It Might Get Loud

So the basic premise of this uber cool documentary is what will happen when you take three world class and quite different guitarists and lock them together in a big old warehouse. In fact that sounds more like some battling reality show then what this movie is really like. “It Might Get Loud” features legendary classic rock guitarist Jimmy page from “Led Zeppelin”, the atmospheric soundscape building guitarist The Edge from U2 and extremely experimentally raw guitarist Jack White from “The White Stripes’. Quite possibly three of the most influential guitarists within the past three generations of electric guitarists. Page, Edge and White have each played their part in helping to shape the direction and style of guitar playing within the past five decades. 

At first you get the feeling that this could end up either a battle or an ego stroking display, however the interaction between these legends quickly becomes real and deep as they play through riffs and songs together sitting in this makeshift lounge in the middle of a big empty warehouse. These jamming and chat sessions are spread amongst some nice on location documentary styled background as each of the three takes the viewer back to a place of significance in their musical journey. For the Edge it’s back to school, where we get to see the very notice board where the infamous “Do you wanna be in a band?” notice was pinned up by one very young Larry Mullins Jnr back in the seventies. For Jimmy page it is off back to Headley Grange where parts of Led Zeppelin IV was recorded. (For those of you who don’t know this is a huge country stone house that was commandeered by the band and utilised for recording. Then of course you follow Jack White back to his weird kind of semi run down country home in mid America, where he is working with a younger version of himself. This kid dresses like him, seems to be also called Jack, but the guitar battles rage on, as White’s passion for music is passed on to a new generation.

Whether you are a musician, guitar band enthusiast or just enjoy a good documentary. “It might get loud” is captivating as you watch three very different types of people both emotionally and musically get to know each other and interact not only on a musical level but also on a personal level.

Thoroughly captivating cinema…



Reviewed by: Jon E Clist
Releases: 26th December @ the Academy
Rating: PG contains low level offensive language
Running time: 97 minutes
Genre: Music Documentary
Starring: The Edge, Jimmy Page & Jack White
Director: Davis Guggenheim