Wow, they put The Monks on film! Not the devout, religious kind — but, rather, the noisy, garage-band, weird musical kind. The Charleston County Public Library (the main one at 68 Calhoun St.) screens the new film Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback — an internationally awarded new documentary film on the obscure but totally vital and noisy ’60s rock band — on Sat. Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. Filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios (pictured at right with lead singer Gary Burger) released the film in Europe this fall.
The Monks were five American ex-GIs who formed a garage/mod rock band in 1964 in Köln, Germany, wore black robes or suits, and performed with their heads shaved in monk-like tonsures. Their only album was the bizarre and scratchy-sounding 1965 Polydor release Black Monk Time, which was re-released as a 19-song collection on the Infinite Zero label in 1997. Rolling Stone calls the film “a long overdue history lesson.
Most of The Monks reunited in 1999 and have continued to play concerts. Call (843) 805-6842 or visit www.ccpl.org for more.