John Sykes was a “Guitar God” forged in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Movement. (NWOBHM) His illustrious career included playing with the bands Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, WhiteSnake, Blue Murder, and a string of collaborations and solo albums. In a fair and just world, John Sykes would be a household name along with all the guitar greats of the last era, but life circumstances placed him on a different path. This documentary film project attempts to shine a light on John’s career and talents in order for his legacy to be both preserved and discovered.
In Part 1 of John Sykes: His Words, His Music, we follow John’s career throughout the 1980s, beginning with his stellar guitar work and impact with NWOBHM upstarts Tygers of Pan Tang. Next, we hear from John on how he first hooked up with Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, followed up by his joining of Whitesnake, the bitter dissolution of his partnership with David Coverdale, and then the creation of John’s own power trio band, Blue Murder. We hear reflections from both John and third parties, such as metal radio personality Eddie Trunk, on the highs and lows of John’s trajectory throughout the 1980s. Each period is interspersed with excerpts of live performance footage of John doing what he does best, making people smile with his dazzling guitar displays.
John Sykes: His Words, His Music Part 2 starts with the reformation of the band and the transition from the name Blue Murder to simply Sykes. After the grunge movement overtook the American music landscape, John focused his attention on the Japanese market, where he was creatively fueled by the continued appreciation of his virtuosity. In archival interviews with John, we learn more about his feelings regarding the music industry and thoughts about his creative process on the next few solo albums. Additionally, the film illuminates the motivation behind the reformation of Thin Lizzy with John on vocals. Later, the film explores the 20 “teen” years and the revolving stops and starts regarding the release of a new solo album “Sy-Ops”. As in Part 1, the story is told through a mixture of archival interviews and performance footage intercut with third party reflections on John’s legacy.
About the Film
This not-for-profit, educational film anthology is comprised primarily of pre-existing archival and documentary film footage, woven together with tribute videos created since John’s passing. This particular arrangement and exhibition of John’s story is only possible because of the various preserved documentations on the timeline of John’s career that exist in the public domain. Without the audio and video contributions of all the people who captured and appreciated the talent of John Sykes, this film would not be possible. By that notion, the film is very much a collaborative effort. The goal of the project is to increase awareness and appreciation for John’s significant, but underrepresented, contributions to the world of Rock ‘n Roll. We hope you enjoy this presentation!
Director’s Bio
Damian Kolodiy has been making both documentary and Rockumentary films for over 20 years, starting with capturing some of the last shows performed at the infamous CBGBs rock club in New York City. His NYC ROCKS TV channel started in 2012 as a web series documenting the local rock and metal scene and characters of New York.
Two seasons were released on the NYC ROCKS TV channel followed by a feature length documentary called “The Bitch Movie: A Ladies Tribute to Metal” which spotlighted a monthly party at the infamous Don Hills Rock Club in NYC’s West Village. Bitch night featured a killer house band playing heavy metal classics with a rotating cast of female singers.
Following that, Kolodiy put together a documentary capturing the last days and legacy of the legendary “3 of Cups” bar, a heavy metal hangout and staple of the East Village.
In 2024, Kolodiy released a 4 part film series on another underrated band, Riot, titled “Immortal Soul: A Riot Tribute & Concert Film”. It serves as an in-depth exploration and video encyclopedia covering the legacy of another underrated guitarist, Mark Reale, and the bands’ 50 year history.
