It’s been confirmed that Martin Scorsese will direct a concert film in tribute to Robbie Robertson of the Band.
The concert itself - entitled Life Is A Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson - took place last night (17 October) at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles and featured an array of Robertson’s friends and collaborators, including Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Daniel Lanois, Bruce Hornsby, Margo Price, Allison Russell, Mavis Staples, Don Was, Elvis Costello and Lucinda Williams.
Scorsese, of course, directed The Last Waltz, the famed concert film centred around the Band’s supposed ‘farewell’ performance at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in November 1976. That was a similarly star-studded affair that came to be seen in retrospect as the end of an era – the long '60s and the decade's attendant counter culture. Few at the time could have foreseen that all those involved - Robertson, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and indeed the Band, who resumed touring in 1983 - would have many more decades of music-making ahead of them.
After The Last Waltz, Scorsese and Robertson enjoyed a long and fruitful working relationship. The musician scored a succession of Scorsese’s feature films, including Raging Bull, Casino, The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Irishman and Killers Of The Flower Moon, which was completed before his death in August 2023, aged 80.
The veteran director is clearly on something of a roll regarding music-related projects at present. It was announced earlier this week that he is producing a new Beatles documentary, Beatles ‘64, that is set to be screened by Disney+ at the end of next month.
According to its official description, the new doc will “capture the electrifying moment of The Beatles’ first visit to America” over 60 years ago.
It adds: “Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, the film gives a rare glimpse into when The Beatles became the most influential and beloved band of all time."
