Patrik Fitzgerald - 'All The Years Of Trying'

This evening we went to see 'All The Years Of Trying', the documentary about Patrik Fitzgerald by Dom Shaw, as part of the Raindance Film Festival. The subtitle, 'An Ode To Patrik Fitzgerald', tells you all you need to know about this being a labour of love to an old hero.

Before the film started we were treated to a mini-gig in the cinema by Attila The Stockbroker (who is interviewed in the film) and Scrappy Hood from Milk Kan, with Scrappy doing some acoustic songs (including the new single, 'God With An iPod' that sounded interested) and Attila mainly doing some of his poems and a version of Patrik's 'Backstreet Boys'. That was a nice way to start the evening.

The film itself lasts for just over an hour and is a mix of interviews, old footage of Patrik and some more recent concert material from the last few years. Who would've guessed that Garry Bushell was a Patrik fan? Or that Benjamin Zephaniah credits Patrik with helping him decide to become a poet and move to London? It just goes to show that you don't always know who's lives you touch and how that touch might affect people. I don't know why, but I still remember missing Patrik play the Oranges and Lemons pub by one day in Oxford in 1978 or 1979 - I've missed loads of gigs in my life but that's one miss that sticks in my memory.

The film wasn't of the highest quality, it must be said, either sound or vision, but, for this film, a pristeen and high digital feel would have been totally wrong. Patrik was on Small Wonder Records and part of the 'do-it-yourself' movement so a slick documentary would have been *so* wrong. It also matched most of the older footage and the photos of Patrik which all looked like they were from newspaper clippings or record covers. The look and feel of the film worked for me.

The highlight of the film was, of course, seeing Patrik play live in London a few years ago and in Norway at a celebration of his work. It was quite touching and nostalgic at the same time. I loved seeing and hearing some of those old songs and, a couple of times, wanted to break out in applause at the end of a song like I would at a live gig. And I'm not ashamed to say there was a tear in my eye a couple of times. It's odd that some of his songs, like 'All My Friends Are Dead Now' and 'All The Years Of Trying' were written years ago but could be recent songs from an older man looking back on his youth. They were quite poignant.

I particularly liked hearing Patrik sing 'All The Years Of Trying', a song that starts off with him singing about almost making it but his records not selling as many as the record company hoping they would. The second verse goes:

'But you did sell some records, sold them to the ones who wanted them
Who treasured them and keep them with their other souvenirs
Never to be sold...'

... and I thought he was singing to us in the audience who remember him.

If you get the chance to see the film then go and see it. See a spirit undimmed by the years, someone who does it for the love of doing it rather than fame or money. It would be great fun to see Patrik play in London - and I wouldn't miss the gig by one day this time!