In 2004, has-been 80s punk rocker Johnny Jones makes a drunken comeback single with his old band Weapons of Happiness, after they meet up at a friend's funeral. He is sure the song, "Free Rock 'n' Roll" will be a hit, but in an industry obsessed with image, Johnny is viewed as irrelevant and over-the-hill by record company executives and DJs, who tell him he has the wrong demographic to be successful. Frustrated but determined, he decides to hire a group of photogenic, box-ticking, media-friendly teenagers to front a video for the song. He intends to swindle the music business into liking him, and come clean once the single is released. The youngsters mime to his music, contracts are signed and Free Rock 'n' Roll enters the UK singles chart. Unfortunately, the rest of the band want to be recognised for their part in this achievement. Following an argument between Johnny and band-mate Minto, the story is revealed to the press. As the media go into a frenzy, Johnny finds himself caught in the spotlight, fighting against ageism and inequality in the industry that rejected him.