Live Forever takes the viewer on a journey back to Britain in the mid-90s, revitalised with hope of a new government and revisiting the gigs, pubs and the drugs – acting as an exploration of the musical and cultural phenomenon known as Britpop.
The scope of Live Forever is undeniably limited. Its interviewees are few and far between and huge parts of the British music scene during this period are vacant due to their absence, however by managing to secure both Gallagher brothers, Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn, it succeeds in getting some of the most interesting characters and thus proves to be a more entertaining ride than a thorough one. Using The Stone Roses’ infamous Spike Island show as a pinnacle for the birth of the movement in 1990, it goes on to trace the seminal albums completed in the ensuing eight years; although only choosing to focus on those available for interview, so only essentially covering: Pulp, Oasis, Blur and the most un-Britpop group - Massive Attack - no real time spent on Suede, Supergrass, Elastica, The Auteurs, Sleeper, Menswear etc.
For what the documentary lacks in definitive or authoritative tone on the era itself, it makes up for in laughs galore. Listening to Liam Gallagher retell his childhood days of stealing peoples clothes from washing lines and lawnmowers from gardens, only to be asked "What did you spend the money on?" tilting his head back and exhaling deeply on a cigarette - “weed” he drawls. The most interesting elements come when you compare and contrast between the four central figures in the film, Liam Gallagher is still full of testosterone, attitude and swagger (his reaction to being called androgynous is a particular highlight). Noel, slightly more laid back and humorous, still allows his ego to shine through, both by having digs at Blur and the fact he is interviewed in what can only be described as a throne for most of the film. Jarvis plays the wise old wizard figure, sitting on a bed in a Sheffield council estate, speaking slowly and thoughtfully as he muses and often cringes on days of old. Damon Albarn sits in a pub, plucking a ukulele and generally being a little defensive and pretentious, but still insightful.
The social commentators on the movement outside of the musicians involved really only rely on music critic John Savage and Loaded editor James Brown, the latter of which spends most of the time bragging about his Champagne and Cocaine days at the lads mag, along with at one point claiming that basically America and its music are rubbish; a painfully ignorant and plain stupid assertion that rules out one of the most prominent times for underground and mainstream American music in history. His commentary and self-fulfilled authoritative nature on the movement and music involved is quite irritating at times, Loaded somehow being treated as though it was something more than a glorified smut-rag that shifted units by putting naked women on its cover month in month out. Either way, there seems to be a focus on the rise and shift towards ‘lad culture’ during this period and within the Britpop genre itself, quite odd really considering you had frontmen like Brett Anderson and Jarvis Cocker, the gyrating embodiment of camp itself.
The film is often hilarious, be it through anecdotal tales told, Liam’s love for S Club Juniors or through the scenes with Wonderwall - an Oasis tribute band who are interviewed and captured performing throughout. While this is far from a defining document of Britpop and the musical movements of the 1990s, it is an utterly entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud film that gives a snapshot of just how big Britain was for a while in that period. Excellent DVD extras too, including Liam Gallagher talking seriously about the fact that he is John Lennon reincarnated, not even thinking for one second that they have lived in the same lifetime.