Oil City Confidential

Welcome to Canvey Island/Essex, 1970’s England and the greatest local band in the world! Oil City Confidential is a feature length film noir rockumentary about Dr. Feelgood, a band that crashed out of Canvey Island and punched the face of rock n’ roll in the process.
Directed by cult director Julien Temple, it is a prequel to his landmark films The Filth & The Fury (about the Sex Pistols) and The Future Is Unwritten (about Joe Strummer). It is also the last film in the trilogy on British music from the 1970’s.

In typical Temple style, Oil City Confidential intercuts interviews and concert clips with footage of post-war Canvey Island as well as the London music scene in the 70’s, thus examining the social conditions of the time. In addition, clips from gritty film noir movies like Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out (1947) are included to further emphasize the political and cultural climate of the time.

The film begins with ex-Dr. Feelgood songwriter/guitarist Wilko Johnson talking about his childhood memories, his musical influences and how the band was formed – all illustrated via archive clips and personal photographs. From the band’s humble beginnings to first successes within London’s pub-rock circuit and a subsequent NME cover story, from drug-induced trips to places like India and career-defining trips to New York City where The Ramones opened for them, from the gradual fall-out with band frontman Lee Brilleaux to solo projects - this is rock n’ roll history at its best. Oil City Confidential won the ‘Cult Award For Best International Film’ at the Turin Film Festival, while director Julien Temple collected the ‘Best Film At The Mojo Awards’ this June, and it is easy to see why.

Extras include ‘Director’s Commentary’, Wilko Johnson outtakes as well as a lengthy interview with the late Lee Brilleaux.
It should also be mentioned that the DVD’s release date coincides with Wilko’s birthday (he was born on July 12th, 1947). Happy Birthday, Wilko!