{image1}"What if you finally got your big break and you just plain sucked?" That's the tagline for the new Australian film, "Garage Days," about a rock and roll band trying to make it big down under.
Freddy (Kick Gurry), who at times looks alarmingly like David Spade, has dreams of being a big-time rock star. He's got a band in Sydney that also includes his pixie-cute girlfriend -- and bassist -- Tanya (Pia Miranda), his long-time pal Joe (Brett Stiller) and drummer Lucy (Chris Sadrinna), who, to feed his drug habits, knocks over pharmacies when not pounding the skins.
Bruno (Russell Dykstra) is their luckless manager/roadie and Kate (Maya Stange), Joe's girlfriend, is always around and has begun to contribute lyrics.
But love triangles begin to emerge and while Joe is having an affair it seems like Kate and Freddy will begin one. This, of course, angers Tanya, who finds satisfaction in new areas.
Meanwhile, their group -- we never hear any of their music -- is struggling to get some gigs. Then they're trying to get gigs that don't suck. Then they're trying to attract the attention of a major music manager.
Writer and director Alex Proyas puts together a quick-cut, cool effects-laden film that looks more like a music video than a feature film and, sadly, the plot and character development is about as good as what can be had in the latest four-minute MTV musical vignette.
The rock and roll aspects never rise above cliches and the portrayals of drug use are a bit too whimsical at times.
Joe's story, which is not the featured one, is the most engaging one, for its dabbling in mental illness. Ironically, it's also the funniest one as he buys a melon as a child substitute and begins carrying "Melly" around everywhere and changing its dirty nappy.
But will the band ever get its big break or will internal struggles get in the way? Even if they got a break, would they be any good? Bah! Who cares?
If you've got two spare hours, spend it trying to write your own screenplay instead of seeing "Garage Days."
"Garage Days" is out now on DVD and video.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
