Friday night I sat curled up on the couch with my wife Shellie, and our newborn child, not yet two weeks old. Having a newborn (we only have one child) has left me with a bit of time to work my way through Netflix’ back catalogue. I particularly enjoy finding films I haven’t seen for years, which Shellie has not seen and introducing her to the wonderful stories within. This night’s choice is a gem that ticked all of the right boxes for me. ‘Almost Famous’ directed by Cameron Crowe is a music drama, not a musical, from the year 2000 and is set in 1973. The film follows a young journalist’s adventure following a touring band throughout America during one of his formative adolescent years. The most well remembered scene in the film shows the band and crew sitting on their tour bus and breaking out into song singing Elton John’s timeless ‘Tiny Dancer‘.
https://youtu.be/_qW9wqUI4Lg?t=97
Throughout the tour tensions within the band grow, jealousy is rampant, and romantic relationships become strained; The climax of the film comes at a point when the collapse of the band seems imminent; the band are flying to their next tour destination when the plane hits a spot of turbulence. A plane crash, and the death of all on board seems likely; and members of the band decide to share their deepest truths.
These two scenes have majorly influenced pop culture. Both forms of transport have their place in the music industry. The humble tour bus harks back to young, hardworking, touring bands, cutting their teeth on the relentless tour circuit, before their global break, here the singalong trope seems natural, as eager musicians are thought to always be at work practicing their craft; The airplane on the other hand recalls tragedy, particularly ‘the day the music died’ when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper were killed, but also the aviation deaths of members of Lynard Skynard; Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist Randy Rhodes; and R&B singer Aaliyah, among others. Just like any scene set in a bathroom during a horror film, a scene on a plane during a music drama suggests danger and death. An aversion to flying due to fear of death amongst touring musicians is a real concern, with many musicians refusing to fly such as Tom Petty who would refuse international tours so he did not have to fly.
Fast forward to 2007. The latest on-screen entertainment to add to the mythology of rock music, Californication comes to television. Set in LA California, a cesspit of smut, narcotics, and of course rock’n’roll. Californication follows Hank Moody, a writer and rock enthusiast who lives in the thick of the entertainment industry. Hank has a few too many vices, he is a walking contradiction, and at times could be described as a lovable scumbag. Throughout the different series of the show Hank is employed to write for a number of situations.
Season 6 of Californication started on January 13, 2013. Hank Moody is hired as a writer by rockstar Atticus Fetch, played by Tim Minchin. In episode six of the season there is a scene on a plane, not dissimilar to the one in ‘Almost Famous’ where the pilot flies into a spot of turbulence, A drugged out Atticus Fetch begins to play ‘Tiny Dancer’, a direct reference to the movie, as all on board the turbulent plane prepare for the worst. In what might be their last moments, there are passengers onboard partaking in anal sex, Hank professing his love, and Atticus writing a pop song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xo3L6UYz_U
Tim Minchin’s character Atticus is a cocaine addicted rock star, possessing all of the flaws of someone who got everything they wanted from a young age. At his essence however, he is a romantic, and writes emotional love songs, such as the one written on the plane. ‘So long (as we are together). The narrator of the song laments the ending of a relationship that was good while it survived. It is left to the listener to guess how the relationship ended. During the scene on the plane it might be assumed that the narrator is saying goodbye as the plane brings him towards his doom, and the end of the relationship.
I don’t know the complete works of Tim Minchin’s career. The first time I had heard of him was from a dvd viewing at a camp, a group of us watched a live concert recording of his comedic songs. His songs and skits were intelligent and very funny, with sometimes quite crass lyrics like ‘Ten Foot Cock & A Few Hundred Virgins’. An early favourite of mine was the contrary but heartfelt love song ‘You grew on me (like a tumor)’. Early in his career it seemed that ultimately Minchin wanted to make you laugh, but underneath the shock of some of his songs is a deep sincerity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69zSx-gwAVM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frNpdG4F9mw
Since seeing this early live performance I have occasionally dipped my toes into his catalogue. It was only last Christmas I first heard the Festive song ‘White wine in the sun’, which will never fail to bring a tear to my eye. As someone who started as a comic musician, in recent years he has made an amazing transition towards more heartfelt pop songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CeY0VdhXK8
In 2020 Tim Minchin put out his first studio album ‘Apart Together’, up until then his musical releases were mostly live performances. The album is what I would call a heartfelt masterpiece. The base comic nature of his early work has gone from this group of songs, there may be a chuckle here and there from the clever word play he uses, but ultimately this is a pop record.
There is no hiding the inspiration that airplanes and airports have had on the creation of this album, ‘Airport Piano’ is a song that has Minchin frantically writing a song before his plane takes off, all the while making observations of other people, but keeping from addressing his own issues that he faces at the other end of his flight. In fact the whole album plays with the idea of distance. Two people in a relationship that are united in being ‘Apart Together’
‘I’ll take lonely tonight’, and ‘The absence of you’, two beautiful love songs about long term relationships that are strained by distance are highlights of this album; but the song that to me ties his career together, is the song: ‘If this plane goes down’.
Somewhat channeling his connection with the character Atticus Fetch, but also his lived reality of being a touring artist who travels between jobs, and family, around the world. ‘If this plane…’ is Minchin at his most honest. He knows that this is a cliché that he is yet again recycling from the bowels of rock music, but in this context it is more of an homage fitting for his brand of pop song and through his use of language and straight delivery he keeps the subject fresh. He talks about his children, his hair, and what happens to his remains after he dies before reaching the underlying sentiment of the song; as a man faced with death he wants his legacy to be remembered:
"Remember me as someone who went down with
Fair results, but grand intent".
As ‘Almost Famous’ ends and the credits roll, Shellie cuddles into my shoulder, and my son coos quietly. I feel I can relate to that sentiment; this is indeed a fair result.https://open.spotify.com/album/6YCnMgVJmq8LXahyWisJbN?si=tzqWn5F4Qr2FO_JruWJO4w&dl_branch=1
