Ride, Rise, Roar

2010 David Byrne concert film directed by Hillman Curtis

Ride, Rise, Roar

A film poster for Ride, Rise, Roar

Directed by| Hillman Curtis
Produced by|

* Will Schluter
* Ben Wolf (co-producer)

Starring| David Byrne
Cinematography| Ben Wolf
Edited by| Matt Boyd
Hillman Curtis
Music by| David Byrne
Brian Eno

Production
company

Hillmancurtis Films

Distributed by| A-Film (Benelux)
Kaleidoscope (UK and Ireland)
Umbrella Entertainment (Australia)
Uplink (Japan)

Release date

* March 15, 2010 (2010-03-15) (SXSW)

Running time

| 87:00
Country| United States
Language| English

Ride, Rise, Roar is a documentary film chronicling the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour conducted by David Byrne in 2008–2009. The film includes concert footage, footage of the planning and rehearsals for the tour, and exclusive interviews with Byrne, Eno, and the supporting musicians and dancers.[1]

## Production

[edit]

Curtis initially proposed documenting the tour with no clear objective for the film and decided to focus on the collaboration between Byrne and his tour mates as well as the unique challenge of combining popular music with modern dance.[2] Byrne wanted the film to display what it takes to put on a concert.[3]

## Release

[edit]

The film was released to the 2010 film festival circuit,[4] with the debut at South by Southwest on March 15, 2010,[5] where it was screened in all three media categories—film, interactive, and music.[6] Following this, it was displayed by the Seattle International Film Festival[7] and Silverdocs. The film is the feature-length directorial debut by Hillman Curtis[8]—who also worked on the short film that accompanies the deluxe edition of the Byrne–Eno album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.[9] Byrne attended some British screenings for question and answer sessions.[10]

## Reception

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 9 critics.[11] Most positive reviews were restrained: for instance, The Quietus called the film "handsome albeit conventional";[12] writing for The Guardian, Andrew Pulver noted that it was a "pretty straightforward concert movie" and gave the film three out of five stars, but criticized Curtis' direction for using bland shots.[13] A negative review from The Stranger's Christopher Frizzelle advised potential viewers to "run in the other direction" due to the poor choreography and dull interviews.[14] The Independent's Anthony Quinn found the choreography unacceptable as well as Byrne's arrangement and song selection.[15] Other reviews—such as Empire's Phil de Semlyen—preferred the emphasis on dance and found the choreography enjoyable.[16] A complaint of several reviewers[17] was the lack of uninterrupted musical performances, with interview clips cutting short the live footage.[18]

Comparisons with the 1984 Talking Heads documentary Stop Making Sense were inevitable[19]—The Seattle Times even dubbed this a "sequel"[20]—and reviews universally found the former film to be stronger.[16] For instance, View London considers Ride, Rise, Roar entertaining, but "not on the level of classica rockumentaries", whereas Stop Making Sense is "generally reckoned to be one of the best concert movies ever made."[21] Time Out Chicago's assessment of Hillman Curtis acknowledges the "challenging position" that he was in by being compared to Jonathan Demme's direction, but sums up the review by calling the film "a very satisfying experience."[22]

## Songs

[edit]

Byrne onstage during the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno tour.

The movie includes performances of the following songs:

* "Once in a Lifetime" (David Byrne, Brian Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth)
* "Life Is Long" (Byrne and Eno)
* "I Zimbra" (Byrne, Eno, and Hugo Ball)
* "Road to Nowhere" (Byrne)
* "One Fine Day" (Byrne and Eno)
* "The Great Curve" (Byrne, Eno, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth)
* "My Big Nurse" (Byrne and Eno)
* "Burning Down the House" (Byrne, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth)
* "Houses in Motion" (Byrne, Eno, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth)
* "Air" (Byrne)
* "Life During Wartime" (Byrne, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth)
* "Heaven" (Byrne and Harrison)
* "I Feel My Stuff" (Byrne and Eno)
* "Everything That Happens" (Byrne and Eno)

## Personnel

[edit]

* David Byrne – voice and guitar
* Mark De Gli Antoni – keyboards
* Paul Frazier – bass guitar
* Graham Hawthorne – drums
* Mauro Refosco – percussion, acoustic guitar
* Redray Frazier – background vocals, acoustic guitar
* Kaïssa – background vocals
* Jenni Muldaur – background vocals
* Lily Baldwin – dancing
* Natalie Kuhn – dancing
* Steven Reker – dancing

Additional appearances as interviewees (not on stage)

* David Whitehead – David Byrne's manager
* Annie-B. Parson – choreography ("I Zimbra")
* Sonya Robbins and Layla Childs a.k.a. Robbinschilds Dance – choreography ("The Great Curve")
* Noémie Lafrance – choreography ("I Feel My Stuff")
* Brian Eno – co-composer

## See also

[edit]

* Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
* Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour
* Everything That Happens Will Happen on This Tour – David Byrne on Tour: Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bailey, Rachel (26 February 2010). "David Byrne to Premiere Tour Documentary at SXSW". Paste. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
2. ^ "David Hillman Curtis; Director — Ride, Rise, Roar". Public Broadcasting Service. 13 March 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
3. ^ MacInnes, Paul; Barnes, Henry (26 May 2011). "David Byrne on Ride, Rise, Roar: 'There has to be an energy' - video". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
4. ^ "Screenings :: Ride, Rise, Roar". Hillman Curtis. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
5. ^ Garcia, Chris (3 February 2010). "Austin Movie Blog". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
6. ^ "South by Southwest to Feature The Low Anthem, Christina Courtin, Carolina Chocolate Drops, New David Byrne Documentary". Nonesuch Records. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
7. ^ "Films & Events". Seattle International Film Festival. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
8. ^ Eisen, Benjy (25 February 2010). "New David Byrne Documentary Will Screen at SXSW". Spinner.com. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
9. ^ Breihan, Tom (25 February 2010). "David Byrne Tour Chronicled in Doc". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
10. ^ Byrne, David (21 January 2011). "1.21.11 – London". David Byrne. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
11. ^ "Ride, Rise, Roar". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
12. ^ Dalton, Stephen (24 May 2010). "South By South West Festival: Music on Film Roundup". The Quietus. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
13. ^ Pulver, Andrew (13 January 2011). "Ride, Rise, Roar – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
14. ^ Frizelle, Christopher (10 June 2010). "Seattle — Ride, Rise, Roar Reviews and Showtimes — Seattle Movie Theaters, Showtimes and Reviews, SIFF Listings and Reviews". The Stranger. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
15. ^ Quinn, Anthony (14 January 2011). "Ride, Rise, Roar (12A)". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
16. ^ a b Semlyen, Phil de (January 2011). "Ride, Rise, Roar". Empire. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
17. ^ Staunton, Terry (January 2011). "Ride, Rise, Roar film review — Radio Times". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
18. ^ Harley, Kevin (28 January 2011). "Film Reviews: Ride, Rise, Roar". Total Film. Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
19. ^ Renovitch, James (19 May 2010). "SXSW Film: Daily reviews and interviews". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
20. ^ S., J. (28 May 2010). "May 29 at SIFF: Actress America Ferrera, author/director Sebastian Junger visit film festival". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
21. ^ Turner, Matthew (20 January 2011). "Ride, Rise, Roar (12A)". View London. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
22. ^ Sartin, Hank (6 May 2010). "SXSW Film Festival: Day 4". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved 12 June 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Film trailer
* British promotional site
* Ride, Rise, Roar at IMDb
* Ride, Rise, Roar at the TCM Movie Database

* v
* t
* e

David Byrne

* Awards and nominations
* Discography

Studio albums|

* My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (with Brian Eno)
* Rei Momo
* Uh-Oh
* David Byrne
* Feelings
* Look into the Eyeball
* Grown Backwards
* Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (with Brian Eno)
* Love This Giant (with St. Vincent)
* American Utopia
* Who Is the Sky? (with Ghost Train Orchestra)

Live albums|

* David Byrne Live at Union Chapel
* Live from Austin, TX
* Live at Carnegie Hall

Soundtrack albums|

* The Catherine Wheel
* Music for "The Knee Plays"
* Sounds from True Stories
* The Last Emperor
* The Forest
* In Spite of Wishing and Wanting
* Lead Us Not into Temptation
* Big Love: Hymnal
* Here Lies Love (with Fatboy Slim)

Remix albums|

* The Visible Man

Singles|

* "The Jezebel Spirit"
* "Like Humans Do"
* "Strange Overtones"

Featured singles|

* "Lazy"
* "Toe Jam"

Concert tours|

* Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour
* Love This Giant Tour

Other works|

* True Stories
* Playing the Building
* How Music Works

Related articles|

* Talking Heads
* Luaka Bop
* Ride, Rise, Roar
* American Utopia

* v
* t
* e

Brian Eno

* Discography

Solo studio albums|

* Here Come the Warm Jets
* Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
* Another Green World
* Discreet Music
* Before and After Science
* Ambient 1: Music for Airports
* Music for Films
* Ambient 4: On Land
* Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
* Thursday Afternoon
* Textures
* Nerve Net
* The Shutov Assembly
* Neroli
* The Drop
* Extracts from Music for White Cube
* Lightness: Music for the Marble Palace
* I Dormienti
* Kite Stories
* Music for Civic Recovery Centre
* Compact Forest Proposal
* January 07003-Bell Studies
* Another Day on Earth
* Lux
* The Ship
* Reflection
* ForeverAndEverNoMore

Collaborative studio albums|

* (No Pussyfooting)
* Evening Star
* Cluster & Eno
* After the Heat
* Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror
* Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics
* Ambient 3: Day of Radiance
* My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
* The Pearl
* Hybrid
* Wrong Way Up
* Wah Wah
* Original Soundtracks 1
* Music for Onmyo-Ji
* Drawn from Life
* The Equatorial Stars
* Beyond Even (The Cotswold Gnomes)
* Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
* Someday World
* High Life
* Finding Shore
* Mixing Colours
* Secret Life
* Luminal
* Lateral

Compilation albums|

* More Blank Than Frank/Desert Island Selection
* More Music for Films
* Curiosities Volume 1

Songs|

* "Baby's on Fire"
* "The Jezebel Spirit"
* "King's Lead Hat"
* "Strange Overtones"
* "Third Uncle"

Software|

* 77 Million Paintings
* Bloom

Tours|

* Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour

Publications|

* More Dark Than Shark
* A Year with Swollen Appendices
* I Dormienti

Related articles|

* Ambient music
* Roxy Music
* Fripp & Eno
* 801
* Berlin Trilogy
* Obscure Records
* Oblique Strategies
* No New York
* Begegnungen
* Begegnungen II
* Old Land
* Music for Films III
* Generative music
* Koan
* Long Now Foundation
* Neverwhere
* Eno (1973)
* Eno (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Other production (by artist)

John Cale|

* Fear
* Words for the Dying

Robert Calvert|

* Lucky Leif and the Longships

Gavin Bryars|

* The Sinking of the Titanic

Ultravox!|

* Ultravox!

David Bowie|

* Low
* "Heroes"
* Lodger
* Outside

Talking Heads|

* More Songs About Buildings and Food
* Fear of Music
* Remain in Light

Gavin Bryars & John White|

* Machine Music

Harold Budd|

* The Pavilion of Dreams

Devo|

* Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

Laraaji|

* Ambient 3: Day of Radiance

Jon Hassell|

* Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World Volume Two

U2|

* The Unforgettable Fire
* The Joshua Tree
* Achtung Baby
* Zooropa
* Original Soundtracks 1
* No Line on the Horizon

James|

* Laid
* Wah Wah
* Millionaires
* Pleased to Meet You

Laurie Anderson|

* Bright Red

Sinéad O'Connor|

* Faith and Courage

Sikter|

* Now, Always, Never

Coldplay|

* Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
* Mylo Xyloto

Grace Jones|

* Hurricane

Other collaborations|

* June 1, 1974
* Lady June's Linguistic Leprosy
* Spinner
* Tracks and Traces
* Small Craft on a Milk Sea
* Drums Between the Bells

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template