Fred Burns: Basically, Johnny Moped DVD
Fred Burns: Basically, Johnny Moped - The Story of Punk Rock's Great Lost Legend
Year: 2013; Format: Limited DVD
First and foremost I am thankful to a dear friend of mine in the UK for having sent me this limited DVD release as some of us die-hard Johnny Moped fans like myself couldn't wait until finally seeing the light of this documentary. One of the interesting facts about this movie is that the director Fred Burns is the son of Captain Sensible of the Damned, and up until recently Fred had no idea at all about Johnny Moped, a band that is part of his father's musical career. Anyhow, one day before a Crystal Palace game Fred and his dad are at a pub warming up for the game, and Paul Halford aka Johnny Moped enters the scene, much to Fred's amusement, but above all curiosity. The idea to make a documentary about Johnny Moped starts right there and then, and the end result is stunning. The story of this band from Croydon in South London is rich in characters, failures, success, and true punk rock spirit. In my opinion Johnny Moped has always remained a somewhat unsung hero of the first generation punk rockers, but if you are lucky to have ever seen the band live, and that includes the modern days, you know exactly what I am talking about. And I have been lucky enough. As a fan you will not be disappointed by this movie as it will not only provide you with some great early as well as more recent footage, but will also connect all the dots that have been missing in the history of this cult band. I am not sure whether this movie will get an official DVD release, hopefully landing the band a wider fan base and appreciation of its history. I'll go as far as saying that you don't even have to have ever heard of Johnny Moped, and you'll still get a kick out of watching this touching music documentary!
12-21-24: The documentary was on Netflix back in 2022, but I don’t know whether any streaming service is showing it these days. In any case make sure you see it however you can!
