Rock Till We Drop, review: pensioners' battle of the bands is the feelgood hit of the year
Sometimes a programme comes along brimming with the feel-good factor. This is what you get with Rock Till We Drop (BBC Two), a show with bags of heart and an irresistible premise: assembling a band of musicians aged 65 and over, who never made the big time in their youth but now have the chance to play at the Isle of Wight Festival.
Ostensibly there is a competition element, because that’s what television demands these days, although it’s irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. There are actually two bands being put together here, one managed by Spandau Ballet’s eternally handsome Martin Kemp, the other by the bubbly rapper Lady Leshurr. They begin this project only eight weeks ahead of the festival, which will no doubt inject a certain amount of stress into the rehearsal period.
But this first episode was all about the auditions, and hearing the hopefuls explain their reasons for applying. Rosemary, 80, abandoned a singing career as a young woman after a manager made unwanted advances. Her mother told her to pack her bags and come home; Rosemary ended up working at Marks & Spencer “but there’s always been, ‘I wonder if…’”
Martin, 67, in his bandana and shades, was surely Britain’s most rock’n’roll postman. Jimmy, 65, once performed with Tina Turner but events conspired against him. Retired music teacher Carol, 72, used to be bassist in a band called Jenny and the Heartbeats, after answering an ad in Melody Maker. And Philadelphia-born Leburn, 64, now a busker in Bath, once opened for Marvin Gaye; crack cocaine derailed his career. “I’m getting on in years… you start feeling like a has-been, but I still want to be,” he said plaintively.
Kemp and Leshurr set about their task with sincerity and enthusiasm. Perhaps too much of it: Kemp’s heart often rules his head, as his friend and music director Toby Chapman put it, which led to him choosing 95-year-old Roy on drums. Mind you, Roy is a mean drummer.
Some were shy. Others – like Martin the postman, who walked into his audition and joked about fancying a vodka – were born for the stage. It was uplifting to see all of them giving it their best shot. And it was a lesson for any young person tempted to dismiss the old: every elderly person you see has had a far more interesting life than you imagine.
A preview of next week’s episode suggested arguments ahead, but hopefully things won’t reach Oasis levels. I can’t wait to see them on stage. In the words of Eileen, 80 years young and a fan of Led Zeppelin: “Let’s rock!”