Siouxsie and the Banshees: Dreamshow Live at the Royal Festival Hall with the Millennia Ensemble Children
June 2007 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

I enjoy Siouxsie, especially when her Banshees tag along. Their music here is interesting and enjoyable -- especially the percussion, which is passionately performed on this concert DVD. The opening minutes of "Say Yes!" are an exciting mixture of drumming perfectly timed between long-time Banshee drummer Budgie and Japanese taiko drum expert Leonard Eto. The energy in the opening minutes is infectious and a testament to the passion this group still has for its music. Likewise, Siouxsie’s enduring affection for the theatrical is a welcome departure from the obnoxious dance choreography that infects the majority of female-frontman acts.

What hurts the music is the lackluster DVD production. Direction isn’t the issue. The concert is shot with a traditional master-medium-close-up-master shot technique that resists showiness and keeps the viewer’s attention on the musicians. It’s too bad the blue-filtered lights and poor exposure have the opposite effect. The result is a picture often blown-out and replete with blue halos. To say the result is distracting is an understatement. Adding to the problem are the artifacts of a poorly mastered DVD. The panning results in video tearing, and there are frequent stutters in the action -- most apparent in the opening minutes of the show. Some concert videos rely on video effects to cover up a lack either of talent or budget -- not every act has the deep pockets to create a Peter Gabriel Us extravaganza. That cannot be said of Siouxsie and her band mates, who apparently have a surplus of talent. I’m sure the loyal fans would have been excited without the light show. It is about the music, right?

The audio isn’t much better. The concussive force of a taiko drum is something to be experienced for its drama and earth-moving strength. It is a passionate instrument that affects the soul. Here it comes across as anemic. It’s hard to judge whether the fault lies with the original live recording or the mix to DVD. Vocals also lack dynamics and resolution. Siouxsie’s wonderfully emotive voice falls prey to cracks and pops that indicate a poorly modulated recording, an inferior recording medium, or heavy-handed compression.

I couldn’t make it through the extra, the concert footage at the 100 Club, which looked and sounded worse than the main concert. I understand that a venue can place certain restrictions on a production but if they could "move a piano" they could have invested in some proper lighting and camerawork. I did enjoy the interviews with the band. Budgie in particular conveyed an innocent star-struck personality. He comes across as an extremely likeable, down-to-earth bloke. Siouxsie shows more ego, but her apparent intellect and wit more than make up for it.

• Go Back