Product: WWIII Tour 2003
Rating: 5.0
KMFDM is a drug against war!
KMFDM was formed by a quartet of Germans in Paris circa 1984. They became famous for their one word album titles and hand drawn covers. They growled in German over industrial beats, and made sexy dangerous politically mindful music! 2004 marks the band?s 20 year anniversary, and Sanctuary records has prepared both a DVD and a CD of their limited US tour in support of WWIII. The DVD compiles footage from a variety of shows, rehearsals, and tour bus antics to make a 2 hour presentation of KMFDM live. The band itself was always a loose collective of industrial artists with Sascha K being the sole original member left 20 years later. This tour and DVD?s line up features Sascha sporting a blonde Mohawk, Lucia Cifarelli providing girl power from Seattle, Jules Hodgson, Andy Selway, Raymond Watts , and Steve White. They sound great live, and if industrial Goth is your bag you?ll eat this disc up! You may know them from their biggest hit ?Juke Joint Jezebel? which was featured in the movie MORTAL KOMBAT!You get 13 live performances of the following songs : WWIII, From Here on Out, Blackball, Brute, Stars and Stripes, Pity for the Pious, Moron, Revenge, Bullets Bombs and Bigotry, Light, Juke Joint Jezebel, an Intro and A Drug Against War. Extras are quite mind-boggling including a tribute to fans, interviews with each band and crew member, 3 music videos for Skurk/Ultra/Stars and Stripes, tour photos, fan photos, journals, lyrics, a wild west concert sequence, and a video of the band going WHALE WATCHING ? yes, I said whale watching! Not to mention interactive links to websites, a press kit, and fully interactive Brute style menus!By the end of it all you?ll feel like you were on the tour, and you know everyone personally! Sascha is the serious one being all German and political, Raymond is an English ham, and Lucia is the sexy one who favors a pleather unitard covered in flames for her concert appearances. The documentary footage all looks like excerpts from a Gothic version of Spinal Tap! It?s really fun. A plastic spoon gets attacked, costumes are questioned, and some members freak out as they fly to see the whales! They also visit several truckstops and SHOP! The tour bus gets searched at DisneyLand and Sascha begins saying ?MAUS HEIL!?.But you came for the concert ? right? It?s well photographed! And the sound mix is pretty dang flawless even if it is only in a 2.0 mix. You get lots of pleather, black, cigarettes, strobes, and tattoos! Like any concert - it can get pretty dark in places, but this was filmed with loving care. It?s the safest way to see KMFDM -- no mosh pits in your own living room! Well?maybe. For a heavy beat band the mix is clean, and the vocals are right upfront in the mix. 20 years have really helped them learn how to put on a show, and make it work.I would say if you are a fan of KMFDM or Industrial Goth this is a no-brainer. If you?re unsure of the band or unfamiliar this is a good starting place. But if tattoos, black, pleather, cigarettes, and German lyrics turn you off then veer away and check out Britney?s In The Zone collection. Goths rejoice! This one?s for you and all your vampire-loving friends. Hell yeah!