"Still Pushing Pineapples" - A Bittersweet Look at Life on the Disappearing Sad Disco Circuit
Dene Michael's story is one for the ages – or rather, for the nostalgic earworms. As a former member of 80s novelty band Black Lace, with their infamous hit single "Agadoo", Michael experienced the highs and lows that come with fame. However, after being forced out by an underage sex scandal, and losing his fellow frontman to join the band Smokie, Michael found himself at the helm of the ailing Black Lace.
The documentary follows Michael on his tireless tour of the sad disco circuit from Blackpool to Benidorm, belting out Black Lace hits to dwindling crowds that seem more interested in the bottom shelf than the music itself. Accompanied by his girlfriend Hayley and mother Anne, who serves as his emotional anchor amidst the chaos.
But as Michael navigates this uncertain future, he faces a harsh reality – his manager has claimed ownership of the band's trademarked name and songs, and another singer is poised to take his place under the Black Lace banner. The documentary presents Dene as a sympathetic figure, but it glosses over the darker aspects of his life, including a 2016 jail sentence for benefit fraud.
A poignant moment in the film shows Michael struggling to keep up on his mobility scooter, with some interpreting this as an allusion to his past incarceration. While the movie does attempt to convey a sense of melancholy and longing, it ultimately feels contrived – perhaps a reflection of its own precarious existence.
Shot by Martin Parr-esque eye for melancholic beauty, "Still Pushing Pineapples" offers a thought-provoking look at life on the disappearing sad disco circuit. It's a bittersweet tale that captures the highs and lows of fame, love, and redemption – but only scratches the surface of Dene Michael's complex story.
Dene Michael's story is one for the ages – or rather, for the nostalgic earworms. As a former member of 80s novelty band Black Lace, with their infamous hit single "Agadoo", Michael experienced the highs and lows that come with fame. However, after being forced out by an underage sex scandal, and losing his fellow frontman to join the band Smokie, Michael found himself at the helm of the ailing Black Lace.
The documentary follows Michael on his tireless tour of the sad disco circuit from Blackpool to Benidorm, belting out Black Lace hits to dwindling crowds that seem more interested in the bottom shelf than the music itself. Accompanied by his girlfriend Hayley and mother Anne, who serves as his emotional anchor amidst the chaos.
But as Michael navigates this uncertain future, he faces a harsh reality – his manager has claimed ownership of the band's trademarked name and songs, and another singer is poised to take his place under the Black Lace banner. The documentary presents Dene as a sympathetic figure, but it glosses over the darker aspects of his life, including a 2016 jail sentence for benefit fraud.
A poignant moment in the film shows Michael struggling to keep up on his mobility scooter, with some interpreting this as an allusion to his past incarceration. While the movie does attempt to convey a sense of melancholy and longing, it ultimately feels contrived – perhaps a reflection of its own precarious existence.
Shot by Martin Parr-esque eye for melancholic beauty, "Still Pushing Pineapples" offers a thought-provoking look at life on the disappearing sad disco circuit. It's a bittersweet tale that captures the highs and lows of fame, love, and redemption – but only scratches the surface of Dene Michael's complex story.
But at the same time, you can't help but feel for him, ya know? He's just trying to hold on to his fame and his music, even when it feels like it's slipping away from him. The way he performs these cheesy disco hits in front of empty rooms is actually kinda heartbreaking... 
And that final scene where he's struggling to keep up on the mobility scooter? Yeah, that's like, super sad man... 
I'm not sure if the doc does a great job of balancing out all his flaws and mistakes, but it's still worth watching for those nostalgic vibes alone. 
I'm low-key bummed about this doco, fam 
. And that scene on the mobility scooter? It feels kinda forced, you know? Like, yeah, he's got a history, and we get it, but can't we explore that further? 
. I mean, who doesn't love belting out cheesy tunes to empty rooms? 
At least he's still got his mobility scooter to keep him company... 
what's next? black lace's last hope (dene) gets screwed over by his own manager and now some new kid is gonna take their place... so much for redemption 
Anyway, back to "Still Pushing Pineapples". I'm not sure if I'd call it a documentary or a music promo - it feels like both at the same time. Dene Michael's story is super tragic, but can we talk about how he got away with benefit fraud? That's some major red flag 
. And don't even get me started on the trademark thing - that just sounds so predatory. The movie does look kinda sad and melancholy, I'll give it that... 
at the same time, can you blame him for trying to keep Black Lace alive? it's like he's stuck between his desire to hold on to what was once a big part of his life and this harsh reality that's slowly taking everything away from him... still really intrigued to see how it all unfolds 
. on the other hand, it seems kinda shady how his manager is taking advantage of him like this... trademark ownership? that's just cold 
. anyway, i guess it's a bittersweet tale that shows both sides of fame and love, but maybe next time they can dig deeper into his past and give us a more nuanced view 
. The documentary seems like it could be really sad and depressing at times but I think that's what makes it so compelling 
. Life isn't always easy and fair, but sometimes those who've been through the worst can come out even stronger 
...or maybe not, and that's okay too 
and I'm still thinking about it - have you guys ever noticed how pineapple belongs on pizza? I mean, what's next? Putting strawberries on chocolate cake? I'm pretty sure my aunt still puts them together in her famous strawberry shortcake recipe... anyway, back to sad disco circuits... I was at this beach party last summer and there were like 10 people dancing to 'Disco Inferno' - totally lost the crowd 
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and I gotta say, it's a real mixed bag 
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. But on the other hand, I think we're being asked to sympathize with him without fully seeing his agency in all of it 
... like how they conveniently leave out some major plot points about Dene's shady past 
. And what's up with his manager takin' ownership of Black Lace's name and stuff? Sounds like a power play to me 
. And that 2016 jail sentence for benefit fraud? Just a tiny little detail, right? 
Don't wanna stir up controversy or nothin', but I've got a feelin' there's more to this story than just a sympathetic doc about a guy strugglin' with fame... 
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[Image: A person struggling to stay upright on a mobility scooter, with a nostalgic disco background]