Category: Reviews

‘The European Invasion – Doom Troopin”
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)

Black Label Society are definitely a man’s metal band. Not for them the dark romanticism of bands like HIM or the art-metal musings of Tool; these guys are all about the booze, beards and powerhouse riffs. One of the first things you’ll notice on this DVD is that whenever frontman/guitar hero Zakk Wylde isn’t playing his instrument, it’s usually because he’s drinking a beer.

‘The European Invasion…‘ is essentially a documentary of Zakk and his heavy metal brethren’s tour of Europe in mid-2005 (with bars, liquor stores and brothels marked out on their map), featuring over 3 and a half hours of live footage and various behind-the-scenes clips.

The first disc consists of a full-length show recorded at Paris’ Elysee Montmartre, as well as a handful of tracks from a London Astoria show. Right from the start, this is good ol’ no-nonsense, headbanging fun – a feast of prime-era Sabbath riffs and Pantera-esque grooves, topped off with Zakk’s whiskey-soaked howl and jaw-dropping guitar acrobatics. Sure, it all gets a bit repetitive by track 10, but if your stereo isn’t cranked to floor-shaking volume and your brain isn’t fully disengaged by then, then BLS are probably not for you.

The second disc features promo videos for recent tracks ‘Fire It Up’, ‘Suicide Messiah’ and ‘In This River’ (all replete with suitably dark imagery and plenty of fire/explosions) and various clips of tour and festival footage. Other highlights include a couple of interviews with Zakk,
a short clip of him lifting weights with his young son Hendrix (wahey), and footage of an almighty row between band and stage manager backstage in London.

It’s good to see that Black Label Society have taken the time to make this so much more than just another live DVD, especially given the loyalty on show from their patch-wearing fans. Now toss me a cold one, motherfucker.

Alex Gosman

Club Date: Live In Boston/Acoustic: Live In Newport
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)

If you’re not familiar with the Pixies, then stop reading this and don’t come back until you’ve at least got your grubby little paws on a copy of the ‘Death To The Pixies’ compilation, and listened to it repeatedly. Been there, done that, you say?

Good – then go and read about how this Boston quartet became one of the most influential alternative bands of the late 80’s/early 90s, arguably paving the way for Nirvana and their ilk with classic albums like ‘Doolittle’ and ‘Bossanova’. Having originally split in 1992, they reformed in 2004 for a hugely successful world tour; and these two DVDs catch the band at two performances in their native New England.

For such a revered band, there’s a refreshing lack of egotism or grandstanding from Black Francis and co on these performances; just a few snippets of endearingly amateurish between-song banter that lend the outdoors Newport performance a certain intimacy, and give the impression of a band playing for a couple of hundred close friends (as opposed to lucky fans) at the tiny Boston show.

There’s nothing amateurish about the music though. Sure, the Pixies were never the most accomplished of musicians, but that didn’t (and still doesn’t) stop songs like ‘Nimrod’s Son’, ‘Bone Machine’, ‘Wave Of Mutilation‘ and the more well-known ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’ sounding like the bonafide alt-rock classics that they are. The lengthy set-lists on both DVDs are guaranteed to keep most Pixies fans happy, and the sound and video quality is excellent throughout. There’s also a mini-documentary and a recording of an early 1986 performance on offer in the ‘Extras’ sections.

Many of the songs featured on ‘Acoustic: Live In Newport’ have never officially been recorded in an acoustic form, and hence this DVD will probably be of most interest to the seasoned Pixies aficionado. Nevertheless, ‘Club Date: Live In Boston’ serves as a fine document of a classic band who have managed to bury their creative differences and re-emerge sounding as great as ever. If you’ve managed to catch them live over the past couple of years, you’ll no doubt agree; and these DVDs are sure to bring back some fond memories.

Check www.pixiesmusic.com and www.ilovepixies.com for more info.

Alex Gosman

(Sony Classics)

So, I finally got to see the anticipated partner piece to Steven Blush’s book “American Hardcore: A Tribal History” from 2001, where the author put into words his own historic take and first hand experiences from those crucial days of North American Hardcore in the early ’80’s. Blush is joined in production duties on “American Hardcore” (The Movie) by Paul Rachman, and you did read that right… this is a Sony Pictures Classic…

As with the book, the film focuses on the different emerging scenes across the States and alongside a heap of band footage and essential sounds, there are war stories and often humorous anecdotes from back-in-the-day with a whole host of luminaries who were crucial to the burgeoning scene… Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Keith Morris, Brian Baker, Mike Watt, Vic Bondi, Tony Cadena, Dave Dictor, Joey Shithead, Greg Ginn, Paul Mahern, Ken Inouye, Jack Grisham, Greg Hetson, Brett Gurewitz, Kevin Seconds, Harley Flanagan, Vinny Stigma, Shaun and Mark Stern, Jimmy Gestapo, Dave Smalley… and a very coherent HR from Bad Brains, plus his former band mates Dr Know and Darryl Jenifer… the live footage of the Bad Brains is one of this films real high points. What an amazing band.

There’s also recollections from the SSD guys, who are then reunited in the same room for the first time in years, which looks a bit tense but then Springa cracks out a whole load of old flyers and the ice is broken. Just don’t hope for a reunion though!!! Black Flag’s best known roadie Mugger makes an appearance and reveals how he cashed in his SST label shares and that helped put him through college, and set him up in business, and a very comfortable lifestyle these days by all accounts.

I had to do a double take when George Anthony from Battalion of Saints appeared on screen… he sure looks healthier than when his band played Brighton a few years ago. He was so wasted we thought they were gonna suck. We were wrong, and they ripped our heads off. Anyways, back to the film – and I could have definitely done without the super-stoner from Pantera telling me how intense Black Flag were, and I’m still not 100% clear if Moby did ever sing with Flipper, or not.

If I’ve got a problem with ‘American Hardcore’ it’s that for all the cool bands and music in it, I was constantly left thinking about all the shit that was missing… no Husker Du, no Crucifix, no Toxic Reasons, no JFA, MIA, FU’s… Freeze… Naked Raygun… and crucially – no Dead Kennedy’s. I shit you not. The DK’s were THE American Hardcore band… and one of the most important Punk acts ever. They took it national, and then global. Go read the interview on this website with Vic Bondi for more on why the DK’s were a non-starter as far as this film went.

There’s scant coverage on the vibrant and eclectic scene in Texas, and Canada’s only inclusion is DOA… no Subhumans, no SNFU, no Personality Crisis. It was a bit disparate at times when there are comments from interviewees (notably Kevin Seconds, Brett Gurewitz, Kim from Channel 3, Reed from COC) but no footage of their bands. I’m being picky here I guess. Importantly though, there was also no mention of the crucial publications that were the heartbeat of the scene, notably Maximum RocknRoll, but also Flipside, and Al Quint from Suburban Voice ‘zine would surely have made a decent contributor. And keeping on that track – some more of the artists who made their mark on the scene, like Pushead and Brain Walsby would have been interesting to hear from.

I’m in too deep with this music and its history, but overall “American Hardcore” is a decent representative film that is requisite viewing for anyone with more than a passing interest this firebrand music, much of which still burns hard on stereos across the world today. Go see it, soak up the classic sounds, and form your own opinion. That was the point in the first place… right!!

www.americanhardcoremovie.com for the trailer

Pete Craven

On The Fiddle Recordings

“Are they still around?”

A question that, it seems, is often asked about the Levellers; perhaps with good reason. After all, it has been a good ten years since albums like ‘Zeitgeist‘ propelled the Brighton septet into the upper echelons of the UK charts, and they’re lucky to receive so much as a hint of mainstream media attention these days.

However, the band’s focus was always first and foremost on their live performances; and it is arguably these which have most enabled them to survive out of the media spotlight. Their vivacious, inclusive gigs have kept seasoned fans coming back to see them time and time again – even if it means flying halfway across the world – and recruited newer, younger fans through that most simple of tactics: word of mouth.

If you don’t yet know whether the Levellers’ raucous blend of folk, rock and punk influences is for you, then the first DVD of ‘Chaos Theory‘ is worth watching to hear the band in their ideal environment. Recorded at a sold-out show at the Reading Hexagon earlier this year, features a setlst guaranteed to keep most Levellers fans happy, with a clutch of newer songs mixed in with old favourites like ‘The Road’ , ‘One Way’ and ‘Beautiful Day’. Sound levels dip from time to time, but otherwise it’s pretty high quality stuff.

The second CD is geared more towards the devoted Levellers fan; featuring footage of a 2004 acoustic performance at Buxton Opera House, as well as a clutch of Clash covers from last year’s ‘Beautiful Days’ festival (with a guest appearance from a certain Billy Bragg). There’s also a clutch of amusing band/fan interviews, the (ahem) wonder of the ‘Jez Cam’ and the band’s 1993 tour documentary ‘Part Time Punks’ thrown in for good measure.

Overall, ‘Chaos Theory’ serves as a fine document of Levellers career to date. Make no mistake, if they can keep up the quality of the performances on display here, then they’ll be around for a good few years yet.

Alex Gosman

‘Whiskey On A Sunday’
Side One Dummy

If you’ve ever seen Flogging Molly live, then you’ll most likely agree with singer/guitarist Dave King’s assertion that “on our day, there aren’t too many bands that can touch us“. With their raucous but heartfelt blend of traditional Irish folk music and punk rock, this Los Angeles-based septet have come a long way since their inception in 1997, and the ‘Whiskey On A Sunday‘ DVD documentary chronicles this journey in fine style.

It soon becomes clear that Dave’s aforementioned boast is born not from arrogance, but from a genuine belief in his bandmates and the musical chemistry that exists between them. A native of Dublin, he tells the story of his poverty-stricken childhood before explaining the various circumstances that ended up with his arrival in LA and the subsequent formation of Flogging Molly (and yes, the band’s name is explained too!). Each of the members is interviewed in a similar fashion; giving an insight into their backgrounds, characters and the details on how they originally came to join the band.

Despite the absence of any ‘Behind The Music’ style scandal, it’s a genuinely captivating film: giving the impression of an honest, hard-working band that have overcome music industry apathy and countless other obstacles to attain a rabid fanbase – several of whom are also interviewed. Naturally, the documentary is peppered with plenty of live and ‘on the road’ footage, including a clutch of songs from a triumphant, sold-out homecoming show at LA’s Wiltern Theatre. If you’ve yet to see Flogging Molly live, then this is proof enough that you’re missing out.

The tracks on the CD consist mainly of live and acoustic versions of some Flogging Molly favourites; the former convey the spirit of the band’s live shows surprisingly well, whilst the stripped-down approach gives the chosen songs a more tender, folk-oriented edge.
There’s also a previously unavailable studio recording of ‘Laura’ on offer.

Live DVDs with a clutch of (largely pointless) ‘extras’ are ten a penny these days, so it’s great to discover that Flogging Molly have put as much effort into ‘Whiskey On A Sunday’ as you’d expect from a band with their passion and work ethic. Whether you’re a newcomer, or a seasoned fan, this DVD is well worth a look.

Alex Gosman

Unbelievably, Alice Cooper has been shocking the world with his outlandish rock and roll shenanigans for the past 35 years and there are still no signs of him letting up. At a staggering 58 years old, and affectionately known as the granddaddy of shock rock, Alice Cooper was creating scandal and outrage long before Marylin Manson could say ‘eyeliner’.

Still ever the showman, in this DVD filmed at the Montreux Festival in 2005, with no sign of a zimmerframe anywhere, he continues to provide one of the most entertaining, tongue in cheek stage shows around. Although scaled down somewhat for this recorded performance in Montreux’s Stravinski auditorium which only holds around 3000 people, it’s still clear that Alice is having a ball.

Guillotines, coffins, lances and fake money from the bank of Alice is all in a days work, and with Alice’s daughter playing the part of dopey media doll Paris Hilton in ‘Wish I Were Born In Beverly Hills’ it’s a characteristic Cooper show for sure.

With classics like ‘Poison’, ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Feed My Frankenstein’ teamed with newer tracks like ‘Dirty Diamonds’ Alice is still on top form and this DVD and bonus CD is a worthy addition to any collection.

Jane Hawkes

When Damon Albarn’s animated group blew everyone away with their last album Demon Days, it didn’t seem possible that people would have the chance to hear the record live. However, Gorillaz managed to get almost every performer on the album to come together for five nights in Manchester, and put on a show that was recorded in its entirety for this DVD.

Instead of seeing the cartoon band playing live, as had been done in short blasts for MTV awards and the like, the stage was full of musicians, from guitars and drums, to a line of vocalists and a full orchestra of strings. The musicians were all cast in shadow, but regardless the silhouette of Damon Albarn as the intro started garnered huge applause.

There were many highlights in the set, but in particular the appearance of a kid’s choir for the single Dirty Harry and the emergence of a beaming Booty Brown to join them, Ike Turner coming out looking more dapper than ever before and belting out a jazzy piano solo and finally the encore which signalled the emergence of the humble Albarn into the light, alongside a beautiful Chinese zither backing before he introduced each section of the stage.

With brilliant music, a constantly changing vocal line up on stage and amazing graphics playing on a giant screen at the back of the stage, this wasn’t just a concert. It was a visual and sonic extravaganza, and this DVD captures it in all its glory. It can’t touch the real thing, obviously, but it’s as close to it as you can possible get. After watching this, you’ll definitely be part of Feel Good Inc!

Abjekt

[Tartan Video]

When a documentary is made from seven years of filming, you know that you’re in for a lot of action, and Dig! certainly doesn’t deviate from that. The documentary charts the fortunes of two groups, The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, both of whom start off as friends, especially the two front men, Courtney Taylor-Taylor [Dandys] and Anton Newcombe [BJM].

The two groups both start off the journey as small groups on the West Coast of the States, but soon after the start of the documentary, the road splits and takes the groups away from each other, with the Dandys gaining a deal with Capitol and BJM starting as they meant to go on by ruining their own label showcase.

From the very beginning, label execs and journalists are throwing superlatives the way of Anton, calling him a genius and saying he could well be the most important person in music at the time, but Anton throughout the film only cares about Anton. It’s not a case of the frontman spiralling downwards, because even at the very beginning he’s a larger than life madman. As they tour, Anton beats up various bandmates, fires entire line ups and even tries to sabotage the Dandy’s concerts.

The path of the Dandy Warhols is a tale of a mix between success and let downs. Whilst they do gain a deal and have a lot of money thrown at them for videos, Anton’s speech about not wanting to be taken for a ride by major labels is true as the Dandys receive very little support or exposure as the film goes on. However, eventually the use of one of their tracks on mobile advert sees them break it big in Europe.

But it is the constant whirlwind of Anton’s life that stays as the basis of this documentary. Clearly so into his music that nothing else matters, Anton can’t stay off the drugs or the violence on stage and the documentary ends with him kicking a fan in the head, much to the surprise of everyone in the room and no doubt those watching the DVD. It clocks in at under at just under 2 hours but it flies by, and this is definitely a must see DVD, regardless of whether you like, or even know, either band.

Abjekt

‘Live At The Palladium’
(Epitaph)

If you have a strong interest in punk or, indeed, skate culture, then you probably have at least a rough idea of who Bad Religion are and what they sound like. For the uninitiated, these Californian punk veterans originally formed in the early Eighties, and have since influenced countless other bands; not just through their own music, but also through Epitaph Records, the now hugely successful record label started by band founder and guitarist Brett Gurewitz.

Now celebrating 25 years together as a band, Greg Graffin et al have finally seen fit to release a live DVD, and have made a pretty impressive job of it too. Filmed at a near-hometown show at the Hollywood Palladium last year, it features a mammoth 31-song set list, with a choice of songs to keep just about any Bad Religion fan happy (Generator’, ‘We’re Only Gonna Die’, ‘Atomic Garden’ they’re all here). Plus, for non-Californian fans, there’s the added bonus of seeing the band playing live with Gurewitz (who rejoined the band in 2001 on a recording – but not touring – basis).

However, the main appeal of ‘Live At The Palladium’ lies in the various between-song interviews with the band and their fans, which give an interesting (and often entertaining) insight into the genesis of Bad Religion, their history, their influences and various other aspects of the band. Amongst the fans interviewed are a couple of the guys from Rise Against, one of the many latter-day punk bands who have taken inspiration from Bad Religion and their legacy. There’s also an’Extras’ section featuring some amusing television footage of the band from the early Eighties, as well as a selection of promo videos and photos.

Overall, this DVD is an excellent document of a band who not only boast an impressive back catalogue, but have also recently produced some of the best music of their career. 25 years and still going strong – you can put your faith in this Bad Religion.

Alex Gosman

‘Can’t Stop Us (Mexico/Japan)’
(Side One Dummy)

If there’s one thing that ‘Can’t Stop Us’ proves, it’s that punk rock is truly a global phenomenon; uniting like-minded people in areas where you might least expect the genre’s influence to exist. This DVD is essentially a two-part documentary, featuring plenty of live Casualties footage, which follows the band on extensive tours of Mexico and Japan.The band play strictly old-school street punk in an Exploited/GBH vein, and unsurprisingly incite moshpit chaos at every show. It all sounds pretty repetitive after a while, though, and the quality of sound is varied, at best. The band/crowd interaction is far more interesting; especially in Mexico, where vocalist Jorge – a son of Hispanic immigrants – is able to sing and speak to the band’s fans in their native tongue. Don’t worry, folks, there are English subtitles included.

Elsewhere, there’s plenty of amusing tour bus footage; rioting fans in Mexico City; interviews with excited Mexican and Japanese punks; and a particularly touching scene where Casualties bassist Rick rescues a kitten trapped on a high roof. Aw, bless.

‘Can’t Stop Us’ is only truly essential for Casualties fans, but it’s well worth a look if you generally like UK82 style punk, or if you’re simply curious about how punk culture manifests itself in Hispanic or Asian territories.

For all your Casualties news and updates, check out www.thecasualties.net

Alex Gosman