The band whose stage performance inspired Jack Black

The band whose onstage diving accident inspired Jack Black's 'School of Rock'

(Credits: Far Out / Paramount Pictures)

Jack Black is a force of nature. With so many different facets that make up the artist, it can be difficult to describe him to people who aren’t familiar with his work. In reality, the best way to introduce Jack Black to someone is to show them. School of RockIt’s a fun, wholesome comedy that has established itself as a classic. It stands the test of time and remains a perfect piece of cinema.

School of Rock sums up Black perfectly. It showcases his affinity for rock music while also showcasing his comedic talent and undeniable charm. The film finds the actor posing as a substitute teacher to earn some much-needed rent money. While teaching, he discovers that the kids in his class have extraordinary musical abilities and uses them to form his own rock band.

With a stellar cast and a soundtrack that features punchy originals and rock classics like “Highway To Hell,” “Edge of Seventeen,” and “Immigrant Song,” it’s a film that’s nearly impossible to watch without being converted to the power of rock and Black. “My favorite memories are just this group of kids and how funny and awesome they were,” Black said when discussing the film with Entertainment Tonight“It’s definitely the highlight of my career, I can say that. Honestly.”

The film knows what it wants to be from the start. With a stellar soundtrack of rock gods who still feel untouchable, Black delivers an incredibly realistic performance from the perspective of a fan who wants nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of his heroes. The before and after of this moment is perfectly personified in the film by stage dives.

The opening scene shows Black playing in a rock band that is growing increasingly fed up with his stage antics and desire to be like the big boys. He runs onto the stage of a nearly empty bar, plays an extended guitar solo before choosing to stage dive. This doesn’t bode well for Black, as the crowd refuses to catch him and he lands face first on the dirty floor. This moment cuts to the end of the concert, where his stage dive is successful and he has a serious rock god moment.

It turns out that just as the film constantly draws inspiration from real-life rock ‘n’ roll events, these stage jumps were also inspired by a concert Black had previously attended. Black recalls going to a concert at the Viper Room in Los Angeles to see British rock band The Cult. During that concert, Ian Astbury decided to jump off the stage in a similar manner, only to fall flat on his face when the crowd parted.

They say that life imitates art, and in the case of School of RockThat’s right. A movie that tries to ground wannabe rock stars starts by literally putting wannabe rock stars into the ground.

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