AllMovie

One of the most powerful and revolutionary American rock bands of all time, the MC5 came out of Detroit with hard-driving twin-guitar attack, a potent blend of hard rock, psychedelia, and free jazz, and a militant political stance that insured their ideas were every bit as provocative as their music. While the band were infamous in their heyday, they never broke through to the mass audience outside of their hometown, but proved to be massively influential in the years following their breakup. In 2002, the three surviving members of the group -- guitarist Wayne Kramer, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson -- played a special concert at London's 100 Club, in which they played a set of classic MC5 tunes with the help of some notable guests. MC5: Sonic Revolution -- A Celebration of the MC5 features Ian Astbury of the Cult, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Dave Vanian of the Damned, Nicke Royale of the Hellacopters, and others joining Kramer, Davis, and Thompson for a rip-roaring trip through the MC5 songbook. The film also includes archival footage of the MC5 in their prime, including U.S. government surveillance film of their performance at the protests which coincided with the 1968 Democratic National Convention.