STORIES FROM THE ROAD - DIRECTED BY KYLE KEYSER

Wednesday 9th April 2003 saw Kyle Keyser's much-anticipated PJ Harvey tour documentary, "Stories From The Road" make it's big-screen debut to a packed house at London's National Film Theatre, in selection at the capital's high-profile annual Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. The film has already acquired semi-legendary status amongst Polly Harvey's hardcore fan-base in the absence of any official, Island-approved record of her touring activities since the "Reeling With PJ Harvey" video was released a decade ago - a glaring oversight which three endearingly optimistic Americans would travel halfway around the globe and run-up debts to the tune of $20,000 in an effort to compensate us for; redressing the balance in favour of a winningly self-deprecating probe into the nature of the fan experience on behalf of anybody who has ever fantasised about, or flirted with, the thin line between respectful admiration and fully-fledged stalking!

From the giddy opening montage, complete with witty digital collages poking gentle fun at the cult of PJ-worship (Pollytheism?), to the enterprising closing credits - a roll-call of strange and suggestive duties allegedly performed by sponsors of the film, who had reached into their wallets in a bid for celluloid immortality as "Lick My Legs Co-ordinator" and "Mysterious Snail" - the film tempers it's makers' obvious reverence for the elusive Polly Jean with a healthy dose of mocking self-awareness, which delivers a surprisingly balanced and, finally, very touching account of what happens when you set off to chase down your idols.  Although ostensibly a road-movie, the physical journey - across two continents, over a period of six months during PJ Harvey's 2001 world tour and involving every conceivable obstacle from gig cancellations and equipment failure, to drunken self-sabotage and the withering glares of decidedly unimpressed waitresses - amounts to a mere insignificance when considered alongside the impossible gulf that opens up when finding oneself within touching distance of the slightly bemused and perhaps understandably wary object of one's lovingly-nurtured obsession.

That Kyle, Amanda and Bill handle their various disappointments and good fortune with such genial humility is what makes hitching along with them such an entertaining and engaging ride. Their initial attempts to carry-off a convincing impersonation of a professional film-crew are so hilariously unsuccessful as to force a hasty reassessment of the mission-statement, resulting in a greater emphasis on the tourbus-chasing life, as opposed to the capturing of high-quality performance footage; but this serves the structure well, lending the film genuine suspense as the odds lengthen on the chances of obtaining any significant access to Polly, so that when the first substantial gig-coverage kicks-in about halfway through, you can't help but be as breathlessly excited by the film-makers' triumph as you are enthralled by the spectacle of the lady herself finally commanding the screen.

However effortless and spontaneous the film appears to be, the virtue it makes of it's amateur origins is no inconsiderable achievement and all credit must be given to the creative editing and skilful pacing. Equally impressive is the quality of some of the observational detail, such as the world-weary pre-teen in oversize heels hanging-out at the Spanish docks and the sensitive use of footage gathered in the aftermath of the 09/11 attacks which interrupted the tour - evidence of talent and craftsmanship which bode well for any future forays into documentary film-making.

At the time of writing, "Stories From The Road" remains in distribution limbo, due to the difficulties - financial and otherwise -  of licensing the music. With more attention on the festival circuit, where audiences will no doubt receive it as enthusiastically as they did at the premiere screening, perhaps the film-makers will have some leverage to secure a wider release. In the meantime, I urge you to catch it wherever you can because "Stories From The Road" stands as an disarmingly infectious testament to the power of music to inspire people to risk disillusionment, ridicule and failure in pursuit of something shimmering on the horizon (in a cocktail-dress and killer-heels), always just a tantalising stretch beyond reach - I venture that anybody who doesn't appreciate the value of that is unlikely to own a PJ Harvey album in the first place.