Songs About Fucking follows musical improviser Marc Rebillet on his first tour nationwide. Rebillet is most known for his youtube channel, where he created a plethora of esoteric beats using a looper, a piano, a handful of other instruments, and his voice to entertain viewers during live streams, especially during the heights of the pandemic, where he reached a million followers, after years of creating content online.
The documentary is an entertaining look at his life on the road as a one-person show. It shows us the energy on Rebillet’s tour bus as he and his posse travel across the country. There’s the beers toasted to a lot of love, the playful roughhousing that happens when men are alone. At one point, the tour bus driver even remarks that working with Marc is the first time in over forty years that it feels like being a part of a family, not just a job.
In a way, Rebillet is like Bo Burnham. If Bo Burnham’s songs were about, well, fucking, and his act involved him running around the stage in nothing but a pair of briefs and a silk robe. It’s not something that appeals to everyone, and that’s okay – it doesn’t have to. There’s an audience for everything, and Rebillet’s audience knows what they want. His shows sell out to crowds of hundreds, if not thousands of people, all over the US, depending on the venue size. He’s played at Austin City Limits and Coachella. The audience is eager to participate in the show when he asks for their participation in improvising some of the night’s songs. They have fun, and it’s clear that Rebillet understands that he wouldn’t be able to do this without their support.
The most endearing part of the documentary is a moment in which Rebillet has an opening act for one of his shows – a band of children playing rock on stage. And they’re good too. You’d wonder why a performer whose act is songs about sex would have kids as their opening act, but as the documentary is interlaced with videos of Rebillet making music as a child, it makes sense. Of course, he’d want to support the next generation of young musicians. The downside is that we don’t find the name of said band. It’s the downside of the entire documentary – we don’t learn the terms of anyone on Rebillet’s team.
Overall, lovers of esoteric musicians and the touring process will enjoy Songs About Fucking and Rebillet’s dedication to his fans for making this possible for him.
Rating: 7/10
