Hastings Carnival Week - Summer Music Season
Under The Volcano
On a remote Caribbean island, under the shadow of an active volcano, the world's biggest recording artists made music and myth that defined an era, in George Martin's studio that nurtured the stars of the MTV era.
Director: Gracie Otto
Cast includes: Features Sting, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Knopfler, Stewart Copeland, Nick Rhodes
Presented as part of Summer Music Season 2023
96 mins / 2021 / Australia
Under the Volcano charts the rise and fall of AIR Studios Montserrat, the recording studio at the centre of the pop universe in the 1980s. Built by Beatles' producer Sir George Martin in 1979, AIR Studios Montserrat was a custom-built, state-of-the-art recording facility tucked away on a Caribbean paradise.
In the shadow of an active volcano, the studio not only attracted the biggest musical talent on the planet, but was the birthplace of mega-hits such as Money for Nothing and Every Breath You Take. For a decade, AIR Montserrat formed the backdrop to monumental events in music history including the break-up of The Police, the reunion of The Rolling Stones, and the reinvigoration of Paul McCartney after the tragic murder of John Lennon.
After a decade of hits, and at the peak of its popularity, the studio was destroyed when the island was hit by a series of devastating natural disasters.
Through personal accounts and backed by a blistering soundtrack, Under the Volcano is the definitive account of George Martin's Studio at the end of the world, a place that generated a perfect storm of talent, technology and isolation, ushering in music that would live on long after the last tape rolled.
"Almost 40 years later, it's hilarious to see Stewart Copeland speak of Sting with still-fresh feelings of exasperation, irritation and admiration." - New York Times
Screening as part of Summer Music Season 2023, presented by music journalist and author, David Quantick. Check out the rest of the films in the series!
This film is F-Rated. The F-Rating is applied to all films which are directed by women and/or written by women. Find out more about F-Rating.
How you can support the Electric Palace:
- Book a ticket to a screening.
- Become an official Friend of the Electric Palace
- Hire the cinema for a private party
- Buy a gift voucher
- Donate to the cinema
- Sign up to receive our enewsletter
- Play our piano before a screening and see the film for free!
- Support us on social media by sharing our posts and events
Thank you.
