Chicago cult-punk band Savage Beliefs never really fit in with the surrounding area's hardcore contingency, even though guitarist Brian Gay from Washington DC hardcore legends Government Issue was an original member. A favorite of notorious Chicago angst icon Steve Albini, who apparently even "cried" when the band broke up, bassist Dave Riley would even go as far as to join Albini's Big Black after Savage Beliefs called it a day, forming yet another crucial connection to the emerging punk framework of Chicago's disconnected scene. Despite only issuing one 7" EP during their brief existence, the band was offered an important spot on the influential Middle Of America Compilation (as well as an official retrospective nod on the You Weren't There Chicago punk documentary film soundtrack), they made the necessary waves to ignite a fanatical following, who would soon find themselves heartbroken at the extremely brief tenure the band existed within.
Carefully gnawing at the fraying edges of hardcore's limitations by 1983, Savage Beliefs walked a thin line between aggression and melodic punk tension, similar to favorites Naked Raygun, but with the personality and good taste to stay far from those ever-persevering vocal incantations, yet they still evaded a wider following outside of the city limits. But time is kind to those who were smart enough to make their art despite the feedback, and luckliy for you, there's been an unearthed Savage Beliefs movie, yes an actual film with characters and a plot, to assuage your longing for a simpler time when hardcore was young and still had all of it's pimples. The good folks at Regressive Films have restored this long-lost punk movie and it's everything you've been looking for in classic punk cinema, full of cheap trashies, fake drugs, and all the other good stuff that makes these primitive films click so well.
But that's not all, not only is this film seeing the light of day after 32 years, it's also going to be publicly shown at Logan Theater with a live performance by Savage Beliefs as well, this Friday September 9th. The band kicks off at 7PM and the film premieres finally on the big screen at 10PM, so check out the trailer below and don't miss this spectacle of classic punk cinema art, a film and live show for only $8.50, you won't be sorry!
SAVAGE BELIEFS TRAILER 9-2016 from Regressive Films on Vimeo.
