Heavy Metal Britannia - BBC 4 , March 5th

RayCon

Sorry if it's been posted before , couldn't see it anywhere :


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r600m


Nigel Planer narrates a documentary which traces the origins and development of British heavy metal from its humble beginnings in the industrialised Midlands to its proud international triumph.

In the late 60s a number of British bands were forging a new kind of sound. Known as hard rock, it was loud, tough, energetic and sometimes dark in outlook. They didn't know it, but Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and, most significantly, Black Sabbath were defining what first became heavy rock and then eventually heavy metal.

Inspired by blues rock, progressive rock, classical music and high energy American rock, they synthesised the sound that would inspire bands like Judas Priest to take metal even further during the 70s.

By the 80s its originators had fallen foul of punk rock, creative stasis or drug and alcohol abuse. But a new wave of British heavy metal was ready to take up the crusade. With the success of bands like Iron Maiden, it went global.

Contributors include Lemmy, Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Saxon's Biff Byford




Full Night's Viewing

21:00–22:30 Heavy Metal Britannia
Documentary which traces the origins and development of British heavy metal. .
22:30–23:00 Heavy Metal Britannia at the BBC
Performances from the BBC archive, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. .
23:00–00:00 Iron Maiden: Live in Concert
A 60-minute concert filmed in different cities around the world in early 2008.
00:00–00:50 Rock Family Trees Series 2, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Black Sabbath have caused outrage with their lifestyles as well as their lyrics. (R)