Rock 'n' Roll Guns for Hire - The Story of the Sidemen

They've worked with the biggest names in music, but you won't know their names. Discover the story of the sidemen, the supporting musicians behind our favourite songs and artists. Interviews with stars including The Rolling Stones and Billy Joel show how important these musicians are, while experienced sidemen and sidewomen - including those who have worked with Beyonce, Prince and Bruce Springsteen - reveal the soaring highs and crushing lows of life lived on stage but in the shadows. View rock and pop history from a new perspective, and discover the pivotal role the sidemen have played in the soundtrack of our lives.

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes and 49 seconds




NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS - 11.1

Explore - 11.2

World - 11.3

Create - 11.4

Kids - 11.5

All of our channels and NHK World Japan are streaming LIVE ONLINE and on the PBS App, available on most devices.

Learn More


 

Community Impact

NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

Nature | Oceans | Parenthood
History with David Rubenstein | Tiya Miles
Antiques Roadshow | Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Hour 1
NOVA | Mammal Origins
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History | Strange Fruit
Finding Your Roots | Westward Bound
Austin City Limits | Leon Thomas
Secrets of the Dead | The Quest for Camelot
American Masters | Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [ASL]
The Puzzle Lady | Episode 1
All Creatures Great and Small | Episode 1: Gathering the Flock
American Experience | Bombshell
From That Small Island: The Story of the Irish | New Worlds
London's New Year's Day Parade | The London Parade 2026
Rome New Year's Day Parade 2026 | Rome New Year's Day Parade 2026
Bookish | Slightly Foxed, Part 1
Happiness | Episode 1
Great Performances | Nutcracker from English National Ballet
Miss Scarlet | Episode 3: The Delivery
POV | Between Goodbyes
Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir | Hope of the Season: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir
London Parade - A Tribute to 40 Years | London Parade - A Tribute to 40 Years
The St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Our Hope for Years to Come | The St. Olaf Christmas Festival: Our Hope for Years to Come
Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen | Charlotte Church
The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music | The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music
The Caverns Sessions | Flatland Cavalry
The Great Escaper | The Great Escaper
The American Revolution | In Order to Be Free (May 1754 - May 1775)
Rick Steves' Europe | London: A Royal Tour
RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service | Sieve & Sort