The Nerve Interview: It Might Get Loud director Davis Guggenheim | Nerve Entertainment 10/11/09 7:59 PM PERSONALS | RSS | HELP | SITE MAP | ADVERTISE ON NERVE FEATURES ADVICE ENTERTAINMENT PHOTOGRAPHY BLOGS DATING CONFESSIONS 1 Aug 11th, 2009 With It Might Get Loud, director Davis Guggenheim wanted to tell the personal stories of three guitar legends from different generations: Jack White from the White Stripes, The Edge from U2, and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. Guggenheim, who directed the 2007 global-warming doc An Inconvenient Truth, wanted to stay away from typical rock-documentary tactics. It Might Get Loud has no rock critics, no ex-girlfriends, and no narration. Instead Guggenheim focuses on why these three write and play the way they do and how they developed their personal styles. Guggenheim wanted the three to open up — and they did. Jimmy Page plays air guitar while listening to music that influenced him as a kid, Jack White writes an original song on camera, and The Edge talks about how he drives everyone crazy trying to get the music in his head to come out of the amps. The movie brings the three together on a soundstage to share stories, show one another their songs, and play. Nerve spoke with Guggenheim about the men behind the legends. — Emily Wilson You won an Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth. After that, why did you choose to do a movie about the electric guitar? I just make movies about people that fascinate me. The next one could be about an archeologist or I don’t know, a proctologist. Al Gore was a fascinating character to me. I love these guitarists. They changed my life. I fell in love to this music, so I want to know how they wrote this music and how they became these people. What separates It Might Get Loud from other rock documentaries? There are a few that are wonderful, but usually rock documentaries build towards a car crash or a girlfriend breaking up the band or a drug overdose, or they talk about going into the studio for the third album and you hear the narrator say, “And then music changed forever.” I’m sure when Rembrandt was alive, he had a cult of personality. We do that with our rock stars. Now we look at Rembrandt and we say, “This is how he used shape and form and color.” I hear “Going to California,” and it moves me. It moves me to tears, and I’m like, I need to know. The same way I want to know how Hemingway wrote a book, I want to know how this song was written. Do you remember when you first heard these bands? I grew up not liking Led Zeppelin. I liked U2. I was the same age as U2, and they came out as a band that was against these white-boy blues bands, these endless indulgent guitar solos and overt sexuality. Edge says when he saw Spinal Tap, he didn’t laugh, he wept, because it was so close to the truth. And it’s true, there was a point where — it wasn’t Led Zeppelin as much it was the Led Zeppelin imitators — big-hair rock got grotesque. So I didn’t like Led Zeppelin when I grew up because it had just been played so much. And then ten years later, I really got to understand it, and these guys are great. I listen to Led Zeppelin more than anything right now. It’s interesting how some music has legs and some doesn’t. My kids don’t like the Stones. They don’t like other big famous rock bands. They love Led Zeppelin because it still speaks to them. And Jack White’s music is unbelievable. If I were to pick my favorite artist now working, it would be him. What were some of your favorite moments during shooting? The most vulnerable moment, I think, is Jack White writing a song on camera. He talked about how songs need to be written quickly and without any kind of preciousness. So I said, “Great, let’s spend the day. I’ll http://entertainment.nerve.com/2009/08/11/the-nerve-interview-it-might-get-loud-director-davis-guggenheim/ Page 1 of 4 The Nerve Interview: It Might Get Loud director Davis Guggenheim | Nerve Entertainment 10/11/09 7:59 PM be on one side of the room and from beginning to end, you write a song.” He picked up a pencil and started scribbling lyrics, and started figuring out the chords, and by the end, he recorded the song on a reel-to-reel and he was done. I’d never seen that before, but he’s saying, “I’m taking this risk. This song could suck, but I’m gonna write it.” Pages: 1 2 SHARE THIS ARTICLE:  Comments ( 1 Comment ) First heard about this movie through a friend who was freaking out about it. Now, I surely must see it. Nice interview. na commented on Aug 11 09 at 3:07 pm Add a Comment Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) AllynWonderland More about what I am looking for: "Someone to cause trouble with and laugh with." 1. I Did It for Science: Heterosexuality 2. 15 Movies to Guarantee You Sleep Alone 3. Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize, Our Hearts 4. The Top 5 Sexiest Writers 5. Anti-Choice Activists Employ the Use of Fluffy Cupcakes to Further Agenda 6. Sex Advice From Mathematicians 7. Gallery: Exclusive excerpt from the new PostSecret book http://entertainment.nerve.com/2009/08/11/the-nerve-interview-it-might-get-loud-director-davis-guggenheim/ Page 2 of 4 The Nerve Interview: It Might Get Loud director Davis Guggenheim | Nerve Entertainment 10/11/09 7:59 PM 8. The 2010 Nerdcore Nude Calendar Preview, In Time For Halloween 9. Miss Information: How do I turn a friend with benefits into just a friend? 10. 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