A fitting tribute to the TV channel that burned so briefly, but so brightly!
If we really had to make one criticism of ‘P-Rock: The Doc’, it would be that it has somewhat niche appeal. If you weren’t into UK punk around late 2002/early 2003, then names like 4Ft Fingers, Sonic Boom Six, and Whitmore probably won’t mean much to you, and hence this documentary won’t resonate as much as it could have. You should still watch it anyway, though; mainly because it’s a great David-vs-Goliath story (in true punk tradition!), and also because there’s plenty of great music within.
One word: love. Much of the documentary feels like a love letter to the scene that spawned it; be it the fans’ enthusiasm, the bands reminiscing about touring and promoting their music in a pre-YouTube world, or the founders of P-Rock itself talking about their formative punk experiences or the numerous obstacles they willingly overcame to get (and keep) the channel on air. The latter freely admit that they were winging it pretty much throughout the channel’s all-too-brief existence; we won’t spoil it for you by going into details, but suffice to say that they must have been blessed with balls of steel and the patience of saints to make it all happen.
Much of the documentary is made up of interviews, but there’s also some entertaining cut-and-paste style animation (again, in true punk tradition!), set to a soundtrack of various bands that found a home on P-Rock back in the day. It’s crazy to think that the channel was only on air for a few months, but after watching this documentary, you’ll be amazed that it ever came into being in the first place – so heavily were the odds stacked against it.
The DVD comes with some compelling extras, including a ‘behind the scenes’ interview with producer and director Alex Shipman, who goes into detail about the challenges of both making the documentary and taking it out on tour around the UK. Throw in some amusing documentary outtakes and various P-Rock era bands discussing how they originally formed – and their favourite videos – and you have at least a good two and a half hours of quality viewing!
The documentary is dedicated to P-Rock co-founder (and Moon Ska Europe head honcho) Lol Pryor, who sadly passed away in 2022. He was no doubt proud of what he, Mark and Russell achieved with P-Rock, and he’d no doubt be humbled by the gratitude of the bands featured within this superb documentary. P-Rock made a difference, for sure, and ‘P-Rock: The Doc’ is a fitting tribute. Here’s to all involved!
‘P-Rock: The Doc’ is out now – order the DVD (and merch) HERE.
Follow P-Rock: The Doc on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album review: ‘Needs Must While The Devil Rides’ – Roadkill Drive-Thru
Roadkill Drive-Thru describe themselves “Like a car crash into a moose, a band you just can’t pigeonhole. A musical fusion brought to you by roadkill-eating
Better Than The Book celebrate Ten Years On at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 5th Feb 2026
DIY ska punk/pop punk Better Than The Book is a music project created by Nick Standing back in 2012. He has since released 1 EP
Album Review : Eastfield are back with a bang, as their new self-titled release draws into the station
Hard-working, train-based band Eastfield are certainly no strangers to the DIY punk scene, and it’s great to see them releasing a brand new self-titled album
Album review: Punk Rock Creatives Podcast – compilation record for charity
The creator of Punk Rock Creatives Podcast – Marie Repulsive – teamed up with Dammit Records to release a compilation album made up of tracks
EP review: Thee Soreheads – ‘I’m Not Your Fucking sex Doll’
Hailing from Montréal, Canada, Thee Soreheads are a dynamic feminist punk band drawing inspiration from iconic acts like Dead Kennedys, Bikini Kill and the high-octane
Album Review : Straight Out Of The Highlands! Bratakus treat us to their brand new album
Formed in 2015, Bratakus consists of two sisters (Brèagha Cuinn on guitar and vocals, Onnagh Cuinn on bass and vocals). This will be the band’s
I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
