The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal was released by Amazon last week and it is MUST WATCH.
I know we as Canadians are blindly in love with The Tragically Hip, so I’d ask any potential international readers of this to take this with a grain of salt. This documentary series is the greatest bio I’ve ever seen in my life. Simply because it made me so proud to be not only a Hip fan, but to be Canadian.
Our international friends will likely be shocked by how much this band meant to us as a nation. But perhaps it will bring a deeper understanding of who we are.
The film is obviously focused on Gord Downie, the iconic frontman. Not only because of his prolific songwriting and showmanship, but likely somewhat due to the fact that it was directed by his brother Mike Downie. But come on…of course it’s heavily geared toward Gord. But the rest of the band got their due as well.
But the doc doesn’t always show Gord in a glowing light. At one point it shows Gord seemingly team up with Bob Rock in an effort to alienate the rest of the band and bring in hired guns to record back up vocals. The conflict within the group isn’t sugar coated as much as I thought it would be. However, it’s not Motley Crue like conflict. Because they’re Canadian, its slightly veiled in nicety.
The band formed mostly as friends which makes them even more endearing. It also makes Gord’s final prognosis hit even harder in the end. It gives a better idea as to how it effected everyone including the band. Robbie Baker even pointing out that he wasn’t only mourning the loss of Gord, but the loss of the band.
Mark my words, you will cry. The last episode hits hard. Just as hard as it did the night of their last performance. Watch it!