High definition is awesome for live concert films, both in a visual and audio sense, and is able to get you one step closer to the feeling of being at the show you’re watching. So, when I heard one of my favorite artists was putting out a new live film on both DVD and Blu-Ray, I was happy to hear it, as they tend to play smaller tours in America and haven’t really come close to the blasted, desert paradise I inhabit.
This film was recorded in Tilburg, Holland in October 2008 while the band was still supporting the “Fear of a Blank Planet” album, and in this film you see a performance of that album in its entirety. In the usual fashion of this band, they deliver their formidable musicianship without much fanfare and spectacle, and instead focus on the songs. It’s always interesting to hear recorded works translated into a live setting, especially two tracks from “Fear of a Blank Planet” that they don’t tend to play live much: “My Ashes” and “Sentimental”. These are slower songs on the record and have a lot of layering to them. The live versions are much more stripped down and are, in some ways, better than the recorded versions. At the conclusion of the performance of the album, the band comes back out to play a further 11 tracks, including some early songs (“Dark Matter”, “Sleep Of No Dreaming),
and b-sides (“Drown With Me”, “Half-Light”). The older songs definitely have new life breathed into them during this live performance, especially during “Dark Matter”, where Steven Wilson puts down a truly badass guitar solo.
The camera and editing work of Lasse Hoile is excellent, as you get all the usual angles of a live performance, but also a few you don’t see much, such as an upward looking shot from a camera on the underside of drummer Gavin Harrison’s toms, which is edited to go with the pattern in which he is playing the song. Also included on the disc as a special feature are several live films of tracks off the “Fear of a Blank Planet” album, directed by Lasse Hoile. The audio is HD Master quality, but you can switch it to PCM Stereo if you wish or don’t have a hi-def sound system, the mix is still excellent.
Last, but not least, the film is also included on DVD in the package, so if you don’t have Blu-ray yet, you can still enjoy it! This 130 minute Blu-ray/DVD set is essential for the established fan, but I also highly recommend it to anyone who likes good live music, this band never fails to put on a great performance.
1. Intro
2. Fear of a Blank Planet
3. My Ashes
4. Anesthetize
5. Sentimental
6. Way Out of Here
7. Sleep Together
8. What Happens Now?
9. Normal
10. Dark Matter
11. Drown With Me
12. Cheating The Polygraph
13. Half-light
14. Sever
15. Wedding Nails
16. Strip The Soul/Dot Three
17. Sleep of No Dreaming
18. Halo
19. Outro
