The story of a British rock band, Flame, who were brought together from two other bands to create a British success story - for a while, at least. Three quarters of the band played as backing for past it singer Jack Daniels (Alan Lake), with drummer Charlie (Don Powell) joining last, but after one fateful night which saw Daniels' rival Stoker (Noddy Holder) have his horror-themed act sabotaged there was nearly a fight that was avoided when Daniels crashed his car. Stoker and company came to the rescue, and the rest was history...
Once they'd been released from the overnight police station cells, that is. British rock films had come a long way since the sixties, where it seemed almost every beat group worth their salt were plonked in front of a camera to preserve their joie de vivre on cellluloid. But come the seventies, the mood had changed, and while glam rock spawned a Marc Bolan movie and throwaway titles like Never Too Young To Rock or Side By Side, it was more likely to present performers suffering the trials and tribulations of the music industry, becoming utterly disillusioned along the way. The most successful of these was probably the David Essex vehicle Stardust, but if anything Flame has garnered more respect over the years.
The only film starring glam rock megastars Slade is certainly not a Hard Day's Night-style romp, but a downbeat, bitter tale of corruption in the music industry where making good music was a secondary concern (if that) to making money and lots of it. Going against Slade's light-hearted image, film lacked any of the gloss or romanticism that even some of the most cynical rock movies carry, so much so that by the regretful finale nobody, whether the heroes of the band or the villains of the men holding the purse strings, feels the benefit of having been involved in the business we call show. Indeed, after this they'll have another, coarser word or two for the business.
The band members act surprisingly well, with Noddy Holder in particular a real natural on screen, providing the story with a few early laughs as it begins, looking like its reputation as a gloomfest is undeserved. But don't be fooled, as the members of Flame gradually have the excitement drained from them thanks to dirty dealings behind the scenes that they only have a weak grasp of. Rich businessman Robert Seymour (Tom Conti, making his film debut after over a decade of stage and television work) decides he wants to invest in a scheme which Flame seem the best option for, and he is willing to use underhand methods to ensure that everything goes his way, though even that doesn't bloom into anything promising after the dust has settled.
The class difference between the group and the money men taking them on is emphasised at every opportunity, which can be amusing but starts to grow dispiriting after a while. Yet for a film that rubs your nose in the grime, there are highlights, which include Noddy's Screaming Jay Hawkins impersonation (or is it Screaming Lord Sutch?) at the opening, the pirate radio interview with actual DJ Tommy Vance that ends in a hail of bullets, and Dave Hill trying to buy a car, all holding enough entertainment value to make this worth watching. Then there's the music, ranging from the pretty good, the kind of stompers that you'd expect from Slade, to the more reflective numbers like How Does It Feel? which runs through the movie, and Far Far Away, one of the band's greatest songs that is done true justice here in these surroundings. If it's not going to cheer you up particularly, it does prove diverting for a host of reasons.
Capable British director who moves between film and television. Slade movie Flame was his first credit, then horror Full Circle and Dennis Potter adaptation Brimstone and Treacle were next. Michael Palin comedy The Missionary and the superb version of Shakespeare's Richard III were well received, as was his TV drama about Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm. He then had a hit with romantic Britcom Wimbledon.
