4 Interesting Music Documentaries You Can Watch on YouTube

If you’re looking to further your knowledge of music, why not try a hyper-specific documentary film? There are so many music documentaries out there, but here are just four interesting films that provide behind-the-scenes looks at heavy metal, punk, and indie rock. There’s also a Leonard Cohen tour film. Additionally, all of these films can be watched for free on YouTube. Take a look if you want to discover the birth of indie rock, or the trials and tribulations of Leonard Cohen’s 1974 tour, or the vibrancy of heavy metal youth.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot, 1986

This short film was directed by Jeff Krulik in 1986. Essentially, it was more of a sociological study of heavy metal fans. The film focuses on Judas Priest fans who were tailgating outside of a venue in Maryland, waiting for the show. We still see things like this today, with people lining up outside an arena or a festival in the wee hours of the morning to be the first ones inside. This film is an exploration of youth culture, particularly in the heavy metal scene. Kids in this circle were often misunderstood and ridiculed, but this documentary shines a light on the innocence of their youth and their love of heavy metal.

1991: The Year That Punk Broke, 1991

The Year That Punk Broke is essentially Dave Markey’s documentary film diary of the up-and-coming indie rock scene. It features Sonic Youth, Nirvana, The Ramones, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland, and Gumball on a festival circuit. The film captures wild, rowdy, and groundbreaking moments during the surge of indie rock. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth provided his own footage as well, documenting everything that went down during the European festival tour, warts and all. This documentary is an interesting look at a turning point for rock and is a must-watch for fans.

Leonard Cohen: Bird On A Wire, 1974

In 1974, Leonard Cohen had a concert documentary film made during his European tour. However, the footage sat in storage until 2009, when it was finally released under the editing of director Tony Palmer. The film opens with a riot at a Tel Aviv show near the conclusion of the tour. It then travels back through other moments that occurred; some are strange, some are unfortunate, and some are downright worrisome. Cohen faces pushy fans, or technical difficulties threaten to shut down the tour, or a woman attempts to seduce Cohen. For anyone who appreciates Leonard Cohen’s cool, collected demeanor as well as his genius lyricism, this documentary film is for you.

The Birth of Punk Islam: Taqwacore, 2009

This documentary dives deep into two concepts that seem like they shouldn’t fit together, but do: punk rock and Islam. Directed by Omar Majeed and filmed from 2007 to 2009, this film follows Michael Muhammad Knight, who converted to Islam in his teens, and his friends who form various Taqwacore bands. The term Taqwacore refers to Muslim punk bands that rail against the strictness of their religion and culture. They call out dichotomies, hypocrisy, and imbalance with their music. Essentially, the very nature of punk.

Bands featured include The Kominas, a Pakistani punk band from Boston; Al-Thawra, an Arab band from Chicago; and Secret Trial Five, an all-female punk group from Canada. Knight and his friends in The Kominas travel by renovated school bus across the U.S. They meet the other Muslim punks and create a close-knit community on the fringes of religion, culture, and music. Concepts in this documentary are further explored in the fictional series We Are Lady Parts, which follows the exploits and misadventures of an all-female Muslim punk band.

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