This film contains very strong language
SNARE HITS
TEMPO INCREASES
TEMPO CONTINUES TO INCREASE
HITS BECOME DRUM ROLL
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
No. Stay.
What's your name?
Andrew Neiman, sir.
What year are you?
I'm a first-year.
You know who I am? Yes, sir.
So you know I'm looking for players.
Yes, sir.
Then why did you stop playing?
Did I ask you to start playing again?
I'm... Sorry, I... I asked why you stopped playing,
and your version of an answer was to turn into a wind-up monkey.
Sorry, I thought... Show me your rudiments.
Yes, sir.
Double-time swing.
No, double-time. Double it.
Faster.
Faster!
STOPS PLAYING
Oopsy-daisy.
Forgot my jacket.
UP-TEMPO JAZZ
MUSIC: Whiplash Album Overture by Justin Hurwitz
No Swedish Fish? No, not today.
Thanks. Mm-hm.
RUSTLING
You OK? Hm? Yeah.
Yeah. Eh, I don't know. He saw me play today.
And...?
Mm.
Well...you got plenty of options still.
What does that mean? Just...
Other options? Just, you know...
It's just life.
SPEECH AND MUSIC FROM SCREEN Listen, when you get to be my age,
you get perspective.
I don't want perspective.
Ooh. Sorry.
All right.
I don't want the Raisinets.
Why didn't you say that?
I just eat around them.
I don't understand you.
POUNDING ELECTRONIC MUSIC
CHATTER AND INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
Bye. I'll see you later. Bye.
My man Ry. Oh, shit!
How you feeling, man? Stitched up at last. It's been too long. It's been too long.
Yo, things were hurting with Neiman on the kits.
Come on, man.
What? He's fine.
I mean, if you say so, yo.
Good seeing you.
HANDS SLAP TOGETHER
Yo, looking good.
Hey. Hey, what's up, bro?
Hey, Ry. Have you got a good weekend? Yeah, real good. Yeah?
Yeah. Lot of fun. Nice.
Hey, don't worry about Greg. He's a dick.
Oh. No big deal.
Good morning, everybody.
ALL: Good morning. All right.
Let's do...Billie's In from the top, yes? Yes?
How's that? Good? Little right.
OK. One, two, three, uh...
MID-TEMPO PLAYING
Wait. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
All right, let's do...reeds, yeah?
WHISPERS: Yo, Ryan.
WOODWINDS PLAY
CONDUCTOR: Watch it.
Yeah.
Accent, yeah... Uh!
CONDUCTOR VOCALISES WOODWINDS REPOND
Not today. Really big on the bottom yet. Put some sugar on that.
At least you didn't embarrass yourself like what's-his-face.
That was truly pathetic.
BAND STRIKES UP
POWERFUL DRUM SOLO
Short.
All right. All right.
That's enough of that. Just back to the core drums, please.
Core players, let's go.
Dude, what have you been practising?
May I?
HE SCOFFS
Cute.
Down the line. Trumpets, bars seven and eight.
Three, four.
STRANGLED PLAYING
OK. All right.
Trombone, bar 24. The and of two.
SHEETS RUSTLE
Maybe not.
Tenor, let's start the pickup to 11.
Three, four.
Same spot. Three, four.
OK. All right.
Well, you're in the first chair.
Let's see if it's just because you're cute.
Three, four.
Yep. That's why.
Drums. Let's...
Let's hear a little double-time swing.
Behind.
Same thing.
Bass, five bars of Donna Lee.
BASS PLAYS
All right.
HE SIGHS
Drums, with me.
Thank you, Joe.
No, no, no. Other drums.
Room B-16 tomorrow morning, 6:00 am.
Don't be late.
All right, everybody. From the top.
CONDUCTOR CLICKS HIS FINGERS
A one, two, three, uh...
Hey. How are you? I'm good. How...How are you? I'm good, thanks.
Good.
Uh, the usual? You want, like...? Nah.
Look, I don't really know how...
I see you in here a lot, and I think that you're really pretty and...
..would you want to go out with me...ever?
Please, go away.
Oh, my God. Please, get out.
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
I'm just messing with you.
I'm messing with you! What? Oh, my God!
I'm sorry. That should've... That's actually pretty mean.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
It's OK. What's your name? No big deal.
Oh, I'm Andrew.
Andrew. Yeah.
I'm Nicole. Nice to meet you, Nicole.
Nice to meet you too.
So you want to take me out. I would...love to take you out.
Uh, where do you want to go? Pizza.
Pizza? Yeah.
I like pizza. Yeah, I know this great pizza place.
Cool. OK, well...
..uh...
..I get off at seven on Monday.
OK.
You want to meet me here? Oh, OK, yeah. I will.
Great.
OK. Seven o'clock?
Mm-hm. Here. At 7pm
Monday. Andrew. OK. Bye. Bye!
# Keep me waiting
# Cos I'll keep waiting... #
It's not that bad, man. She's a go-go dancer.
She could've did porn, but she chose not to. Oh, nice. That make it better?
Yeah, little bit. That's classier. I can deal with that.
CHATTER CONTINUES
Bitch had a foot fetish or something.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
That's it, man.
No, you are fucking kidding me.
You the new alternate? Yeah. I'm Andrew Neiman.
Tune the set to B-flat, then you'll turn my pages during rehearsal.
Sure.
Excuse me. Um, could I get a B-flat?
NOTE ON PIANO
Thank you.
S-Sorry. Can you...? Just one more time?
NOTE ON PIANO
It's a great kit.
I play the new cymbals...
Milk the cunt!
HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
HE SIGHS
We got a squeaker today, people.
Nee-man.
19 years old. Isn't he cute?
CHUCKLING
"Nee-man"!
All right, gang, Whiplash.
BOMBASTIC OPENING
SETTLES INTO GROOVE
Page.
Page!
Barker, that is not your boyfriend's dick. Do not come early.
Bar 93.
Five, six, and...
Stop.
Now, this one really upsets me. We have an out-of-tune player here.
Before I continue, would that player care to identify himself?
No?
OK, maybe a bug flew in my ear.
115.
Five, six, and...
BRASS PLAYS
No. My ears are fine.
We definitely have an out-of-tune player.
Whoever it is, this is your last chance.
And there it went.
Now, either you are deliberately playing out of tune
and sabotaging my band,
or you don't know you're out of tune,
which I'm afraid is even worse.
Reeds.
Five, six, and...
Bones.
Five, six, and...
He's here.
Tell me it's not you, Elmer Fudd.
FOOTSTEPS ECHO
It's OK. Play.
Do you think you're out of tune?
What are you...? There's no fucking Mars bar down there. What are you looking at?
Look up here. Look at me.
Do you think you're out of tune?
Um...
..yes.
Then why the fuck didn't you say so?!
I've carried your fat ass for too long, Metz.
I'm not going to have you cost us a competition
because your mind's on a fucking Happy Meal instead of on pitch.
Jackson, congratulations, you're fourth chair.
Metz, why are you still sitting there? Get the fuck out!
For the record, Metz wasn't out of tune.
You were, Erickson.
But he didn't know,
and that's bad enough.
All right, take ten. When we get back, the squeaker's on.
ANDREW, UNDER BREATH: Two, two, three. Two, two, three.
If he put half the effort into playing the trombone as...
Andrew.
Parents musicians? No.
What do they do? My dad's a writer.
Oh, what's he written?
I guess he's more of a teacher, really.
Oh. College?
Pennington High School.
What about your mother - what does she do?
I don't know. She left when I was a baby.
So no musicians in the family?
Well, you just got to listen to the greats, then.
Buddy Rich, Jo Jones...
You know, Charlie Parker became Bird
because Jones threw a cymbal at his head.
See what I'm saying? Mm-hm.
Listen, the key is to just relax.
Don't worry about the numbers.
Don't worry about what the other guys are thinking.
You're here for a reason.
You believe that, right?
Yeah.
Say it.
I'm here for a reason.
Cool.
All right, man. Have fun.
INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
DOOR CLOSES, SILENCE
All right, gang, Whiplash.
A little under tempo, OK? Neiman, just do your best.
Here we go.
Five, six, and...
Let's hear some fills.
PLAYS FILL
We've got Buddy Rich here.
A little trouble there. Just pick it up at 17.
Ready?
Five, six, and...
Not...Not quite my tempo.
Here we go.
Five, six, and...
Downbeat on 18. OK? Here we go.
Five, six, and...
Bar 17, the and of four.
Got it?
Five, six, seven...
Not quite my tempo. It's all good. No worries. Here we go.
Five, six, seven...
You're rushing. Here we go.
PREMATURE HIT
Ready? OK.
Five, six, and...
Dragging just a hair.
Wait for my cue.
Five, six, seven...
Rushing. Five, six, and...
Dragging. Five, six, and...
HE SIGHS
Why do you suppose I just hurled a chair at your head, Neiman?
I-I don't know. Sure you do.
The tempo? Were you rushing or were you dragging?
I...I don't know.
Start counting! Five, six, seven...
In four, damn it. Look at me.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three...
Now, was I rushing or was I dragging?
I don't know. Count again.
One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.
Rushing or dragging?
Rushing. So you DO know the difference.
If you deliberately sabotage my band,
I will fuck you like a pig.
Now, are you a rusher,
or are you a dragger,
or are you going to be on my fucking time?
I'm going to be on your time.
What does that say? Quarter note equals 215.
Count me a 215. One, two, three, four.
Jesus fucking Christ!
I didn't know they allowed retards into Shaffer!
Am I to understand that you cannot read tempo?
Can you even fucking read music? What is that? Eighth note.
Yes. What is that? Dotted 16th note.
Sight-read measure 101.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bum...
What are you, in a fucking a cappella group?
Play the goddamn kit.
HE PLAYS
Stop. Now answer my question.
Were you rushing or were you dragging?
ANSWER!
VOICE BREAKS: Rushing.
Oh, my dear God.
Are you one of those single-tear people?
Do I look like a double fucking rainbow to you? You must be upset.
Are you upset? No.
No? So you just don't give a shit about any of this?
I do give a shit about this. So, are you upset -
yes or fucking no?
Yes, you are upset.
Yeah.
Say it. I'm upset.
Say it so the whole band can hear you.
I'm upset. Louder!
I'm upset! LOUDER!
I'm upset!
You are a worthless, friendless, faggot-lipped little piece of shit,
whose Mommy left Daddy when she figured out
he wasn't Eugene O'Neill,
and who is now weeping and slobbering all over my drum set
like a fucking nine-year-old girl.
So for the final father-fucking time,
say it louder! I'M UPSET!
Carl.
Start practising harder, Neiman.
Whiplash, bar 125.
Big-boy tempo.
Five, six, and...
INAUDIBLE
PHONE BUZZES
PHONE BEEPS, BUZZING STOPS
DRUMMING STARTS
FAST DRUMMING RESUMES
SHE CLEARS HER THROAT
SLOW JAZZ PLAYS
This place is nice.
Yeah. I really like the music that they play.
Mm.
I mean, the food's good too, but...
No, the pizza's really good.
When I Wake.
What? That's the name of the song.
Oh.
Jackie Hill, July 17, 1938.
Bob Ellis on the drums.
You know, every time I saw you at the theatre,
your eyes were glued to the floor.
Really? Mm-hm. Oh.
My dad says that I have... I have trouble making eye contact.
My parents like to criticise me too.
When I was growing up, my mom said I had a really big chin,
and that's why guys wouldn't like me.
Really? Yeah. You don't.
Well, she said my dad cursed me with one.
It's like Jay Leno. Look.
No, it's not. Yeah, it is.
I don't...I don't think so at all. Well, that's nice.
Your chin's very average. Nice. Very nice.
SHE LAUGHS
Your mom sounds insane.
Well, she did want to be an actress when she was my age.
What about you? What about me?
What do you do?
I go to Fordham.
What do you study?
I don't...have a major yet.
But, like, what do you want to study? I don't really know.
I don't know yet.
So Fordham was just like a random school?
No, I applied to a bunch of schools, Fordham let me in.
Why'd you pick Shaffer?
It's the best music school in the country.
Well, Fordham was Fordham.
I don't love it there, to be honest.
No? No.
I...
I don't know. I guess it's just the people.
I don't know if they like me very much.
I'm from Arizona and I think they can...see it.
I kinda feel the same way about people at Shaffer.
Oh, yeah? Yeah. I don't...I don't think they like me too much.
Mm. But I don't... I don't...
I don't care too much.
SHE LAUGHS
I think it just... It changes.
You know, people change and...things work out.
No, no, I know, I know.
I just...
I feel really homesick sometimes.
I don't know.
It kind of pisses me off when people pretend like they're not.
In college, you know?
Maybe I'm literally the only one, I don't know.
I still go to the movies with my dad.
APPLAUSE
INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
Hey... How are you, man? Good. Good to see you.
And you. And please, is this really Eva? Wow.
Last time I saw you, you were very tiny.
Are you playing an instrument yet?
She started piano last week.
Hey, when you're a big college kid, will you come play in my band?
Would you like that? Be my piano player?
Excellent. Give me five, baby.
All right. Hey, great to see you. Great seeing you.
I'll see you after the show, OK? All right, absolutely. All right, cheers.
Listen up, cocksuckers!
Hurry the fuck up. Get your music.
Irene only set one. Rhythm section out first.
Tanner, the kit is a fucking tonal catastrophe.
Get it in tune, all right?
Rhythm and soloists, bar 45.
We're going to pick up the tempo there, all right?
Bar 106, brass, do not forget we sharp that ninth.
Everybody remember, Lincoln Center and its ilk use these competitions
to decide who they're interested in and who they're not.
And I am not going to have my reputation in that department
tarnished by a bunch of fucking limp-dick, sour-note,
flatter-than-their-girlfriends, flexible-tempo dipshits. Got it?
One more thing. Eugene, give me that.
If I ever find one of these lying around again,
I swear to fucking God, I will stop being so polite.
Get the fuck out of my sight before I demolish you.
Stage right, in order, now.
I can still fucking see you, Mini-Me!
Let's go. Hurry the fuck up. Let's go.
The Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band.
Hold on this for the second set.
Nah, he's dumb but he's not stupid.
At the end of the day, he wants a career, as dumb as he is.
But as long as Fletcher's here, Fudd doesn't have a chance
of getting put back in the band, so why would he jeopardise that?
I need to look at the music. Oh, yeah, it's right here.
Why isn't it on you? Where's the folder?
You're joking, right? I've no... You're fucking around? I literally...
No, I-I swear, I just had it here two seconds ago.
No, no... It's got to be around here.
Did you see...? How could you be so fucking stupid?
I know. Maybe a janitor came by or something... A janitor?! Yeah.
Find the fucking folder! A fucking janitor?
You're a dumb fuck! A dumb fuck!
Find the folder! OK, I'm sorry.
DISTANT: Tanner!
Jesus fucking Christ, where have you been?
Uh, we have an issue. OK, now is not the time.
I gave Neiman the folder, and Neiman lost it.
Neiman lost it? Yes, sir.
The folder was your fucking responsibility, Tanner.
Why would you give it to Neiman? Right?
You give a calculator to a fucking retard, he's going to try to turn on a TV with it.
Now, get your sticks and get your ass on-stage.
I-I can't.
You can't?
I-I can't go on-stage. I don't know the charts by heart.
Are you fucking kidding me? I... You know this.
I need the music. It's my memory, I need visual cues.
Visual cues? Yes. It's a medical condition.
A medical condition?
What, are you fucking Sanjay Gupta? Play the goddamn music!
I can't. I can.
You know Whiplash by heart? Yes, sir. Every measure.
All right. Well, you better fucking hope your memory doesn't fail you.
And I hope you play it a whole lot better than you did last month in the rehearsal.
Because I do not intend to start losing now.
Get your sticks and get your fucking ass on-stage. On-stage!
And in first place,
Shaffer Conservatory.
INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
Hey. Don't fucking touch MY folder, man.
Do not touch this kit.
All right, let's get to work, ladies.
Tanner, what are you doing?
It's core only today. I don't have time for alternates.
Cherokee. From the top.
Tanner, are you a fucking statue? Let's go. Get off the stool.
Don't forget to turn Neiman's pages. Here we go.
One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four.
ALERT CHIMES
Andy, what did you do to your hand?
Is that from drumming? Yeah. It's nothing.
So how's it going with the Studio Band?
Good.
Yeah, I think he likes me more now.
And his opinion means a lot to you, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Want to grab the shakers?
Jimbo? Hm? Overcooked.
I can barely chew this.
THEY LAUGH
He just laughs. So how's the drumming going, Andy?
Yeah, it's going really well. I'm...I'm the new core drummer, so...
Hey!
Tom Brady!
Did you hear, Jim? No, what happened?
Trav got named this year's MVP. That's fantastic, Travis.
Yeah, and Dustin is heading up Model UN,
soon to be Rhodes Scholar and who knows what all else.
And, Jim, Teacher of the Year.
Well, hey, listen... I mean, come on.
The talent at this table, that is stunning.
And, Andy, with your drumming. It's going OK, Andy?
Yeah, I mean, it's going really, really well, actually.
I'm part of Shaffer's top jazz orchestra,
which means... It's the best in the country.
And I'm a core member so I'll start playing in competitions.
And, actually, I just...
I found out I'm the youngest person in the entire band.
How do you...How do you know who wins in a...music competition? Isn't it subjective?
No. Does the studio get you a job?
No, it's not an actual studio. It's just the name of the ensemble,
but, yeah, it's a big step forward in my career.
Well, I'm so glad you figured it out. It's a nasty business, I am sure.
Oh, hey, are you going to tell them about your game this week? Huh?
Living up to your title. What happened?
I scored a 93-yard touchdown.
UNCLE FRANK: School record, school record, school record.
Is that true? That's fantastic.
It's Division III.
It's Carleton football. It's not even Division II, it's Division III.
You got any friends, Andy? No.
Oh, why is that? I don't know.
I just never really saw the use.
Who are you going to play with otherwise?
Lennon and McCartney - they were school buddies, am I right?
Charlie Parker didn't know anybody until Jo Jones threw a cymbal at his head.
So, that's your idea of success, huh?
I think, being the greatest musician of the 20th century is anybody's idea of success.
Dying broke and drunk and full of heroin
at the age of 34 is not exactly my idea of success.
I'd rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me
than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remember who I was.
Ah, but your friends will remember you - that's the point.
None of us were friends with Charlie Parker. THAT's the point.
Travis and Dustin, they have plenty of friends and plenty of purpose.
I'm sure they'll make great school board presidents someday.
Oh, that's what this is all about? You think you're better than us?
Catch on quick. Are you in Model UN? I got a reply for you, Andrew.
You think Carleton football is a joke? Come play with us.
Four words you will never hear from the NFL.
Who wants dessert? And from Lincoln Center?
FULL BAND PLAYS
OK, guys, get out of here.
Pick up the new chart by the door on your way out.
Rehearsal 9pm sharp tonight.
That's how long you have to learn it.
Neiman. Hm? Stick around a minute.
See the tempo marking on there? Uh...
..quarter note equals 330. Oh.
That is a double-time swing.
That's what got you in here, right? Oh, yeah.
As fate would have it, I recently stumbled across another kid
in a practice room working on his double-time swing. Hm.
So I'm going to give him a shot.
KNOCK ON DOOR FRAME
Am I late? Perfect timing.
Come on in, Connolly.
Uh, you two know each other, right? Yeah, yeah, Nassau Band.
Hey, what's up, Andrew?
Now, Connolly, I've made Neiman a temporary core,
but with this competition coming up
I just want to make very sure
this chart is in the best shape it can be.
Yeah, this one right here, right?
I gave Connolly the chart this morning.
All I want to do now
is just to give you both a crack at it, all right?
So, Neiman, go ahead, jump on the kit, we'll take it from the top.
OK.
I don't want you to worry about hits right now. Just tempo, OK? OK.
All set?
One, two...
Not quite my tempo. Connolly. OK.
Yeah, I can take it right back from the top. Connolly, go ahead.
I can do... No. We'll go with Connolly now.
Hey, do you mind?
OK, man, ready? Mm-hm.
One and two and...
Perfect, Connolly. UNDER BREATH: Oh, my God.
See, this to me is the beauty of Studio Band.
You walk in here an alternate, who knows when you could be the new core.
Oh, my God, are you serious? Thanks.
That shit?
PHONE BUZZES
Fletcher.
Thanks, man. Here you go.
DOOR CLOSES
Don't worry about Fletcher. He's more bark than bite.
Hey, look, you... I can play these charts.
Now is not the time, I swear to God. I can play it, OK?
I SAID NOT NOW! If you want the fucking part, earn it.
FLETCHER EXHALES
I'm just going to lay it out there.
This is why I don't think that we should be together.
And I've thought about it a lot, and this is what's going to happen.
OK, I'm going to keep pursuing what I'm pursuing.
And because I'm doing that, it's going to take up more and more of my time.
And I'm not going to be able to spend as much time with you.
And even when I do spend time with you, I'm going to be thinking about drumming.
And I'm going to be thinking about jazz and my charts and all that.
And because of that, you're going to start to resent me.
And you're going to tell me to ease up on the drumming,
spend more time with you, because you're not feeling important.
And I'm not going to be able to do that.
And really I'm going to start to resent you for even asking me
to stop drumming. And we're just going to start to hate each other.
And it's going to get very... It's going to be ugly.
And so, for those reasons,
I'd rather just, you know, break it off clean.
Because I want to be great.
And you're not?
I want to be one of the greats.
And I would stop you from doing that?
Yeah.
You KNOW I would stop you from doing that?
You know that for a fact?
Yes.
And I'd barely see you anyway?
Yeah. And when I did see you, you'd treat me like shit
because I'm just some girl who doesn't know what she wants.
And you have a path and you're going to be great
and I'm going to be forgotten,
and therefore you won't be able to give me the time of day
because you have bigger things to pursue?
That's exactly my point.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
You're right. We should not be dating.
I'm OK. Thanks.
Fuck! Fuck!
Fucking piece of shit!
Fuck you!
The fuck!
Fucking piece of shit! Come on!
INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
DOOR OPENS
Um...
Sorry, we have a new player. Ryan Connolly.
Um...
HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
I'm sorry.
Guys, just put your instruments down for a minute.
Just listen for a minute.
DREAMY TRUMPET-LED JAZZ
Six years ago...
..I came across a kid in a practice room working on his scales.
He was early second year
and he'd started at Shaffer with a lot of hope.
Like all you guys.
But the truth was that he barely squeaked in to begin with and...
..he was really struggling.
The faculty were all telling him, "Maybe this isn't for you."
But they didn't see what I saw.
This scared, skinny kid
cursing himself because he couldn't get his scales right.
I saw a drive in him.
And I put him in Studio Band.
And when he graduated,
Marsalis made him third trumpet at Lincoln Center.
A year later, he was first.
That's who you're listening to now.
His name was Sean Casey.
HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
I found out this morning that...
..Sean...
..died yesterday...
..in a car accident.
And I just...
HE EXHALES SHAKILY
I wanted you guys to know he was a beautiful player.
I just thought you should know.
I'm sorry.
HE SNIFFS
OK.
Let's get to work, huh? How about Caravan, bar 105?
Two bars for free.
One and two and...
It's not...not quite right, Connolly. Um...
I'd like to try Neiman on this.
Maybe now's the time for Neiman to earn the part.
One and two and...
Nope, I guess not. Tanner?
One and two and...
Motherfucker!
Connolly, get your ass back on the kit.
We will stay here for as long as it takes until one of you faggots
can play in time.
One and two and...
Looks like that might be all night. Neiman.
One and two and...
Not my fucking tempo!
Sorry, guys. Hate to put you through this.
If you need to fucking take a dump or get a coffee,
whatever, now might be a good time, because we're going to stay here
until I find a drummer who can fucking play in time.
I apologise to the musicians.
Seriously, take ten, 20, a fucking hour.
You hear me, cocksuckers? You better start shitting me perfect 400s.
Connolly, get your fucking ass back on the kit.
MUDDLED, RAPID DRUMMING
Is that really the fastest you can play, you worthless Hymie fuck?
No wonder Mommy ran out on you. Get off the fucking kit.
And here comes Mr Gay Pride of the Upper West Side himself.
Unfortunately this is not a Bette Midler concert.
We will not be serving Cosmopolitans and Baked Alaska,
so just play faster than you give fucking hand jobs, will you, please?
One, two, one, two.
Not even fuckin' close.
Let's go with the Irish Mick-fucking-Paddy-cracker now.
You know, you actually do look quite a bit like a leprechaun.
I'm going to start calling you Flannery.
MUFFLED: Motherfucking cocksucker! Shit!
Get off!
What the fuck are you looking for? There's no pot of gold down there.
Adjusting the seat? Really?
That's been your fucking problem the whole time? The seat height?
So now you have it, right?
Go.
Bullshit! Fuck you!
Neiman.
Maybe it's time
to finally bring this home. What do you say?
Show me.
Don't slow down.
Pick it up.
Faster!
Keep playing!
Keep playing! Keep playing! Keep playing!
Don't stop.
Neiman...
..you earned the part.
Alternates, you want to clean the blood off my drum set?
OK, we can start now.
5pm call tomorrow in Dunellen.
Give yourselves at least two hours
to get there from the city this time, all right?
Save your travel receipts.
Or don't. I don't give a shit.
HE VOCALISES
HISSING AND RATTLING
Hey, excuse me, do you know where the cabs are?
No, you got to call the cabs.
I know, but they said the cabs were supposed to be right here?
No, you got to call. Then they're going to take forever...
OK, how do I get to Hargrove?
Hey. Come on. Please, come on. You're still open.
You're still open. Come on. Come on. Come on.
Yeah, hello?
Neiman, where the fuck are you man? Call time was five.
I know, I know. I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I'm right there.
We're on-stage in 20. I KNOW we're on-stage in 20.
And Fletcher's got Connolly warming up. God-fucking-da... OK.
You just tell that little fucking redhead I'll...
I'm going to be there, OK? Fuck!
Hey. Hey. Sorry I'm late.
Well, glad you could fit us into your busy schedule, darling.
I know. Look, I'm sorry I'm late, but I'm here, I'm ready to go.
Connolly's playing the part.
Yeah, like fucking hell he's playing my part.
What the fuck did you just say to me?
It's my part.
It's MY part, and I decide who to lend it to.
Usually, it's somebody that has fucking sticks.
I left them in the car. I'll be right back. Take me five minutes.
I'm warming up the band now.
Look, I can use Ryan's sticks... Neiman, you lost the fucking part.
No, I didn't.
Look, you can't fucking do this to me. "Can't"? Yeah!
When did you become a fucking expert on what I can or cannot do,
you fucking weepy-willow shit-sack? I earned that part.
You never earned anything. God, you are a self-righteous prick.
The only reason you're a fucking core
is because you "misplaced" a folder.
The only reason you're in Studio Band to begin with
is because I told you exactly what I'd be asking for in Nassau.
Am I wrong? Yeah.
No, I'm in Studio Band because I'm the best player...
Hey, why don't you just back off, bro?
Hey, fuck off, Johnny Utah. Turn my pages, bitch!
Hey. I can cut you any fucking time I want.
You would've cut me by now. Try me, you fuckin' weasel.
At 5:30 - that's in exactly 11 minutes - my band is on-stage.
If your ass is not on that stool
with your own fucking sticks in hand,
or if you make one fucking mistake,
one, I will drum your ass back to Nassau
where you can turn pages until you graduate or fucking drop out.
By the time you're done at Shaffer,
you're going to make Daddy look like a fucking success story.
Got it? Or we can let Johnny Utah play the part. You choose.
That's my part. I'll be on your stage.
Fuck you. You got ten minutes,
you fucking pathetic, pansy-ass fruit fuck.
Hey, tell Fletcher I'm coming.
What the fuck's taking you so long, man? We're moving on-stage right now.
I know. I got locked in my car,
it's fine. I got locked in my car, I'm coming.
Left turn, 200 feet.
Are you driving, man? No.
What the hell was that noise?
OK, look, why don't you just tell Fletcher that I'm coming,
you motherfucker?!
HE PANTS
Hey. Hey, hey.
Are you OK? Are you OK?
Yeah, I got to get my sticks.
No, no, no, no, stay away from the car.
I've called 911. Look, I got it. It's just a couple more blocks.
No, no, sir. You don't have to go anywhere... Couple more blocks.
Sir, sir, no, you don't have to... Please, get off me. Get off me...
Hey, guys. What the fuck happened to you?
The Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band.
BAND PLAY CARAVAN
HE MUTTERS
Neiman, what the fuck?
INAUDIBLE
BAND CONTINUES TO PLAY
HE PANTS
Neiman.
You're done.
Gentlemen, ladies, I apologise
on behalf of Shaffer Conservatory.
Piece of shit. I'll fucking kill you.
Fuck you! Get the...
..fuck off me. Get off me! Get the fuck off!
Fuck you.
Fuck you!
Fuck you, Fletcher! Fuck you!
Get off. Fuck. Piece of shit!
Fuck you!
When did you start talking to her?
Your father got in contact with us this week.
Does the name Sean Casey mean anything to you?
You know of his death?
Last month, he hanged himself in his apartment.
What does that have to do with me?
Sean suffered from anxiety and depression.
His mother claims this started
during his time as Fletcher's student.
Now, the Caseys aren't wealthy, they don't want to file suit.
So, what do they want?
To make sure that Terence Fletcher
is never allowed to do this to another student.
FROM LAPTOP: Hey, Dad, look at my paradiddle.
Yeah, that's my boy!
He didn't do anything.
What is wrong with you? It's over, OK?
He's out of your life. Why would you let him get away with what he did to you?
Would you characterise his conduct as extreme, Andrew?
Did he ever intentionally inflict emotional distress?
This would not be a public hearing, you know.
Fletcher would never know it was you who spoke up.
Why would you do this to me?
Do you think that I would let him put my son through hell
and then just walk away scot-free?
Don't you know I would never let that happen?
That there is nothing in the world more important to me than you?
Don't you know that?
Andrew?
Just tell me what to say.
Hey.
TV: I'd give everything to be there again this fall, wouldn't you?
Yes, I like weddings, provided of course they're not mine.
Oh, marriages are very healthy, sir.
They say married men live much longer than bachelors.
If that's true, they're only trying to outlive their wives so they can be bachelors again.
Haven't you ever thought of getting married, sir?
Once, as a matter of fact, I did.
The young lady changed her mind at the last moment.
I've been deeply indebted to her ever since.
All right. And I-I loaded the pantry up with Gushers.
Saw that. OK.
All right. OK.
Thanks.
SLOW, PIANO-LED JAZZ
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right on, man.
APPLAUSE
Andrew.
Hey.
I don't know if you heard. Uh...
..I'm not at Shaffer any more.
Yeah, I did hear that.
Did you quit?
Not exactly.
Some parents got a kid from Sean Casey's year, I think,
to say some things about me.
Although why anybody would have anything
other than peaches and cream to say about me is a mystery.
ANDREW CHUCKLES
That's a good laugh, right? I-I'm sorry.
No, listen, hey... No, I'm sorry. ..I get it.
I know I made enemies.
I'm conducting a little, though.
They brought back the JVC Fest this year.
They got me opening in a couple of weeks with a pro band.
That's great.
Yeah. It's all right.
Truth is, I don't think people understood
what it was I was doing at Shaffer.
I wasn't there to conduct.
Any fucking moron can wave his arms and keep people in tempo.
I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them.
I believe that is...
..an absolute necessity.
Otherwise, we're depriving the world of the next Louis Armstrong.
The next Charlie Parker.
I told you that story about how Charlie Parker
became Charlie Parker, right?
Jo Jones threw a cymbal at his head. Exactly.
Parker's a young kid, pretty good on the sax.
Gets up to play at a cutting session, and he fucks it up.
And Jones nearly decapitates him for it.
And he's laughed off-stage.
Cries himself to sleep that night.
But the next morning, what does he do?
He practises.
And he practises and he practises with one goal in mind -
never to be laughed at again.
And a year later, he goes back to the Reno
and he steps up on that stage
and plays the best motherfucking solo the world has ever heard.
So imagine if Jones had just said,
"Well, that's OK, Charlie. Eh. That was all right. Good job."
And then Charlie thinks to himself,
"Well, shit, I did do a pretty good job."
End of story.
No Bird.
That, to me, is an absolute tragedy.
But that's just what the world wants now.
People wonder why jazz is dying.
I tell you, man. And every Starbucks "jazz" album
just proves my point, really.
There are no two words in the English language more harmful
than "good job".
But is there a line?
You know, maybe you go too far
and you discourage the next Charlie Parker
from ever becoming Charlie Parker?
No, man, no.
Because the next Charlie Parker would never be discouraged.
Yeah.
The truth is, Andrew, I...
..never really had a Charlie Parker.
But I tried.
I actually fucking tried.
And that's more than most people ever do.
And I will never apologise for how I tried.
FLETCHER SIGHS
I'll, uh, see you later.
Yeah.
Hey, Andrew. Listen,
I have no idea how you're going to take this, but...
..the band I'm leading for JVC, my drummer is not cutting it.
You understand what I'm saying?
No.
I'm using the Studio Band playlist.
You know, Caravan, Whiplash.
I need somebody who really knows those charts.
What about Ryan Connolly?
All Connolly ever was to me was incentive for you.
Tanner? Tanner switched to pre-med.
I guess he got discouraged.
Hey. Uh...
..take the weekend and think about it.
LINE RINGS
Hello? Hey, Nicole, it's Andrew.
Hi. Hey.
It's been a while since...
..I t-talked to you. Um...look, I...
I'm really sorry about everything.
I know that's not...
..you know, enough, but I'm just really sorry. Um...
But anyway, I got... I actually have this show this weekend.
I-It's a, uh...
..like, a JVC thing.
And I didn't know if maybe you'd want to go, and...we...
You know, maybe get some, like, pizza afterwards, and...
..like, complain about our schools again.
What is...? You said JV?
N-No, it's...
HE CHUCKLES
..JVC.
It's like a... It's a jazz...thing.
Yeah.
Oh, OK. Um...
Well, I don't know if I can come.
I... I'll have to check with my boyfriend.
OK.
Yeah.
Uh, yeah, I mean, I'll check, but I-I don't know.
I don't really think he likes jazz music, so...
Yeah, I mean, it's not for everybody.
Mm.
OK. Well, I guess maybe I'll see you guys there.
OK. OK.
Bye.
INSTRUMENTAL WARM-UP
INAUDIBLE
All right, gang, listen up. Now, for those of you who are new at this,
which looks like it might be everybody except Cal, tonight could change your life.
The folks out there make a phone call,
you could be a Blue Note signee,
an EMC client, a Lincoln Center core.
On the other hand,
if you drop the ball, you might be looking for a new line of work.
Because the other thing about these cats is they never forget.
We all set?
All right. Let's have fun.
DISTANCE APPLAUSE
APPLAUSE GROWS LOUDER
APPLAUSE
You think I'm fucking stupid?
What?
I know it was you.
APPLAUSE
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We're...
We're very excited to be here,
kicking off the JVC Festival this year.
I'm Terence Fletcher and these are some of the best musicians
in New York, which means
they're some of the best musicians in the world.
And we're going to do some old standards for you,
but first we're going to start with a new tune
by Tim Simonec, called Upswingin'.
ANDREW PLAYS OUT OF TIME
What the fuck you doing?
Come on, man.
DRUMMING FALLS IN AND OUT OF TIME
BAND STOPS, DRUMS CONTINUE A BEAT
SILENCE
SMATTERING OF APPLAUSE
Yeah, I guess maybe you don't have it.
FLETCHER: That was a little extra avant-garde
there from the rhythm section...
Come on, let's go home.
What are you doing?
Uh...
..now we're going to slow it down a little bit.
I'm guessing most of you folks have heard of...
ANDREW PLAYS CARAVAN
I'll cue you in.
Caravan.
Three, four.
PIANO JOINS
HORNS JOIN
I'm going to gouge out your motherfucking eye...
Andrew, what are you doing, man?
I'll cue you.
DRUMMING FADES INTO SILENCE
DRUMMING FADES BACK IN
FULL BAND CLIMAXES
MUSIC: Whiplash Album Overture by Justin Hurwitz