By Steve Newton
Today Prime Video released the official trailer for The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, a four-part documentary directed by Mike Downie, older brother of late Hip frontman Gord Downie.
The 256-minute film will premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival next month before its release on Prime.
“Director Mike Downie assembles The Tragically Hip for an emotional look at the origin, impact, and legacy of the band that defined Canada, to the world and to itself,” reads the description on the TIFF website.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the documentary because, not only am I a huge Hip fan, but Mike Downie has used some of the audio from my interviews with his brother that I did between 1989 and 1996.
“This project is a labour of love,” says Downie in a press release, “with personal and unseen footage from the band’s 40-year history. We set out to understand what held the band together, what pushed them apart and how they captured the hearts and minds of so many fans both in Canada and around the world.”
To hear the full audio of my uncut, one-on-one interviews with Gord Downie from 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1996, subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 500 of my conversations with rockers since 1982.