CS Blues

It's Cocksucker Blues of course, a film made of the Rolling Stones on tour in North America, 1972 (at the time of their excellent Exile On Main Street LP). It has acquired considerable cult status, largely on account of the group's reluctance to have it shown - whether because they are portrayed as Satanic Majesties, or just an above-average rock group, is not altogether clear. There is some intravenous use of heroin, not by the principal characters, natch, and some mucking about with groupies. There are also some well composed and shot concert sequences, but what the film does best is present a picture of the mini-society that attached itself to the group at its peak. A pretty dismal society it is, too. For fans this is practically unmissable, but less partisan voyeurs are likely to concur with guitarist Mick Taylor's observation on one of the many dreary drug-taking scenes: 'I've never seen a hotel room filled with such Olympian ecstasy.' He's joking.