Social Distortion - Live in Orange County

Rating:
Summary: What Happened....?
Review: I hate to say that I agree with the previous reviewer. There is just no energy in this performance. After the first time I watched it, I thought maybe it was just my perception of it. Perhaps my recollections were based on actually being at their shows & that energy couldn't be recreated on DVD. I watched it again & have come to the conclusion that this just isn't the same Social D that I have seen many times over the years. I'm sure that at least part of the reason is the absence of Dennis Danell who died tragically in 2000. The band just seem a lot more "Grown Up" . They come across as kind of a Social Distortion Lite , without the angst or energy of thier previous incarnation. I miss that.....



Rating:
Summary: Let the music do the talking
Review: If you're an S.D. fan, you might be annoyed at the failure of "Live In OC" to capture the band's full grit and energy. If you're not yet a fan, you'll most likely not have such high expectations, and get around some of the glaring faults of this dvd.

Filmed at the end of a month-long run of nightly shows in L.A. and O.C.,the band does not come across sparking on all 8 cylinders. They seem tired and contrived. I've seen SD countless times over 20+ years so I know their capabilities and I can't help but be a bit disappointed. I can't help but think it would have been wiser to catch them at the beginning instead of the end of the month-long run.

The production itself makes irritating mistakes and comes across somewhat amateurish. The editing is downright maddening at times. The cameraman's choices during the playing are suspect as well. I mean why would you keep the camera on the bass player during one of Ness' best leads of the set? Also instead of the annoying, pseudo-vintage, black and white DV trickery, I would've rather seen a few valid old school clips transferred over from their original film. After all, it would not have been too difficult in this DIY DV age to add a few songs to last year's House Of Blues live performance. From the early '80's Another State of Mind to rarely seen L.A. PBS "New Wave Theatre" clips, not to mention plently of private tapings, older material would have been relatively easy to obtain and gave you that legit vintage feel.

What's not mentioned in other reviews is Ness' somewhat bizarre commentary on the extras. It would have been wiser if he stayed focused more on the band with war stories of tours and the old days rather than, for example, the fact that Ness and his chihuahua are both vegetarians (howl). It would've been cool to share the wealth and get more from current and old band members, club owners, promoters, supporting acts, etc. If you're going to make the effort (after 24 years) to put out a DVD and add extra features, do it right.

This aside, SD fans are very loyal, if not zealots, and I don't see Mike's eccentricities and irritating production stopping them from purchasing "Live in O.C.". (Though I'm sure they're just as critical as I am when it comes to expecting the best possible production and performance) I doubt any new fans will surface out of this project, which is sad. Mike is a senior citizen in punk rock years and I don't see him having the time or opportunity to do another project like this. Too bad, it would have been really cool had it been done right.

Rating:
Summary: what could have been
Review: Been waiting a long time to have an official sd dvd concert in my hands. When i finally got this it was like a sweet/sour dish, it's ok but could have been much better...let me explain, i've seen them live twice in europe and both shows were much better than this one...a lot of songs i love are missing...the crowd just doesnt seem that much into it...etc. It's a must for any sd fan but i just get the feeling that it's incomplete (5.1 mix, where's angels sing, untitled, i was wrong, under my thumb etc.) So...i love it but i expected much more

Rating:
Summary: So-so...disappointing
Review: First-off, I'm a huge S.D. fan...been a big fan for years and years. BUT!...this DVD does not do one of the best live rock bands any justice whatsoever. The DVD's production is corny (faux blank & white...puhleeze!). It does a piss-poor job of capturing the raw essence of S.D. live. And what's up with the crowd?...it figures...this was filmed at the House of Blues @ Disneyland. S.D. concerts are more gritty and raw than the DVD depicts. The extras were kinda dumb. Mike, I forgive you for this P.O.S...I'll stick to the live shows in the flesh.

Rating:
Summary: Go Out and Buy!!!!!!!
Review: For a big Social D fan on the east coast (who really hasn't seen Social D live in a couple of years) this is the next best thing. Sorry guys, can't afford the plane ticket to Orange County to catch a live gig. Mike Ness is in his element, singing in front of the home crowd in Orange County, the band is fantastic, and the crowd is great. All the songs are covered, including two new ones on the upcoming album, he even kept Sick Boys on list, after leaving it off "Live at the Roxy". Mike did apologize for the gaff.

A great show by a great band. The special features are great, especially Mike driving around in his restored 1936 automobile. Now we just have to wait for the new album (supposedly coming in the fall) and for the boys to hit the NYC area. A job well done!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A must for fans....but try and keep it under $10
Review: Having been to a few of their shows, I thought a live performance of theirs on DVD couldn't go wrong. Many of the other reviewers cited the poor performance/lack of motivation in this show. I totally agree. This show was far from the energy usually put into their other live shows. You can tell Mike Ness probably rolled out of bed that morning saying "S#%T man, I gotta go to work tonight". It shows by the dazed/confused look he has on his face during "Making Believe". He almost appears to be making goo-goo eyes at an infant instead of his trademark scowl. Trust me, it wasn't just that song. Even the crowd didn't seem to be feeling it.

Still, I would take Social D on their worst night over most other bands. The DVD itself isn't too bad, and if you consider yourself a hardcore fan, you certainly want to pick this up. The extras are pretty interesting as it captures the band in a documentary-type setting (without the one-on-one closeups), a soundcheck, and the "Nona Split" which presents most of the show with around nine different angles at once.

Highlights:

Rollin' for 4-5-6

Mike brings out a small child wearing a "Mommy's Little Monster" shirt. It was HILARIOUS to see the look on this kid's face (who was understandably a little stage shy), as Mike grips the nape of this kid's neck. Mike didn't mean anything by it, i'm sure those tattooed paws wear a little heavy on anyone...much more so on such a young kid.

Nothing says PRISON BOUND like rolling around in a '36 Ford 3-window coupe with your chihuahua.

The band has gotten softer, which often comes with age. The DVD showcases the band at this time in their careers. It won't be for everyone, but if you can find it for under ten bucks it's a pretty good buy. The guys obviously love what they do if they're still producing quality music today, but that was an off night. I forgive you as well Mike, just next time...maybe along with a video collection...make a show more like the LIVE AT THE ROXY cd.

Rating:
Summary: AWSOME SHOW
Review: I couldn't wait for this DVD to come out.It was great to see them have just as much energy and sound just as good or better than when I saw them before. I liked the mix of black and white footage and color footage. It was cool seeing the crowd sing along with the songs too. Now I get to see them live again after not seeing them in 9 years on the DVD. I've been listening to Social Distortion since 1987, I saw them in in 1992 w/ Pegboy and then again in 1995 w/NOFX. After all these years they have not lost their passion for the music. Even the new songs sound good. I can't wait for their new cd to come out next month. Until I get to see them live nest time, I got this. This is well worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: Where is the energy?!?!?
Review: I first saw these guys back in '89 opening for The Ramones. I was totally blown away by their energy and catchy tunes. Since then I have always loved Social D. I have seen them 2 or 3 times over the past 15 years and have always seen that same energy. This DVD does not seem to have that. The band sounds very good, but there is something missing. The crowd doesnt really seem to be that into it either. The extra's are a complete waste. I almost felt embarassed for Mike just watching them. Overall its not too bad of a DVD. I was really hoping to have something to show someone that has never seen Social D live and say "...Now you wanna see one of the best live punk bands ever?" Unfortunately this DVD does not do that. If you want to see a great live punk DVD, check out "On the Road With the Dropkick Murphys". It has an awesome concert with some really great extra's that show some other dimensions of this great band. And it also has all of their music videos. I really wish the Social D DVD could have followed the same example. If your a fan, you will probably like it. I prefer listening to Live at the Roxy over watching this though.

Rating:
Summary: A great show almost screwed up by sucky editing
Review: I saw that someone else made a similar mention to this, but whoever edited/directed this movie needs to stay away from Social Distortion's works in the future, because if it was ever possible to screw up a Social D production, this guy/gal almost did it.

*For one, the black and white film with the FAKE digitized lines running through the screen to make it look "vintage?" Give me a break.

*Really poor shot selection. Like just as Mike is launching into a solo, the camera shifts to John, the bass player, who, with all due respect, pretty much just stands there and chews gum the whole time. (For the record, John Maurer is a great bass player, so I'm not trying to disrespect him for that.) It's like as the musical focus goes towards one person, the camera moves away from them. It's annoying and distracting.

*I'll also agree with someone else's comment on here about the energy level of the band. Don't get me wrong - this is a great show, but it's one at the end of a long string of homestands at the Anaheim House of Blues, and you can tell that the fact that they've been playing the same house for two or three weeks is taking some of the freshness away from the performance. I saw them in September of 03 and the band seemed much more into it.

To be clear, this is a great DVD, but when I think about how much I love Social D, I can't bear the idea of a less-than-perfect video. There's lots of great behind-the-scenes stuff in the extras, and it further humanizes one of the greatest, and least well-known men in rock and roll, who is Mike Ness. (For example, I had no idea that he owned a chihuahua and was a vegetarian...) If you give a damn about Social D, you have to own this, but at the same time, I hope to God they come out with something better...and soon.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best live bands ever
Review: If you have never seen Social Distortion live, I suggest you be on the look out for them this Fall and make it a priority.
I enjoyed the DVD, having ordered it right away.
The extras are really cool, which makes DVDs more enjoyable in the first place.
That being said, I am a little suprised that they chose one of these shows from that leg of touring to use for the DVD.
We saw them here in San Diego at SOMA right around when this was filmed and they all looked really tired.
The in-your-face, rapid-fire playing and a little bit of something was missing.
When we saw them again after a rest (which, strangely enough seems to be when the picture on the front was shot) in Oct of 2003, they were rested and 100 percent and kicked serious ass.
Don't get me wrong, any SD show is better than 95 percent of any other bands' shows, but I did notice on this leg they were notched down a bit.
Please check the DVD, though as it is still very much worth it.
As a fan, you will love the extras as well.