Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man: Joel Gion on 'Dig!'

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man: Joel Gion on 'Dig!'

Joel Gion didn't want his band to find fame in failure, but that's just what happened, thanks to 'Dig!': Aidin Vaziri | Tuesday marked the DVD release of "Dig!," the riveting documentary exploring the destructive relationship and rivalry between star-crossed rock bands Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. Shot by director Ondi Timoner, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film traces the wildly different paths the two groups take over a seven-year period beginning when they first hook up in 1996. The latter ends up signed to a major label, makes a $400,000 video with photographer David LaChapelle and fills stadiums in Europe. The former goes down in a hail of violence, drug-fueled paranoia and just plain bad luck. The only thing that keeps them connected through it all is their mutual jealousy. Gion, who was there to witness all the drama firsthand as the famed tambourine player for San Francisco's Brian Jonestown Massacre, has been traveling with the film to various festivals (Sundance, Slamdance, Rotterdam, Edinburgh and South by Southwest) since its cinematic release last year, to offer handshakes, commentary and answer questions such as, "What was the high point for you?" by saying things like, "There was a point where I stayed up for five days -- I was pretty high then." The San Francisco screening conveniently marked the end of Gion's promotional duties for "Dig!" Even as he politely mingled with fans, friends and co-workers, he seemed relieved that in a few hours he would never have to sit through the movie again. "I've had to see this thing 30 times," he said.