5 More Killer Music Docos You Can Watch For Free Right Now

As music fanatics, there’s one thing we love almost as much as the live experience, and that’s a compelling music documentary.

Every often we scour the internet to piece together a nice shortlist of music inspired docos that you can watch at home, whether it be a focus on up-and-coming artists, the story of the greatest names in music, industry focused pieces or just oddities of musicians, we strive to provide you with something interesting that you may not have seen before.

In saying that, we’ve got more brilliant docos we think you’re really going to dig, so kick back, relax, and enjoy some top-tier music edutainment from the comfort of your desktop… unless of course you’re at work, in which case bookmark and watch later at your leisure.

You’re Gonna Miss Me (2006, Dir: Keven McAlester)

Through his work with the legendary 13th Floor Elevators and his prolific solo career, Roky Erickson has become a folk hero of popular music. But the story of this creative pioneer is also one wrought with sadness, tragedy, poverty, and isolation.

Deftly directed by Keven McAlester (Last Days In Vietnam), You’re Gonna Miss Me covers Erickson’s doomed rise to rock icon status, detailing his infamous LSD abuse, struggles with schizophrenia, and the 1969 marijuana arrest that toppled one of the most promising careers in rock.

Irrevocably changed by a stay at Austin State Hospital and Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he kept busy forming a band comprised of murderers and sex offenders, You’re Gonna Miss Me is ultimately a story of redemption and the great American comeback.

We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen (2005, Dir: Tim Irwin)

While the ’80s US hardcore punk scene birthed more than its fair share of iconic exponents, the Minutemen were one of its most revered and prodigious. With a prolific output and an instinctual knowledge of what it meant to be DIY and punk, the Minutemen were as beloved as they were influential.

This poignant film by director Tim Irwin and producer Keith Schieron features interviews from the people who were there, including Ian MacKaye, Flea, Henry Rollins, and Thurston Moore, and is packed with extensive archival concert and interview footage of the Minutemen.

Essential viewing for anyone interested in punk, independent music, or the DIY philosophy, We Jam Econo covers the rise of Mike Watt, D Boon, and George Hurley as they plot their own course in the world of punk rock that meets a tragic end.

What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music (2014, Dir: Ralf Schmerberg)

In celebration of their 15th anniversary, Red Bull Music Academy have teamed up with award-winning director Ralf Schmerberg to create a full-length feature film that attempts to get to the root of the tumults and triumphs of a life devoted to one thing – music.

What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music features interviews with legends like Brian Eno, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers, Richie Hawtin, James Murphy, and many more, all talking about the ups and downs that link every musician.

Shot during the 2013 Red Bull Music Academy in New York and produced by Schmerberg’s Berlin-based artist collective Mindpirates, the film may focus on the creative process of making music, but the questions it ultimately ends up asking are about life itself.

Sex, Drugs & Techno – A Novel Story (2015, Dir: Ned Donohoe / Ed Gurr)

Having worked with the likes of Daniel Avery, Kele, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, Modeselektor, Delano Smith, Ame, and Dixon, Melbourne-based boutique music touring agency Novel know a thing or two about how to throw an awesome party.

Over the summer of 2015, the agency had their entire event season captured to create this quality mini-documentary, Sex, Drugs & Techno – A Novel Story, which gives punters a behind-the-scenes insight into the world of running events.

Sex, Drugs & Techno is there for it all, from the dance floor to racing international artists to their next flight. It’s a look into the logistics and tireless work that goes into bringing the best international artists to Australian shores and providing unforgettable experiences for Aussie punters.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988, Dir: Penelope Spheeris)

Having covered the then-burgeoning hardcore punk movement in 1981’s The Decline of Western Civilization, director Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World) decided there was only one scene vital enough and dirty enough to carry a sequel – the heavy metal revolution that was exploding in LA.

Covering the infamous debauchery, excess, passion, and timeless music of the Los Angeles heavy metal scene from 1986 to 1988, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years features now legendary interviews with Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Paul Stanley, and Steven Tyler.

But while it’s Spheeris’ interviews with bonafide rock gods that are the most talked about, it’s that scenes that delve into the insular heavy metal subculture — the young hopeful bands, the club bouncers, the unwavering fans — that the film starts to beckon you into this bustling world.