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DVD Reviews

Graham Coxon

Graham Coxon Live At The Zodiac DVD

Parlophone

If we’re all honest, Graham Coxon was always the best thing about of Blur. His warm fuzzy guitar tones and hop-skip-jump bendy guitar lines worked so well, and his nervous high pitched cooing gave a real sense of emotion to Damon’s everyman delivery. But in one swift action that finally gave conclusive evidence that Damon is in fact a nasty piece of work (well, I wasn’t gonna just believe what the Gallagher’s were saying was I?) Graham was asked to leave the band in such a humiliating manner. He quit the drink and alcohol, sorted his mind and family life out, and pushed on with his solo work whilst Blur went on to sell a lot of records (as per usual) but generally bore people into buying Gorillaz records (so it would occupy more of Damon’s time until the inevitable reunion of Coxon and Blur.) and while Blur may sell more records than Graham, the respect he gets from the critics, fans and other bands far exceeds that of his former band. So just to rub it in that little bit more we have one frantically electric show of Graham’s (and his amazing band) captured on DVD for the first time.

The show is a revelation from start to finish, the band are tight and taut, and Graham is the constant focus of your attention as he strangles his guitar into making some of the most amazing sounds and looks onwards nervously, trying to remember the words. It’s all there, the new wave sensibility of Blondie, the ever-summer feeling of the Beach Boys, the robotic edginess of Wire, and the warped world-outlook of Pavement, all perfectly fused in bite sized chunks. You also get an acoustic set and his promo videos all thrown in for free, but the most interesting thing I found on the DVD was the proof that Graham sounds exactly like Nigel Tuffnel’s character in “This Is Spinal Tap,รข?”. Luckily for us though there are no Violin vs. Guitar solo’s on offer here. This DVD showcases Coxon’s undeniable talent, but much more than that it shows a man finally at ease with himself and happy. Y’see, it wasn’t that hard after all! Buy this DVD from here online.

Jeremy Chick
www.subba-cultcha.com

Categories
DVD Reviews

Soulfly

The Song Remains Insane DVD

Max Cavalera is undoubtedly one of the most influential and important figures in metal today. Former band Sepultura leapt into the mainstream from the unlikely territories of deepest Brazil with their unrivalled, venomous cocktail of thrash ferocity and snarling punk attitude; while current venture Soulfly have spent the better part of a decade knocking down walls and musical boundaries of their own with a sonic battering ram of tribal influenced mayhem and delicate, flamenco driven serenity. The bands” debut DVD release is a detailed, all access journey with Max and co. captured live throughout the world over the course of the past several years. Featuring over an hour of live performance, previously unseen footage from inside the studio during the “Prophecy” recording sessions, up-close and personal band interviews and the four-piece’s entire video discography – ‘the Song Remains Insane” is an intriguing insight into an even more intriguing group of musicians, and irrefutably packs enough wallop to keep even the most avid followers satisfied for many an evening to come.

Ryan Bird

Categories
DVD Reviews

Henry Rollins

Shock and Awe Spoken Word Tour DVD

Cooking Vinyl

If you haven’t heard about once Black Flag/Rollins Band front man Henry Rollins’ spoken word performances, then where the hell have you been? I luckily caught one of his shows at the Barbican a few years ago, a sold out audience sat through what essentially is one man venting his spleen about a myriad of topics for over three hours. My bum may have been telling me in it’s own magical way that it had been THAT long sitting still with a dose of pins and needles, but my mind felt like it had only been 30 minutes. The man’s natural charisma is impossible to resist, he is shouting at you, yet you don’t mind the spit and bile because ultimately what he says will make you laugh, and more so, it”ll make you think! Henry Rollins is an articulate man, but he wont talk down to you, he wont dumb things down either, instead he explains things simply, directly and most importantly, interestingly. He touches on Politics, his own social commentary, music, his eternal mission to find love, his life in California and many more enticing nuggets throughout his set, all with a warmth and humbleness that is refreshing in this era when EVERYONE has an opinion.

I don’t want to do what most reviews will be doing, quoting jokes out of context and writing what is said without the presence of Rollins’ charisma, because it wont work, but what I will tell you is if you go and buy this DVD with bonus CD, you wont be disappointed, I promise you that!

By Jeremy Chick

Categories
DVD Reviews

Eye for an Eye

The New Breed of Hardcore and Metal

www.centurymedia.com

In the past several years, good old fashioned metal has seen somewhat of a dramatic resurgence. As the clones and lemmings of the tiresome nu-metal movement slowly but surely came to a grinding halt; a new wave of devastating musical vengeance was simmering away in the underground melting pot, almost at boiling point. Quicker than you could say “I like hot cocks!” that pot finally boiled over, and in turn spilled out into the mainstream with the same snarling aggression possessed by the bands of which its juices contained. From the realms of straight-edge hardcore courtesy of California’s own Throwdown and Bleeding Through, to the tip of the metallic iceberg with genre heavyweights Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and Chimaira; “Eye for an Eye” is a fond and enjoyable look at just how alive and kicking the modern day metal scene really is.

Long may it continue.

Ryan Bird

Categories
DVD Reviews

Dropkick Murphys

On the Road With the Dropkick Murphy’s

Hellcat Records

Boston’s own Celtic punk veterans Dropkick Murphys are what many would consider legends in their own time. Having spent countless years forging a worldwide reputation as one of the most entertaining live bands around, the Irish-American’s at last bring their non-stop party attitude to your very own front room in the form of “On The Road With Dropkick Murphys“. Boasting a host of special features ranging from extensive on-road activities throughout a summer-long trek on the Warped Tour, an entire 24 song set from the St. Patrick’s Day weekend in their native Boston home, not to mention an entire music video discography; “On The Road With Dropkick Murphys” is a thoroughly entertaining and uncensored peek at one of the leading bands in the modern day punk scene.

Ryan Bird

Categories
DVD Reviews

Goldfinger

Live At The House Of Blues DVD

How time flies; it was nearly a decade ago that Goldfinger released their debut album. At the time, the Californian quartet were largely indistinguishable from the masses of other pop-punk bands that formed in the wake of Green Day and the Offspring’s success, but they endured thanks to singer/guitarist John Feldmann’s seemingly innate ability to meld catchy tunes with an amusingly dark, self-deprecating sense of humour. This live DVD was recorded at a sold-out Los Angeles show in July 2003; it’s clear from the start that the home-town crowd are as devoted as they come. Happily, the band are also on robust form, romping through their set with typical exuberance. Highlights include John’s foray into the crowd during “Open Your Eyes“, the mass sing-along for “Counting The Days“, and the sheer enthusiasm that greets live favourite “Superman“. The sound and video quality is excellent throughout, and the band are never short of amusing between-song banter. There’s also plenty of extra features, including a band commentary, information on PETA (of whom Goldfinger are staunch supporters) and animal rights, and additional clips of other live performances. The footage of drummer Darrin Pfeiffer’s “antics”, by the way, has to be seen to be believed! Not for the faint hearted…

Having seen the “Finger boys a few times, this DVD certainly brought back some fond memories. There’s plenty of entertainment to be found here, but also a generous helping of food for thought. Not a bad deal! Essential for Goldfinger fans, and also well worth a look if you want a good overview of the band.

Categories
DVD Reviews

Pennywise

Home Movies

www.epitaph.com

Pennywise being a major player in the california punk scene have thrown together a bunch of home videos over the years. Don’t expect any high end video footage this is exactly what the title says, Home Movies. Originally released on VHS in 1995, Home Movies has been unavailable in any form since 1997.This is a must for any true pennywise fan, filled with stage dives fights and Fletchers infamous drunken party tricks. Rough footage from shows in Holland and Japan really catch the hard road that pennywise have been on to get to where they are today! One of the most memorable californian punk bands to date. One of the only bands with true fans and a down to earth attitude to with it!
“Home Movies” is a DVD that will fit perfect into any punk rock collection! Out now on Epitaph..

4/5
Greg Atkins

Categories
DVD Reviews

Pitchshifter

P.S.I.Entology

PSI Records

www.pitchshifter.com

2003 was a dark year for British metal. After year upon year of mind boggling creativity, relentless rebellion, and plain old rocking ” noise-mongers Pitchshifter decided to bow out, and bring down the curtain on a long and illustrious career. Thankfully, this has proven to be short-lived, and 2004 sees the Nottingham lads bounce back with a UK tour, and a rather splendid DVD offering in “P.S.I.Entology”. As has always been the case with Pitchshifter, when they do something, they don’t do it half assed ” a fact displayed all too clearly with this delightful offering. Whether you’re looking for a blistering live performance, a behind the scenes documentary styled take on the band and their goings on, sneak peaks at the studio and recording process, or just a run through the bands” promotional and music video history ” it’s all here in copious and wonderfully satisfying amounts. As well as a detailed look back over more than a decade of domination, viewers are also treated to an introduction of the respective members” modern day lives and projects, from clips of mouthpiece J.S. Clayden’s Los Angeles based venture

Doheny, to brother Mark’s Blighty based outfit The Blueprint. Combine all these features and more ” including optional band commentary and secret bonus footage that keep you on your toes and the mystery trail alike – and you have one of the most satisfactory feature presentations to date.

Do yourself a favour ” pick up “P.S.I.Entology” and introduce yourself to possibly the most influential British rock group of the past decade. You may just thank me for it.

Ryan Bird

Categories
DVD Reviews

Sonic Youth

Corporate Ghost

The videos 1990-2002

This DVD is really good! I know that I am a big Sonic Youth fan, but still. Every video the New York alternative quartet ever made (plus live performances) is on here, and each one has at least 2 commentaries to accompany it. Whether it’s the memorable live performance of ‘the Diamond Sea” with Thurston’s wild guitar solos, Kim Gordon’s sultry voice and heart touching lyrics in ‘tunic”, or Guy Mariano, Jason Lee and Spike Jonze skating through the streets of LA in “100%”. It’s all good. I don’t think you can deny how creative Sonic Youth are when it comes to music. Each song is different and every composition touches a different mood. No wonder how these guys have got such longetivity and influence in the game. This DVD is like a historical document tracing the group’s artistic states as they put images to their music. Oh, and let’s not forget the extras! Over 3 hours of interviews, commentary, live shows and more. There’s even the entirety of a young fans video message, filmed on the old camcorder back when Sonic Youth had just released “Daydream Nation”, a seminal album that rocked the youth. Great. Anyway, I”m bought on this DVD and super stoked to own a copy. So should you, now go get it!

Ralph Lloyd-Davis