# Slade’s movie was supposed to set their career alight; instead, it put it on the back burner. “We made a film that showed the other side of the rock business, and the public were very shocked by it”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/slades-movie-was-supposed-to-set-their-career-alight-instead-it-put-it-on-the-back-burner-we-made-a-film-that-showed-the-other-side-of-the-rock-business-and-the-public-were-very-shocked-by-it/
- Published: 2026-09-22T04:55:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-22T07:26:23+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/culture/films-tv-shows/slades-in-flame
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Slade’s unexpectedly dark film shocked audiences.
- The project weakened the band’s commercial momentum.
- It later became regarded as a classic rock film.

## Summary

Slade entered 1975 as one of Britain’s biggest bands, expecting their film debut to extend their success and help them reach a wider audience, particularly in America. Instead, Slade In Flame was a bleak, realistic portrayal of the music industry, portraying the rise and collapse of a fictional band and shocking audiences who had expected a light-hearted comedy.

Directed by Richard Loncraine, the film drew on real incidents from Slade’s experiences, including violence, exploitation and an episode involving gunfire at a pirate radio station. Slade spent a year making the film while touring America, losing momentum at home; its soundtrack singles performed less strongly, with Far Far Away reaching No. 2 and How Does It Feel? peaking at No. 15, although the film was later recognised as a classic rock movie.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.