Posted on: September 3, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Buzzcocks – Live At Shepherds Bush Empire 2003 / 2006 MVD / 206 Minutes / http://www.buzzcocks.com / http://www.mvdb2b.com / Reviewed 10 March 2006

For those individuals that are not thirty-five or from the United Kingdom, it is pretty probable that individuals would be comfortable with sticking a one (or maybe two) hit wonder sticker on the Buzzcocks. To see thirty-two different tracks on this DVD is to begin to show individuals that the band had quite a few albums under their belt. The footage here is professional but is pretty dark; when the shots move under the lights this problem is largely fixed, but these shots are nowhere near a majority or even a plurality of those on this DVD.

Understanding that the show is naturally dark, one could possibly be justified in asking that the brightness be turned up a hair. The energy of the Buzzcocks is something that cannot be tamed on “Live At Shepherds Bush Empire 2003”; there is still a punk snare present that really made the band so endearing in an earlier section of their lives. The soundboard recording on tracks like “I Don’t Mind” is strong enough to pick up the guitar solo on the track while keeping the dual harmonies of the vocals sacrosanct. The guitars present on tracks like “Oh Shit” are those that will get bowels rumbling as the fury of the band is not moderated by age or any other factors. The Buzzcocks were one of those bands that crafted strong songs with enough in the way of catchy hooks and pop sounds to really allow for the greatest appreciation of their music.

With the songs on “Live At Shepherds Bush”, a whole new wave of Buzzcocks fans should be minted. The vitality shown by the band is at a level sufficiently high enough that it surpasses all but a few current bands. What is a really smart move done by the Buzzcocks is placing their two biggest hits at the end of this DVD; one will have to learn quite a bit more about the band before they can get the immediate payoff of their most well-known songs. If one can believe it, the sound of a song lke “Orgasm Addict” is even rawer and rougher than it was on the original vinyl; individuals could be thrown into the pit with this track. Finishing off the disc with “Ever Fallen in Love With Someone”, the Buzzcocks sound at the same level as fans will remember. There is not that much in the way of extras for individuals, but keep in mind that the Buzzcocks have just blasted out thirty-two of their tracks. There is over an hour and a half of music, with the extras (an Australian tour footage section and some pieces of their sound check( adding just enough to really take the DVD into another realm. After listening to this DVD, individuals will find a few more tracks that they like by the ban; the solid performance of the band really will make copies of their earlier albums fly off the shelves at a rate that they haven’t seen since the first hurrah of the Buzzcocks.

Top Tracks: Orgasm Addict, Fast Cars

Rating: 6.8/10

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