MOVIE REVIEW: BANE - "HOLDING THESE MOMENTS"
Review by Joe Calixto
Growing up, we are introduced to a plethora of different things, from fashion to movies to sports to lifestyles, subcultures, and the list goes on. But all of us can almost agree that music has got to be the one that takes the cake. Everywhere we go there’s music present, from the overhead speakers of McDonald’s, to the ones playing in your cab ride to work, that new Limp Bizkit cassette your classmate has been blasting in his walkman, the 10GB worth of random shit you had on your iPod classic, to the local shows you go to or the endless hours of FuseTV or (Old) MTV, there’s always something humming a tune. And some of these accidental encounters become our favorite bands/artists.
That’s exactly how I bumped into Bane. Admittedly, I was sorta late to the party, since I grew up in a somewhat rural part of the Philippines. I was into skateboarding and all my friends were into punk and hardcore. The first Bane record that I was introduced to was ‘Give Blood’ and ‘Some Came Running’ was that song that just stuck with me. And that’s where my love for this band started.
Fast forward to 2014, Bane dropped their final record, ‘Don’t Wait Up’. With rumors of the band calling it a day and in 2016, they announced their FINAL tour.
As a fan of the band for over 13 years at that point, I made sure I got to see them one last time. I was living in the Bay Area then and what better way to bid farewell to Bane than to see them at 924 Gilman. But that’s a story for a different time. While I was there, I did notice a couple of people filming with pro-gear, and being the nosey/friendly photographer I was, I asked one of them whats it for. That someone was Dan Elswick, director of what was gonna be one of the most anticipated documentaries in punk and hardcore.
In October 2020, “Holding These Moments” was released for the world to see. Clocking in at 110 mins, the documentary offered an incredible insight on not only Bane’s final tour, but also an insight into their humble beginnings.
But the best part of the doc in my opinion is seeing and hearing what other people had to say about the band. People from all over the world, from friends to fans, hearing memories, and how a band from New England have affected them just hit me right in the heart.
Another thing that stuck out from this film is how much the band opened themselves up and made themselves vulnerable, to tell their story, of the highs and lows of being in this band. Seeing that makes me realize that even the people we look up to are just like you and me. Mad props to them for that.
I’ve seen so many documentaries in my time, and what I like about Holding These Moments is that there’s not really a dull moment. Even if it’s just a montage of photos, these photos are so well curated that you can still feel some sort of energy from these stills.
I’ve honestly rewatched this doc about 5 times since it came out and I couldn’t stress this enough that Dan did such an incredible job gathering all these old tour/camcorders and filming all the final tour footage from shows, including the final show footage that destroyed me, and b-roll just made for such a fucking great film.
This documentary definitely takes us on an adventure through the hardcore scene with a band that’s been around for 21 years, family, friendship, life, death, touring extensively, and calling it a day in the sickest way possible.
We asked the director Dan Elswick a question regarding the movie: “Why is the documentary so f**king sick. Dan Elswick’s response was, “Hahahahaha. We made it that way".
Bane will always hold a place in my heart and I definitely miss them dearly and knowing this documentary exists is a testament to the impact this band has brought to people all throughout the world.
Did I cry watching this? ABSO-F**KING-LUTELY.
Watch the video now via Amazone Prime by clicking here! For the film’s website, click here!
