The chances are that if you are a fan of The Bride you probably already have both ‘For My Dying Eyes’ and ‘Sinamorata’ in your DVD collection. So why should you want a third official live DVD to add to it? Well there are a few reasons, most importantly this comes sumptuously packaged with lovely artwork and a booklet in the middle even including the lyrics, more importantly it has the whole concert backed up on CD. I have to admit that I do not spend a lot of time re-watching music DVD’s due to the fact that they pretty much require all your attention whereas with CD’s you can get on with other stuff whilst you listen. Films are for watching, music for listening. Also they never really capture the atmosphere of actually being at the event but on the plus side the beer is a lot cheaper and it doesn’t smell as bad. p>
This is however a great set of 13 tracks from the groups esteemed history running at 86 minutes. Filmed at the lovely Paradiso in Amsterdam this sees new members Dan Mullins (drums) and Lena Abé (bass) giving them some new life and hopefully cohesion for things to come. This is obviously well shot from all angles and the lighting is particularly chilling, casting cold blue sheens over the majority of the concert and occasionally bathing things in pinks and other vibrant colours. Dry ice is ever present adding to the ghostly atmosphere and the audience looks to be pretty much packed in.
Aaron seems to capture much of the camera time and acts as the centre piece, perhaps this is due to swathes of dry ice shrouding the rest of the band, Sarah Stanton on keyboards gets a fair bit of attention to and there are quite a few long shots from the back of the venue giving a perspective on the whole thing. There are occasional off key moments and squalls of guitar feedback giving you the impression that the band are not faultless and that this has not been touched up in anyway trying to cover things up.
I certainly would not have been disappointed with the set-list if I had been at the show. Starting off with relatively new number ‘To Remain Tombless’ they dip back with the mesmerising doomed ‘For You’ as well as playing the title track ‘Like Gods Of The Sun’ from that stupendous album. ‘The Cry Of Mankind’ is met with great approval from the audience and ‘The Snow In My Hand’ is also brought out the aged crypt.
As far as I am concerned it is the end of the show that really does it for me as it comprises of probably my favourite number ‘She Is The Dark’ followed by ‘The Dreadful Hours’ and finally ‘The Forever People’ the last number is missing from the CD as they would not have had room to fit it on.
Album number ten as yet untitled is due later this year so this is the perfect stop-gap for lovers of misery.
www.mydyingbride.org
