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1991: The Year Punk Broke

1992 documentary film by Dave Markey


1992 documentary film by Dave Markey

FieldValue
name1991: The Year Punk Broke
imageYearpunkbroke.jpg
captionVHS box cover of 1991: The Year Punk Broke
directorDave Markey
producerWe Got Power Productions
Sonic Life
musicSonic Youth
Nirvana
Dinosaur Jr
Babes in Toyland
Gumball
The Ramones
distributorTara Films
released
runtime95 minutes
countryUnited States
languageEnglish

Sonic Life Nirvana Dinosaur Jr Babes in Toyland Gumball The Ramones

1991: The Year Punk Broke, released theatrically in 1992, is a documentary directed by Dave Markey, featuring American alternative rock band Sonic Youth on tour in Europe in 1991. While Sonic Youth is the focus of the documentary, the film also gives attention to Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland, Gumball and the Ramones. Also featured in the film are Mark Arm, Dan Peters and Matt Lukin of Mudhoney, and roadie Joe Cole, who was murdered in a robbery three months after the tour ended. The film is dedicated to Cole.

Several scenes in the film involve re-enactments and references to scenes from the Madonna tour documentary Truth or Dare, such as Gordon complaining about "industry people" in the front row, or Cobain, introduced as "Costner", telling Sonic Youth that their show was "neat". At a screening of the film at the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, New York, Markey mentioned that the working title for the film was Tooth or Hair, as a further play on this connection.

Cast

;Sonic Youth

  • Kim Gordon
  • Thurston Moore
  • Lee Ranaldo
  • Steve Shelley

;Babes in Toyland

  • Lori Barbero
  • Kat Bjelland
  • Michelle Leon

;Dinosaur Jr.

  • Mike Johnson
  • J Mascis
  • Murph

;Gumball

  • Don Fleming
  • Jay Spiegel
  • Eric Vermillion

;Mudhoney

  • Mark Arm
  • Matt Lukin
  • Dan Peters

;Nirvana

  • Kurt Cobain
  • Dave Grohl
  • Krist Novoselic

;Ramones

  • C. J. Ramone
  • Joey Ramone
  • Johnny Ramone
  • Marky Ramone

;Others

  • Nic Close
  • Joe Cole
  • Dave Kendall
  • Courtney Love
  • Dave Markey
  • Craig Montgomery
  • Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü
  • Susanne Sasic
  • Peter Van Der Velde – tour manager
  • Dave Evans – driver

Songs included in the film

The songs included in the film are:

  1. Sonic Youth – "Schizophrenia"
  2. Nirvana – "Negative Creep"
  3. Sonic Youth – "Brother James"
  4. Nirvana – "School"
  5. Sonic Youth – "Teen Age Riot"
  6. Dinosaur Jr. – "Freak Scene"
  7. Babes In Toyland – "Dust Cake Boy"
  8. Sonic Youth – "Dirty Boots"
  9. Nirvana – "Endless, Nameless"
  10. Sonic Youth – "I Love Her All The Time"
  11. Gumball – "Pre"
  12. Dinosaur Jr. – "The Wagon"
  13. Sonic Youth – "Mote"
  14. Nirvana – "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
  15. The Ramones – "Commando"
  16. Sonic Youth – "Kool Thing"
  17. Nirvana – "Polly"
  18. Sonic Youth – "Expressway To Yr. Skull"

Tour dates

The film takes place over the course of Sonic Youth and Nirvana's 1991 European tour. The European dates, given at the beginning of the film, are as follows:

DateCityCountryVenue/Festival
August 20, 1991CorkIrelandSir Henry's
August 21, 1991DublinTop Hat
August 23, 1991ReadingUnited KingdomReading Festival
August 24, 1991CologneGermanyMonsters of Spex Festival – Tanzbrunnen
August 25, 1991HasseltBelgiumPukkelpop
August 27, 1991BremenGermanyÜberschall 91 – Aladin Music Hall
August 28, 1991HalleEasy Schorre
August 29, 1991StuttgartLonghorn Country & Western Saloon
August 30, 1991NurembergSerenadenhof
September 1, 1991RotterdamNetherlandsEin Abend In Wien – De Doelen

Home media

A home video VHS was released by the David Geffen Company on April 13, 1993. The film was again re-released on DVD on September 13, 2011, by the Universal Music Group. In 2012, Nirvana's performance of "Negative Creep" from the release was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel.

Charts

Original 1993 VHS release

Chart (1993)Peak
positionUS Top Music Videos (Billboard)
25

2011 DVD re-release

Chart (2011)Peak
position

References

References

  1. Gaar, Gillian. (September 21, 2023). "11 Reasons Why 1993 Was Nirvana's Big Year". [[GRAMMY.com]].
  2. O'Driscoll, Des. (2021). "Nirvana in Cork: The legendary 1991 gig in Sir Henrys". [[Irish Examiner]].
  3. Pearis, Bill. (August 6, 2021). "'1991: The Year Punk Broke,' '24 Hour Party People' & more showing at 'Screen Slate @ Roxy Cinema' 10th anniversary". [[BrooklynVegan]].
  4. Spitz, Marc. (September 23, 2011). "Generation X In a Time Capsule". [[The New York Times]].
  5. "Sonic Youth - 1991 The Year Punk Broke (DVD)".
  6. Birchmeier, Jason. "1991:The Year Punk Broke". [[AllMusic]].
  7. Mullineaux, Lauren. "1991 The Year Punk Broke Review". [[Contactmusic.com]].
  8. Nirvana. (2012). "Nirvana - Negative Creep (Live In Europe/1991) (Official Music Video)".
  9. (May 8, 1993). "Top Music Videos".
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