Channel 4 has revealed details of a documentary that will chronicle Tony Blair’s time as the singer in a student band he fronted while studying Law at St John’sThe hour long ’rockumentary’, entitled “Tony Blair Rock Star” will portray Blair as a fame-seeking wannabe rock star. In one scene the future Prime Minister, played by actor Christian Brassington, is depicted sporting leopardskin Y-fronts and very little else. The programme is a mix of documentary and
reconstruction, featuring interviews with the band’s Oxford friends and groupies.A spokesman from Channel 4 said that although the documentary had not been filmed on location in Oxford, Blair will be shown practising guitar in his room at St John’s through the “magic of television”. Blair’s Oxford band, Ugly Rumours, will also feature.The band only played a handful of gigs, including one at St John’s itself. In March 2003 Blair admitted in an interview that he had harboured real hopes of becoming a professional musician, saying “It wasn’t just a mere dalliance – it was a bit more than that for me.”Indie Music Society President Mark Taylor believes that the Oxford student music scene is not a natural proving ground for future statesmen, commenting, “Political apathy grips the [student music] scene – certainly the days of Ugly Rumours are long gone.” He added, “John Colgan, the drummer [from a band named] November, is OULD Treasurer, he’s the most likely person from the current Oxford student music scene to climb the greasy pole.”The Oxford University Labour Club matched IMSoc’s sentiments. While their members are reportedly interested in music, none look set to follow Blair’s career path to the premiership via rock-stardom. Jack Graves, OULC co-chair, added, “The PM has set a high bar in terms of musical talent, although Ugly Rumours was more a case of ‘hair today, gone tomorrow’. I hope OULC can follow the PM’s lead in going forward not back to being more musically gifted in the coming years.ARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005
Ugly rumours of Blair Rockumentary
