Bunch of Kunst

Sweary and unapologetic ‘Bunch of Kunst’ is director Christine Franz’s documentary about the unlikely rise of two forty-year old men into one of the UK’s most vital bands of the last few decades – The Sleaford Mods.

’…a perfectly matched documentary…'

Sitting down to watch this movie, you rapidly discover that the Sleaford Mods are are all about unpretentious authenticity – and in this regard ’Buch of Kunst’ is a perfectly matched documentary for the band. 

From the early days of performing to literally one man and his dog in a local pub, front man Jason Williamson’s infectious invectives perfectly counter balance to Andrew Fearn’s drone-based beats. With their tales and observations of austerity Britain as seen from the council estates of Nottingham, the band start to strike a vibrant chord with later audiences. Mirroring their fan’s frustrations and angsts, the Sleaford Mod’s ranting vocals steadily propel them into a wider, public consciousness and all the attention that goes with it. 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. 

Like most overnight successes, this duo were years-in-the-making and to the credit of the filmmakers, ‘Bunch of Kunst’ properly reflects that by also focussing on the people who gave vital oxygen to the band… namely their bus-driving manager Steve Underwood and Jason’s babe-in-arms wife.

Rounded out with refreshingly few muso-celebrity nods (Iggy Pop and Geoff Barrow from Portishead amongst others), ‘Bunch of Kunst’ is a music documentary that thankfully doesn’t turn into a gushingly anecdotal I-knew-them-when movie. Instead it hits you hard with the band’s furious music whilst surprising you with the its tender observations. 

Reading other reviews, some have suggested that ‘Bunch of Kunst’ is this generation’s ‘The Filth and The Fury’. With apologies to Julien temple, it’s not. Its much, much better than that.