After the Screaming Stops

Charming melange of Spinal Tap, David Brent and People Do Nothing which is compulsive viewing even for anyone who imagines that a Bros reunion gig is the last thing they fancy witnessing.

There are only two reasons to watch this documentary. You are a Brosette from the 1980s or you heard that this was a real life Spinal Tap mockumentary.

It is obvious that a lot of footage here has been contrived. Matt and Luke might have fallen out several decades ago but negotiations must have taken place between the brothers for them to: a) reunite for a special series of concerts and b) to be followed by a documentary crew.

What the documentary crew captured was how unaware the two brothers are, especially Matt. My wife just burst out giggling with some of the stuff the brothers came out with.

'This area's for conversations.'

'I made a conscious decision because of Stevie Wonder. To not be superstitious.'

All of it without any irony.

Bros were the next big boy band to emerge after Wham called it a day. Their best known song was 'When Will I be Famous?' Their fame lasted for exactly 15 minutes. The band consisted of twins Matt & Luke Goss as well as Craig Logan the bass player. We see some footage of Craig but he really has been airbrushed out of Bros history.

Ironically Craig who quit the band at the height of their brief fame is the most successful one as a music executive.

Matt is a crooner who pretends to be Frank Sinatra in the lounge of a Las Vegas hotel. His audience probably consists of middle aged British Bros fans and their exasperated husbands. Luke managed to carve a niche as a straight to DVD action star.

The brothers were hoping that there is enough nostalgia out there for Bros to have a long series of nights at the O2 but the shows only lasted two nights. I guess those tickets did not fly off the shelves.

Just see the brothers when they are not arguing, going through their set list for the upcoming tour. They debate what they should leave out. Hold on you only had three hit songs!

Watch it for all the wrong reasons.

Great honesty shown by the identical twins, one apparently bald, one apparently sporting a full head of hair. They suffer from full on Gallagher and Davies syndrome. Yet their articulacy goes against the expected grain of a boyband. Great respect for allowing this to be exhibited, really wish I had gone to the O2 reunion now!

I watched this doc on BBC iPlayer over Christmas - you really don't need to have previous knowledge of Bros to enjoy this. If you appreciate Spinal Tap, David Brent, Alan Partridge etc you'll love this. And it's real.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

A music documentary about a band you have little emotional investment in is a big ask, especially when it's tracking their comeback. But this documentary is something different; for a start, love or hate their music, Bros were (for a short time) a genuine cultural force for those of us who were becoming aware of music in the 1980s. And, as this documentary makes clear, they make for unexpectedly entertaining subjects; it's not quite clear if this is deliberate or inadvertent (I tend to the latter). But this is a film full of endlessly quotable, genuinely laugh out loud moments; if's downright funnier than most comedies. For the most part Matt and Luke are the only voices we hear; and despite the humour, there are also some moments that are clearly moving; especially when they talk about the deaths of their sister and, later, their mother. The big London comeback gig - which the film builds up to - serves as a moment of genuine cathartic release for band and viewer alike; and though I still have no affection for their music, there's a sense of deeper appreciation for the people behind the music - even as I laugh at them.