Rock the Bells

Any hip-hop concert promoter with big ambitions should be required to watch Rock the Bells before putting the wheels in motion in hopes of making their dream show a reality. In 2004, Chang Weisberg of Guerrilla Union started to realise that he had the opportunity to get all nine members of the Wu-Tang Clan on the same stage for his "Rock the Bells” extravaganza. The legendary event happened and Chang got his wish, but the events documented in this movie show the backstage circus that resulted from ridiculously poor planning are almost hard to watch, at times. Tickets must have been bought with scepticism but thousands literally tear down the gates as Chang and his crew run around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to get a cracked-out ODB out of his dressing room, locate opening act Redman just a few minutes before his set, endure incredibly annoying opening performances (including Sage Francis), as well as trying to deal with the thousands of angry ticket holders who have been waiting in line for hours. Rock the Bells is a well-made documentary about a poorly organised event, which makes for a highly entertaining watch, especially when you know that it all worked out in the end. The movie and DVD are both absent of the actual Wu-Tang performance (peep the Wu-Tang concert DVD for the madness) but there’s no shortage of talking heads from the Wu and the people who love them via the usual deleted scenes and one-on-one interviews. With this being the last ODB performance before his death, there’s talk about his legacy, as well as some unpleasant observations about his last days through the eyes of his bodyguard. Definitely an essential DVD for fans of Wu-Tang this is also well worth watching for anyone curious to see how messed up putting on a hip-hop show can get. Plus: commentary track.