I love rock bios, especially the ones about the artists who never received their dues and devoted their lives to their art.

I had been intrigued by the pop star and musician Lawrence since the release of the recent book Street-Level Superstar- My Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson.

I had sneered at Lawrence’s previous musical outfits. I (wrongly) viewed Felt as cookie-cutter 80’s indie schmindie. I (also wrongly) saw his 90’s group Denim as a vile, ironic 70’s nostalgia group (all Spangles, space hoppers and Camden vintage clothes shop that overcharge and smell of mothballs).

But then back in 2015 I heard a track called City Centre by Lawrence’s latest combo, Go-Kart Mozart (now renamed Mozart Estate) in a club and it knocked by socks off. It was a few years later when I had signed up to Spotify that the track crept back in my head and I found out who it was by. It couldn’t be by that guy who was in Felt and Denim!

I then investigated more of Lawrence’s music whilst reading the book about him. When it was mentioned that Primitive Painters by Felt may just be one of the best pop songs ever written, I rolled my eyes and listened to the track on Spotify and, by Christ, it really is as good as was quoted.

I then found out that a film was made about Lawrence in 2011 with the BFI handling the film’s release and distribution. Thats a major tick of approval right there as the BFI have a very high bar when it comes to all things film.

And Lawrence of Belgravia doesn’t disappoint. It’s a very revealing peek into the life of someone who ‘lives it’ rather than the part-time careerist popstars and media darlings who are more interested in shifting units and progressing from concert halls to arenas whilst peddling pisspoor crap. It’s highly ironic that Lawrence pines for that kind of fame, adoration with cash to burn. We see him travelling the Tube and opining that he can’t wait until he never has to use public transport ever again, in direct opposition to those who who have made it who say the complete opposite to ‘keep it real’.

We also get to see Lawrence at work in the studio and performing gigs. Conversely, we see that he’s living on benefits and having to sell a beloved guitar for money to survive. This truly is warts and all.

One thing that comes through brilliantly is Lawrence’s innocence and child-like wonder. He goes to Paris to perform a gig and do some press. When hes confronted with untruths by an interviewer, rather than indignantly becoming angry, he expresses genuine bafflement and laughs that the lies and untruths astound him and that he’s amazed by them.

Lawrence is also very funny, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. I love the story he tells regarding his name, in that his mother went to see Lawrence of Arabia, didn’t realise that Lawrence was in fact the leading character’s surname and decided that she would call her son the same. He then says that his younger brother had it much better- he was named Sam and works on a market stall. We also get to see Lawrence painting his new council flat. During proceedings he ponders out loud, ‘I wonder if Lou Reed ever painted his flat’.

Lawrence of Belgravia is a one-off, just like its subject matter. But if I had to compare it to another rock bio it would be Dig! with Lawrence being the Anton Newcombe of his own film, the iconoclast who is brimming with ideas but not money. In fact, Lawrence’s film is better as we don’t have to endure the insufferable Dandy Warhols.

And just like Newcombe, Lawrence might just be a musical genius. Don’t believe me? Listen to the aforementioned Primitive Painters by Felt, Summer Smash by Denim (a hit single for sure except that Princess Diana had just died and so his record label decided to not release it) and also, of course, City Centre by Go-Kart Mozart. You’ll be glad you did.

4.5 out of 5 stars