1981   UK Urgh! A Music War
Urgh! A Music War Image Cover
Additional Images
Director:Derek Burbidge
Studio:Lorimar Productions
IMDb Rating:7.7 (412 votes)
Genre:Concert Film
Duration:96 min
Languages:English
IMDb:0138902
Amazon:B002WJHBEU
Search:NetflixYouTube
Derek Burbidge  ...  (Director)
  ...  (Writer)
 
Sting  ...  Himself - The Police vocalist / bassist (as The Police)
Andy Summers  ...  Himself -The Police guitarist (as The Police)
Stewart Copeland  ...  Himself - The Police drummer (as The Police)
Toyah Willcox  ...  Herself
Joel Bogen  ...  Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Charlie Francis  ...  Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Pete Bush  ...  Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
Steve Bray  ...  Himself - Toyah Wilcox's backing band
John Cooper Clarke  ...  Himself
Stan Ridgway  ...  Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Chas T. Gray  ...  Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Bruce Moreland  ...  Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Marc Moreland  ...  Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Joe Nanini  ...  Himself (as Wall of Voodoo)
Andy McCluskey  ...  Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Paul Humphreys  ...  Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
David A. Hughes  ...  Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Malcolm Holmes  ...  Himself (as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)
Gene October  ...  Himself (as Chelsea)
Barry Smith  ...  Himself (as Chelsea)
Mike Howell  ...  Himself (as Chelsea)
Chris Bashford  ...  Himself (as Chelsea)
Steve Ace  ...  Himself (as Chelsea)
Danny Elfman  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Steve Bartek  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Sam Phipps  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Dale Turner  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Richard Gibbs  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Leon Scheorman  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Kerry Hatch  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
David Eagle  ...  Himself (as Oingo Boingo)
Will Sergeant  ...  Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Ian McCulloch  ...  Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Les Pattinson  ...  Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Pete DeFreitas  ...  Himself (as Echo & the Bunnymen)
Jools Holland  ...  Himself
Andy Partridge  ...  Himself (as XTC)
Terry Chambers  ...  Himself (as XTC)
Colin Moulding  ...  Himself (as XTC)
Dave Gregory  ...  Himself (as XTC)
Klaus Nomi  ...  Himself
Julie Berger  ...  Herself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
April Lang  ...  Herself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Jon Cobert  ...  Himself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Scott Woody  ...  Himself (as Klaus Nomi's band)
Rick Rasouh  ...  Rick Pascual
Daniel Beassy  ...  Daniel Elfassy
James Little  ...  Himself (as Jim Solar)
Spizz  ...  Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
C.P. Snare  ...  Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Mark Coalfield  ...  Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Dave Scott  ...  Himself (as Athletico Spizz 80)
Belinda Carlisle  ...  Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Jane Wiedlin  ...  Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Margot Olaverra  ...  Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Gina Schock  ...  Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Charlotte Caffey  ...  Herself (as The Go-Gos)
Jello Biafra  ...  Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
East Bay Ray  ...  Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
Klaus Flouride  ...  Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
Bruce Slesinger  ...  Himself (as Dead Kennedys)
David Hinds  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Selwyn Brown  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Steve Nisbett  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Ronald McQueen  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Phonso Martin  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Basil Gabbidon  ...  Himself (as Steel Pulse)
Gary Numan  ...  Himself
Russell Bell  ...  Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Paul Gardener  ...  Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Roger Mason  ...  Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Ced Sharpley  ...  Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Chris Rime  ...  Himself - Gary Numan's backing band
Joan Jett  ...  Herself
Howard Devoto  ...  Himself (as Magazine)
Barry Adamson  ...  Himself (as Magazine)
John Doyle  ...  Himself (as Magazine)
Dave Formula  ...  Himself (as Magazine)
Robin Simon  ...  Himself (as Magazine)
Dennis Dragon  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Drew Steele  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Ray Ban  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Mark the Shark  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Bill Dale  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Andrew Jackson  ...  Himself (as Surf Punks)
Nicky Tesco  ...  Himself (as Members)
Chris Payne  ...  Himself (as Members)
J.C. Mainman  ...  Himself (as Members)
Nigel Bennett  ...  Himself (as Members)
Adrian Lilywhite  ...  Himself (as Members)
Lesley Woods  ...  Herself (as Au Pairs)
Paul Foad  ...  Himself (as Au Pairs)
Jane Munro  ...  Herself (as Au Pairs)
Pete Hammond  ...  Himself (as Au Pairs)
Lux Interior  ...  Himself (as The Cramps)
Nick Knox  ...  Himself (as The Cramps)
Poison Ivy Rorschach  ...  Herself - The Cramps guitarist (as The Cramps)
David Thomas  ...  Himself (as Pere Ubu)
Mark Mothersbaugh  ...  Himself (as Devo)
Gerald V. Casale  ...  Himself (as Devo)
Alan Myers  ...  Himself (as Devo)
Robert Mothersbaugh  ...  Himself
Bob Casale  ...  Himself
Randy Stodola  ...  Himself (as Alley Cats)
Dianne Chai  ...  Himself (as Alley Cats)
John McCarty  ...  Himself (as Alley Cats)
John Otway  ...  Himself
Alan Ofter  ...  Himself - John Otway's band
Steve Bodon  ...  Himself - John Otway's band
Mark Freeman  ...  Himself - John Otway's band
Jon King  ...  Himself (as Gang of Four)
Andy Gill  ...  Himself (as Gang of Four)
Dave Allen  ...  Himself (as Gang of Four)
Hugo Burnham  ...  Himself (as Gang of Four)
Nick Cash  ...  Himself (as 999)
Guy Days  ...  Himself (as 999)
Jon Watson  ...  Himself (as 999)
Pablo LaBritain  ...  Himself (as 999)
Peter Zaremba  ...  Himself (as Fleshtones)
Keith Streng  ...  Himself (as Fleshtones)
Jan Marek Pakulski  ...  Himself (as Fleshtones)
Bill Milhizer  ...  Himself (as Fleshtones)
John Doe  ...  Himself (as X)
Billy Zoom  ...  Himself (as X)
D.J. Bonebrake  ...  Himself (as X)
Exene Cervenka  ...  Herself (as X)
Jim Skafish  ...  Himself (as Skafish)
Barbie Goodrich  ...  Herself (as Skafish)
Ken Bronowski  ...  Himself (as Skafish)
Javier Cruz  ...  Himself (as Skafish)
Larry Mysliewiec  ...  Himself (as Skafish)
Jim Brown  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Robin Campbell  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Norman Hassan  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Michael Virtue  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Ali Campbell  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Earl Falconer  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Brian Travers  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Astro  ...  Himself (as UB40)
Julien Griensnatch  ...  Himself (as The Cramps)
999  ...  Themselves
The Alley Cats  ...  Themselves
Chelsea  ...  Themselves
The Cramps  ...  Themselves
Dead Kennedys  ...  Themselves
Devo  ...  Themselves
Echo & The Bunnymen  ...  Themselves
The Fleshtones  ...  Themselves
Gang of Four  ...  Themselves
The Go-Gos  ...  Themselves
Oingo Boingo  ...  Themselves
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark  ...  Themselves
The Police  ...  Themselves
Surf Punks  ...  Themselves
Steel Pulse  ...  Themselves
UB40  ...  Themselves
Wall of Voodoo  ...  Themselves
X.  ...  Themselves
Comments: A masterpiece picture captures what the music scene was like in 1981. This is when (some) punks started wearing white shirts and skinny black ties and the art crowd got dirty and they all mixed together creating mutual influence. You can tell a musical scene is healthy when you film 34 bands from all over the map and every performance kicks total ass. Even the Go-Go's are good here. If you think Devo was just some weirdo quirk band, they rock harder than almost any one in this film. The 2 minute Gang of Four performance will leave you speechless. And so, probably, will The Cramps, although it might be Klaus Nomi who steals the show.

1 The Police – "Driven to Tears"
2 Wall of Voodoo – "Back in Flesh"
3 Toyah Willcox – "Danced"
4 John Cooper Clarke – "Health Fanatic"
5 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay"
6 Chelsea – "I'm on Fire"
7 Oingo Boingo – "Ain't This the Life"
8 Echo & the Bunnymen – "The Puppet"
9 Jools Holland – "Foolish I Know"
10 XTC – "Respectable Street"
11 Klaus Nomi – "Total Eclipse"
12 Athletico Spizz 80 – "Clocks Are Big; Machines Are Heavy/Where's Captain Kirk?"
13 The Go-Go's – "We Got the Beat"
14 Dead Kennedys – "Bleed for Me"
15 Steel Pulse – "Ku Klux Klan"
16 Gary Numan – "Down in the Park"
17 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation"
18 Magazine – "Model Worker"
19 Surf Punks – "My Beach"

1 The Members – "Offshore Banking Business"
2 Au Pairs – "Come Again"
3 The Cramps – "Tear It Up"
4 Invisible Sex – "Valium"
5 Pere Ubu – "Birdies"
6 Devo – "Uncontrollable Urge"
7 The Alley Cats – "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore"
8 John Otway – "Cheryl's Going Home"
9 Gang of Four – "He'd Send in the Army"
10 999 – "Homicide"
11 The Fleshtones – "Shadowline"
12 X – "Beyond and Back"
13 Skafish – "Sign of the Cross"
14 Splodgenessabounds – "Two Little Boys"
15 UB40 – "Madame Medusa"
16 The Police – "Roxanne"
17 The Police – "So Lonely"
18 Klaus Nomi – "Aria" ("Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Camille Saint-Saëns' opera


Summary: Punk, New Wave, Reggae and Techno bands from Europe and the US recorded live in several locations in 1980. The biggest names on the bill are the Police and UB 40 but every performance is a jewel, a time capsule of the influenced and the influential in rock music right up to today.

1. Driven to Tears - The Police
2. Back in Flesh - Wall of Voodoo
3. Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres
4. Ain't This the Life - Oingo Boingo
5. Respectable Street - XTC
6. We Got the Beat - The Go-Go's
7. Total Eclipse - Klaus Nomi
8. Foolish I Know - Jools Holland
9. Ku Klux Klan - Steel Pulse
10. Uncontrollable Urge - Devo
11. Puppet - Echo & the Bunnymen
12. Tear It Up - The Cramps
13. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
14. Birdies - Pere Ubu
15. Down in the Park - Gary Numan
16. Shadow Line - The Fleshtones
17. He'd Send in the Army - Gang of Four
18. Homicide - 999
19. Beyond and Back - X
20. Model Worker - Magazine
21. Sign of the Cross - Skafish

Bonus CD Track Listing:
1. Dance - Toyah Willcox
2. Health Fanatic - John Cooper Clarke
3. I'm On Fire - Chelsea
4. Where's Captain Kirk - Athletico Spizz 80
5. Bleed For Me - Dead Kennedys
6. Go Home - Surf Punks
7. Offshore Banking Business - The Members
8. Come Again - Au Pairs
9. Valium - Invisible Sex
10. Nothing Means Nothing Anymore - The Alley Cats
11. Cheryl's Going Home - John Otway
12. Two little Boys - SplodgenessAbounds
13. Madame Medusa - UB40
14. Roxanne - The Police
15. So Lonely - The Police


Search: AmazonMRQERoviWikipediaMetacritic