Made In Sheffield - The Birth of Electronic Pop (Slackjaw Films)

Repackaged beautifully by The Designers Republic, this is a welcome DVD transfer for Eve Wood’s fascinating documentary about the late 70s Sheffield electronic scene.

If you need a history lesson – on how sparks flew out of a baron industrial climate creating some of pop’s most influential music – or just want to revel archive footage and anecdotes then this is a must buy. The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17, ABC (and their legendary Vice Versa ‘prequel’) all feature prominently. To say nothing of some more obscure names – like I’m So Hollow and John Peel favourites Artery – hitherto only talked about in indie 7” collector circles also get a long overdue platform.

Wood takes just under an hour to guide you through how in the late 70s guitars were trashed and – in the true spirit of punk – anyone with an idea or vision jumped up on stage and used keyboards and synthesizers to make themselves heard. From the first art school twiddlings of Humnan League the story closes just as ABC take to the stage to perform on Top Of The Pops. It’s a compelling story although the inclusion of more guitar-oriented groups like The Extras and even Pulp is disorienting, even if they do offer valuable insights into Sheffield band life.

As well as a gallery of very rare photos, DVD extras include crystal clear early footage of Vice Versa right at the moment they were about to go into a cocoon and come out the other side as ABC. Pitifully short but the kind of stuff collectors have been waiting to see for years. The only material you’ll find over-familiar is interviews with Phil Oakey and his Human League band mates – they seem to be permanently on TV these days on ‘Top Ten This’ or ‘I Love That’!