This documentary, while interesting, is a bit of an odd duck, especially for the American market. There are basically three groups of people who will enjoy it; those who were there in England in 1978 (or at one of the previous Knebworth concerts), rock critics and historians, and finally, hard-core fans of Genesis.The film basically shows all the preparations for the one-day event; the setting up of hundreds of port-a-potties ("loos" to the Brits,) the stocking of countless cases of pop and foodstuffs and of course the stage set-up. Intermingled with all of this is interview footage with promoter Freddy Bannister and members of his staff.
As show time draws nearer they're all worried about an impending rainstorm that ends up hitting just as the gates open. The staff is prepared for the rain though, even if the massive crowd isn't, and the show goes off as scheduled.
There is no footage or barely even a mention of any of the opening acts who warmed up for Genesis---Jefferson Starship, Tom Petty, Devo, Roy Harper, Brand X and the Atlanta Rhythm Section. The Genesis footage is very limited too consisting of a sound-check run-through of "Many Too Many" and one song from the evening's performance, "The Lady Lies."
The Genesis line-up at the time was Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford and there are brief interview segments with each included. So this is not for casual Genesis fans; this is for long-time followers of the group who want to see and hear everything they can get their hands on. The documentary tells its story in the short span of thirty minutes; a recent reminiscence with Bannister is tacked on at the end.
