Danielle Solzman
If you ever wanted to know what it is like to attend the Rock’ n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, Rock Camp: The Movie is the documentary for you.
If you have about $5,000 and an interest in rock music, you can attend one of the most famous fantasy camps in America. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of this opportunity? I know that I would! If not for The Beatles Anthology airing on ABC, I would never pick up a guitar or learn piano. Or buy my first two CDs in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road. No, I do not know which CD was rung up first by the cashier. This camp has been around since 1996 and despite my consumption of media, I am just now hearing about it!
David Fishof started out as a sports agent before somehow turning to the world of music. A chance to tour with the one and only Ringo Starr would later pave the way for this fantasy camp. I am not going to lie in that I’m kind of jealous here. We’re also talking about one of The Beatles! Anyway, the film isn’t just a documentary of the camp itself but also works as a documentary of Fishof, too. It pleasantly surprised me when I heard “Hava Nagila” playing in the background. He starts in sports before becoming a music executive. Without the latter, the camp almost certainly would not be a thing today.
The camps mostly take place in either Los Angeles or New York. Sometimes, they are offered in other cities. There are lots of perks that come with attending these camps. You get the opportunity to jam with Hall of Fame musicians or members of their backing bands. If you have the funds, you also have the opportunity to come home with a professionally recorded record of an original or cover song! Again, this is the dream for fans of rock music.
I’m hesitant to say that the average person can live out the dream of a lifetime. The fact that you need a few grand kind of speaks to how elitist the camp is. There may be financing plans available but these camps are not all that affordable unless you have the money. Even if you’ll never have the funds to attend the camp, Rock Camp: The Movie allows you to live vicariously.
DIRECTORS: Doug Blush, Renee Barron
FEATURING: Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Judas Priest, Joe Perry, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Nancy Wilson
