Slade in Flame + Noddy Holder

Fifty years after it bewildered many of Slade’s teenage fans, this wonderfully grubby, offbeat snapshot of British rock‘n’roll is back on the big screen thanks to a new BFI restoration. That in itself would be exciting enough, but it’s a privilege to mark the occasion with one of the film’s stars and a musical legend: Mr Noddy Holder.

The eponymous Flame definitely bear a passing resemblance to Slade, although many of the stories here apparently happened to other bands. Writer Andrew Birkin and director Richard Loncraine both joined the group on a US tour and recorded their tales of slapstick gigs and ripoff merchants, then used this as raw material for the script. The result is one of the most honest, scathing movie portrayals of this crazy business we call show.

What elevates it though are the performances of the band members, who turned out to be naturals in front of the camera. Connoisseurs will also tell you that this was one of their finest moments musically, with a soundtrack that includes the peerless How Does It Feel?

Noddy Holder will join us after the screening, to reflect on his big-screen debut fifty years on and take questions from the audience.

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