, A Band Called Death spotlights the first Black punk rock band.
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early ’70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field.
But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.
Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family chronicle, the story of Death is one of brotherly love and fierce, divinely inspired expression.
Directed by Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino, the film made its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival last year, screening in competition, and continued to travel the film festival circuit through this year. Drafthouse Films has officially released the doc on VOD, iTunes as well as digital download, and now in theaters.
Check out five new clips of the documentary below: