Let me open this with a simple statement.
I love Live Music.
I love going to shows and I love watching them on DVD and I like listening to the live shows on the stereo.
I don’t go to the live shows as much as I used to. What they charge for tickets is a part of that. The crowd is another.
We saw Rob Zombie a few years ago, and the show was great. So was the music. It’s too bad the crowd was full of selfish, rude twenty something kids jumping and pushing and oblivious to people around them.
We saw Todd Rundrgren not too long ago. Woman behind us insisting on singing along with every song. Trust me when I say, she couldn’t carry a tune if you gave her a music bag.
And…
Who is the stage manager or director or whatever who decided a few years ago it would be really cool to flash really bright lights into the crowd? Who ever he is, he’s an asshole of immense proportions. I really don’t want the lights flashing in my eyes and blinding me. What makes them think this will enhance my experience? And now everyone does it.
What really makes me nuts is watching Live Music DVDs and the director is an “artist.”
I want to see the band play, not the damn crowd. A couple opening shots to see the sheer size of it, ok, I get that. But stop panning to the crowd every 1.5 minutes. Also, is there a reason not to focus on one performer for more than a few seconds? I want to see Larry Mullin Jr play the drums, I want to see the Edge play guitar, not flashs of Bono posing and more crowd shots. And why so many shots from WAAaaaaayyyyy back? If I want the experience of not being able to see anything but thousands of waving arms and lights on stage but not the performers, I’d go to the show myself!
And what’s with the asshole who put together the Aerosmith DVD and has interviews over the songs? Why not show the interviews separately? I missed the opening of Sweet Emotion to hear their drummer talking. Stupid stupid, stupid.
Ok, enough ranting, there are some great live DVDs, and even some with annoying things that are still really good.
The Gorrilaz live at the Manchester Opera House is amazing. The Foo Fighters accustic show is great. The Los Lonely Boys is perfect. And U2’s Zoo tour show in Australia is wonderful. I also think Rush live in Rio should be used to teach how to film a band playing live.
Ok, I’m going now, my television and stereo are calling