Watch the first trailer for ‘Lolla: The story of Lollapalooza’ docuseries
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(Credit: Jorge Morales Piderit)
Jane’s Addiction are undeniably one of the most influential rock bands in history, but their impact extends beyond their music. The group also left an indelible mark on the world through their creation of Lollapalooza. Initially conceived in 1991 as a farewell celebration for the band’s first chapter, this extravaganza has evolved into a global phenomenon renowned for its promotion of alternative culture worldwide.
Notably, Lollapalooza is an annual four-day festival held in Chicago’s Grant Park. Due to the success of the alternative rock zeitgeist of the day, it triumphed as a touring event before eventually declining for a time after Metallica’s controversial performance in 1996, which saw Farrell depart for an extended period.
However, in 2003, the frontman reformed Jane’s Addiction and scheduled a new Lollapalooza tour, which reset its path. It has since become lauded for championing alt-rock, metal, punk, hip-hop, and dance. It also celebrates and asserts its underlying countercultural ethos by featuring visual arts and political and nonprofit organisations.
In Chicago, Lollapalooza is estimated to attract 400,000 each July, making it one of the largest festivals in the world. Since 2011, it has expanded worldwide, opening branches in Santiago, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Berlin.
Now, the trailer for the new three-part Lollapalooza docuseries has been released. The project tells the festival’s story. Directed by Michael John Warren – known for Jay-Z’s 2004 documentary Fade to Black – Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza charts the festival’s origins to its present status, warts and all.
“When I started Lollapalooza, it was a farewell for Jane’s Addiction,” Farrell is heard saying at the start of the trailer, with appearances from other legends of the game, including Flea, Trent Reznor, Tom Morello, Ice-T, Lars Ulrich, Chance the Rapper, and more. Giving a flavour of what’s to come, the vocalist also explains: “When a car is going real, real fast, it gets harder to jump out.”
The documentary was first announced in February 2023. At the time, Farrell said in a statement: “When Lolla was launched in 1991, the concert industry felt like a boring car ride that was running out of gas.”
Continuing: “We pumped new life into the live music experience and set the foundation for the youth’s counter culture to become important and exciting again. Now more than three decades young, I am happy to have this opportunity to give people an inside look at the festival’s contribution to music history.”
Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza premieres on Paramount+ in North America on May 21st and the following day in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
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