Welcome to the new music DVD review section on the Lights Go Out website. These DVD reviews are exlusive to the site and will not appear in the printed version of Lights Go Out. Right, let’s crack on with this:
The Residents – Talking Light:Bimbos (Wienerworld) DVD
This one is a total mystery to me. Never heard of The Residents before and the press release that came with this one onlyu helps to confuse me even more about what I’m about to view…
Coming on to a stage that’s laid out more like a front room in a house, complete with sofa, lamp, fireplace and more to what seems like a familiar traditional piece of music bound a quite strange looking bunch. The singer is dressed as an old man, complete with mask and dressing gown who spends most of his time performing as much as he does actually singing.
The music is arty, experimental, electronic, it’s dark, it’s seriously haunting and really damn weird. Backed with a guitarist and a keyboardist, you get the impression that The Residents are really telling a story through both their music and their live show. This is performance art at it most extreme. But to be honest, I have no bloody idea what the story is! The press release tells me it’s along the lines of a ghost story, well the music is definitely spooky and like I said, haunting.
If I’m honest, then musically this one is not for me but, I have to admit that the stage show is something else. They’ve really put a whole lot of thought and effort into how they want to portray themselves visually and how they want you the listener (or viewer) to perceive their art. It was definitely worth that time and effort, cause I can’t turn away and stop watching the show.
The music is bloody weird, the show is too, but thank fuck this is DVD release so you can witness the crazy fucked up world that’s inside the minds of The Residents.
Mr. T (posted 02/03/12)
The Stranglers – On Stage, On Screen (Wiernerworld) DVD
I guess when I like so many others when thinking of The Stranglers, “Golden Brown” would spring to mind. A song that really grates on my back teeth, I seriously find it overplayed and can’t stand it. It’s probably be OK if it was less played, blame the DJ’s not the band! I know there’s more to the band though and even a brief encounter a few years ago on a friend’s recommendation I have to say, still didn’t do all that much for me. So how will I handle a whole DVD of their live show?
Filmed in 2005 at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, the concert is really well shot, from so many angles, a really decent effort. Visually, this does have to be one of the better live recording’s I’ve seen.
What really does come across from this recording is the fact that my previous encounters with The Stranglers didn’t do them justice at all. There’s definitely much more to them than I had realised and I actually know more of their songs than I realised.
This DVD comprises three parts, an electric set, an acoustic set and a short film. The electric set seems to have a packed out audience that has aged with the band, loyal fans for sure. The crowd themselves seem really up for the show. They’re bouncing, singing the words back to the band, looks like it’s their annual night out from the wife and kids. And they’re going to make bloody sure that they have a damn good time.
The set is actually pretty good, tracks like “Peaches” and “Norfolk Coast” can’t fail to impress as highlights. The set itself clocks in at 79 minutes, that’s one hell of a treat for the crowd. The Stranglers have just performed a blinder, the crowd love it, you can tell. The angles, clever editing and amount of cameras really do help the viewer to get a feeling of the power of the band. It’s almost as if you were there, but without the sweaty, beer fuelled people talking about what someone at the office did last week.
Closing with “No More Heroes”, another instantly recognisable tune, I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed watching that show. Moving onto the acoustic part…recorded at the same show, it proves that their songs can indeed be stripped back and work well on this level too. The keyboards playing a huge part in the soun.
A really impressive DVD release, fans will absolutely live this and it will become an essential part of their collection. For me, not knowing a whole lot before, this is the perfect introduction to a band that I hadn’t really had much exposure to before. So people just staring out, this is a great place for you to check the Stranglers out as well.
As far as live DVD’s go, this one is the bomb!
Mr. T (posted 05/03/12)
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