Rating: Summary: Siouxsie sings off-key Review: ... Siouxsie's deep and off-key voice was not at all pleasant--it turned my stomach. It seemed to [take away] from the intensity of the rest of the performance (hence my 2 star pity rating). I was ecstatic when I first saw the track listing (some very old, obscure, but really great tunes). But I could barely watch! "Monitor" live I was hoping would be great. No. Couldn't Siouxsie have hired a voice coach or maybe have taken some steroids or something? I didn't (couldn't!) watch the whole DVD. I had to put in my "nocturne" videotape just to detox from this performance. Purist fan or not, this is not a DVD-worthy perfomance. (Budgie, of course, as always, totally rocks on them drums!) I don't know, I think I must be getting too old...
Rating: Summary: Terrific, if it weren't for... Review: ...the murder of "Cities in Dust". I won this DVD and I started loving it from the beginning, until the "Tinderbox" set of the show (Lullaby, Lands End and Cities In Dust). It's ok that they chose to not use any keyboards or sound effects in the concert, maybe because they focused on the early SATB days' songs, when they didn't use keyboards at all and they were rather punkier than goth. But I believe people like me, that are used to listen to SATB (I listen to them since I was 16), it's like something's missing; they did a good job with "Red Light" without the kbds, but they just assassinated "Cities...": Siouxsie's singing is TERRIBLE in this one, the guitars just doesn't make up thru the song, the efforts of Budgie and Severin are just useless. However, the other songs are just great! "Lullaby", "Christine", "Metal Postcard" and "Voodoo Dolly" are superb, in this last one she really freaks out as you do together with her and the audience!! Recommended (just skip Cities in Dust and rock on!!!)!!
Rating: Summary: Terrific, if it weren't for... Review: ...the murder of "Cities in Dust". I won this DVD and I started loving it from the beginning, until the "Tinderbox" set of the show (Lullaby, Lands End and Cities In Dust). It's ok that they chose to not use any keyboards or sound effects in the concert, maybe because they focused on the early SATB days' songs, when they didn't use keyboards at all and they were rather punkier than goth. But I believe people like me, that are used to listen to SATB (I listen to them since I was 16), it's like something's missing; they did a good job with "Red Light" without the kbds, but they just assassinated "Cities...": Siouxsie's singing is TERRIBLE in this one, the guitars just doesn't make up thru the song, the efforts of Budgie and Severin are just useless. However, the other songs are just great! "Lullaby", "Christine", "Metal Postcard" and "Voodoo Dolly" are superb, in this last one she really freaks out as you do together with her and the audience!! Recommended (just skip Cities in Dust and rock on!!!)!!
Rating: Summary: undeniably enjoyable Review: a terribly brilliant and explosively electrifying performance that takes minimalism (in terms of stage setting and effects) to wondrous dimensions. Siouxsie is one of the extremely rare performers (like Peter Murphy, David Bowie and Bryan Ferry) who manage to transmogrify an ordinary rock show into something much more: a mystical experience. Anyone who makes it to track "Voodoo Dolly" is in for a rare treat indeed, regardless of the quality of your entertainment system!Siouxsie's Creatures project is a remarkable display of an artist who started out with brilliance and only got better with time. What this DVD offers is a glimpse into the rich, mysterious past and a real taste of what Budgie and girl can presently do with a broad range of material. Long live The Creatures!
Rating: Summary: Siouxsie is Splendid Review: Although Siouxsie's voice is not at its best on this live DVD, she still looks fantastic and prowls the stage like the original punk diva she always will be. Hearing live versions of Pure and Jigsaw Feeling are a big treat as well as standards like Christine, Red Light and especially Monitor. Beautifully lit and edited, this is well-worth adding to your collection! A negative review contends that this was done purely as a "pocket liner" and my response is: MORE POWER TO YA, SIOUXSIE! Lesser bands like the Cure have made millions on cruddy records and it's time Siouxsie and Co. got justice! Keep it coming! There are fans waiting to lap it up!
Rating: Summary: This is unbelievably horrible Review: First let me start off by saying I've been a huge fan of this band for close to 25 years. Everything up through TinderBox is incredible and the older live performance, Nocturne, is also incredible. This performance however, is one of the worst things I've ever sat through. Well, in all honesty, I had to skip through this DVD since it's awful. The vocals (which are near immaculate on the original albums) are so far off key here it's embarrassing. Not only is Siouxsie off key but she often screws up her timing and delivery. The music itself is marginally better. The drumming is top notch but the guitars and bass are rather weak and uninspiring. Technically, the audio and video recording quality are first rate but the performance captured is so bad, it doesn't really matter. As I painfully tried to sit through this performance, Siouxsie kind of reminded me of a 'punk rock' version of Judy Garland when Judy was immersed in her drug addled performances. This DVD is a total waste of anyone's money. Stay away from it.
Rating: Summary: Do the Rag Doll Dance with Siouxsie Review: I discovered this wonderful band Halloween 1986. The reason I waited so long to buy this DVD is that I thought it was another Rapture style show. Even though this has Peekaboo on it I woundn't just buy it if you have not heard their old sound. I gave it a 5 because for many reasons. The band just fell back into their raw past as Icon started, and it was so perfect. Icon also put me in tears as she hammered out the lyrics like in times long ago. It will make you dig out that old Join Hands record.
Rating: Summary: break that little dolly. . . Review: I have been a long-time fan of Siouxise and the Banshees. This dvd is state-of-the-art and long overdue. Siouxsie dances madly about like a disjointed exotic bird and howls with a fury that is still present and relavent. Some things have been said of the depletion of her vocal range. But don't listen to such idiocy. Voices do change over time!!! This performance is abrasive. Siouxsie revives her voodoo doll dance. Slashing through night shift, working a rhinestone bra, or dancing with oriental frogs, Siouxsie is present. The dvd also includes a backstage tour with Budgie. Well worth the money. Don't miss blue jay way!
Rating: Summary: calamine lotion Review: I have to admit -- the dvd version of the concert is better than the cd version, which was disappointing to me. In order to experience the "Seven Year Itch", you need to SEE it. Having said that, it is a marvel, a gem, a darkly glittering wave of euphoria for S&tB fans the world over. They are in fine form, and are having a lot of fun, which is nice, and good to see, for in the past, and having seen them perform live many times, it seemed like they took their shtick too seriously. This is a bevy of Banshees that is not so concerened with the seeming bitterness that constantly exiled them from the respect that they deserved. They know that their greatest fans are loyal, a cult, and not to be undermined. This show is for them. They are not trying to win anyone over, for they no longer exist as a band anyway. Siouxsie looks amazing. She has always had her own, stunning, irrefutable sense of fashion. In this concert, she looks like the old Hollywood glam that the title refers to -- she looks like Marlene Dietrich. Her voice is strong, deep, powerful, but often off-key. This may be because she cannot hear herself? Don't know. But then again, the fact that she goes off-key is what is so awesome about it -- they are PUNKS, after all!!!! And that punk spirit is alive and kicking and wailing when she goes off-key, because it shirks down your spine and makes you feel awful. That's the point. Highlights: Metal Postcard, Red Light, Lands End, I Could Be Again, Nightshift, Voo-Doo Dolly. These songs, in particular, really stood out. The set list, overall, is very impressive. You would have thought this reunion concert was meant to coincide with the release of the Greatest Hits -- but actually, it pays homage to some of the old classics that defined their energy, passion, mission, and sense of majestic rebellion from the get-go. Many of the songs on the Greatest Hits are more about commercialism, radio play, more accessible to a wider audience. So, if you're a fan, you'll be very happy with the choice of songs. Overall, the look of it is great -- sleek and bright and colorful and dark. The sound, too, sounds amazing. Musically, Budgie and Steve and Knox are fantastic. It is always a wonder to watch Budgie behind those drums -- he is amazing, he is so passionate. This dvd is a must-have for any fan.
Rating: Summary: calamine lotion Review: I have to admit -- the dvd version of the concert is better than the cd version, which was disappointing to me. In order to experience the "Seven Year Itch", you need to SEE it. Having said that, it is a marvel, a gem, a darkly glittering wave of euphoria for S&tB fans the world over. They are in fine form, and are having a lot of fun, which is nice, and good to see, for in the past, and having seen them perform live many times, it seemed like they took their shtick too seriously. This is a bevy of Banshees that is not so concerened with the seeming bitterness that constantly exiled them from the respect that they deserved. They know that their greatest fans are loyal, a cult, and not to be undermined. This show is for them. They are not trying to win anyone over, for they no longer exist as a band anyway. Siouxsie looks amazing. She has always had her own, stunning, irrefutable sense of fashion. In this concert, she looks like the old Hollywood glam that the title refers to -- she looks like Marlene Dietrich. Her voice is strong, deep, powerful, but often off-key. This may be because she cannot hear herself? Don't know. But then again, the fact that she goes off-key is what is so awesome about it -- they are PUNKS, after all!!!! And that punk spirit is alive and kicking and wailing when she goes off-key, because it shirks down your spine and makes you feel awful. That's the point. Highlights: Metal Postcard, Red Light, Lands End, I Could Be Again, Nightshift, Voo-Doo Dolly. These songs, in particular, really stood out. The set list, overall, is very impressive. You would have thought this reunion concert was meant to coincide with the release of the Greatest Hits -- but actually, it pays homage to some of the old classics that defined their energy, passion, mission, and sense of majestic rebellion from the get-go. Many of the songs on the Greatest Hits are more about commercialism, radio play, more accessible to a wider audience. So, if you're a fan, you'll be very happy with the choice of songs. Overall, the look of it is great -- sleek and bright and colorful and dark. The sound, too, sounds amazing. Musically, Budgie and Steve and Knox are fantastic. It is always a wonder to watch Budgie behind those drums -- he is amazing, he is so passionate. This dvd is a must-have for any fan.
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