Private Project

King Rocker

Comedian Stewart Lee, and director Michael Cumming (Brass Eye, Toast of London), investigate a missing piece of punk history: Robert Lloyd, best known for fronting cult Birmingham bands The Prefects and The Nightingales, has survived under the radar for over four decades. But how, if at all, does Robert want to be remembered? The anti-rockumentary King Rocker weaves the story of Birmingham’s undervalued underdog autodidact into that of the city’s forgotten public sculpture of King Kong, eschewing the celebrity interview and archive-raid approach for a free-associating bricolage of Indian food, bewildered chefs, vegetable gardening, prescription medicines, pop stardom and pop art.

“Rapidly shaping up as one of my all-time favourite rock-docs”
Mark Kermode

“Looking at my timeline has made me believe the whole country is watching King Rocker”
Robin Ince

“The film is ace, the band are ace and Rob is a remarkable man”
Marc Riley

“King Rocker finds beauty, heroism and even a whiff of transcendence in the most unlikely places.
I loved it”
Mark Kermode
BBC News

“Unsurprisingly hilarious”
David Baddiel

“it’s got great charm, it’s a lovely film”, “it’s just a great human story about the narrative arch of someone’s life”, “it’s warm, it’s funny, it’s fascinating”
Radcliffe & Maconie
BBC 6 Music

“It’s a wonderful homage to and a portrait of a true outsider artist, and an inspiring comeback story that in the already boiling maelstrom of 2021 feels profoundly necessary.”
The Quietus

“The Jarvis Cocker that never happened”
The Guardian

Pick Of The Day
“Ferociously Entertaining”
MOJO

(Voted #2 Film Of The Year)
“Lloyds chemistry with Lee is the cornerstone of its charm”
Radio Times

“A charming and experimental documentary”
The Observer
Pick Of The Day

“charming, amusing and creatively inspiring documentary”
Chortle

“Lee tells Lloyds story with skill, passion and verve”
The Times

“The best music documentary I’ve seen in ten years… I absolutely love King Rocker”
John Doran, The Quietus

  • Michael Cumming
    Director
    Brass Eye, Oxide Ghosts, Toast Of London
  • Stewart Lee
    Writer
    Stewart Lees Comedy Vehicle
  • James Nicholls
    Producer
    The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, The Ballad Of Shirley Collins
  • Frank Skinner
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Robert Lloyd
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Stewart Lee
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Robin Askwith
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Samira Ahmed
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Kevin Eldon
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Music, Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 3, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    75,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Sheffield Doc Fest
    Sheffield
    United Kingdom
    June 5, 2021
Director Biography - Michael Cumming

Michael is a British director and filmmaker. He is best known for directing comedy shows such as Brass Eye, The Mark Thomas Product, Snuff Box, The Mark Steel Lectures, The Omid Djalili Show and Toast Of London.

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