The modern music documentary is an increasingly strange beast, a meticulously staged PR move dressed up as a searing exposé. Stars offer up their vulnerabilities – mental and physical health issues (Robbie Williams, Selena Gomez), addiction (Demi Lovato), the illnesses of loved ones (Ed Sheeran) – in exchange for a flattering portrait; but even that is no great sacrifice. In fact, their struggle is often the most flattering bit, a cultural currency that tends to attract sympathy and generate relatability. Sometimes, these films even qualify as acts of altruism, their subjects credited with busting taboos and raising awareness while the buzz of self-promotion is relegated to background noise.
Being Kae Tempest, an hour-long programme about the gifted and garlanded rapper, poet, playwright and author, initially looks like it will cling to this zeitgeisty template. We join Tempest on their latest tour – in support of their 2022 album The Line Is a Curve – and hear that the last time the 37-year-old hit the road, in 2019, they were in a very bad place indeed. Back then, the musician was experiencing panic attacks – on stage and off – and found it practically impossible to leave their dressing room. Even getting to the dressing room was a mission in itself: Tempest’s manager had to film the route from the venue’s entrance to give them the opportunity to mentally prepare for the journey.
