Music DVD Review: Blackfield - NYC (Live In New York City)
Published December 31, 2007
Blackfield is the side project of Porcupine Tree frontman Steve Wilson and Israeli pop star Aviv Geffen. The two struck up a friendship back in 2000 when Geffen invited Porcupine Tree to play some shows in Israel, and they have continued to work together ever since. In 2004, they released the results of these collaborations in the form of an extraordinary new album called Blackfield.
Over the course of the last five years Porcupine Tree have steadily climbed to the top of my favorite band list. During this period they released three remarkable albums, a terrific concert DVD, and performed three of the most exhilarating concerts I have ever witnessed. So I started to get a little worried when Wilson began focusing most of his attention on this new band of his, instead of where it really belonged - with Porcupine Tree.
But have no fear, PT fans. Steve Wilson has plenty of talent and creativity to go around. Not only did he follow the debut Blackfield album with one of Porcupine Tree's finest albums and tours to date, Fear Of A Blank Planet, but in early 2007 he also released the follow-up Blackfield II album, which was even better than the first.
On the heels of some overwhelming critical and fan acclaim for both Blackfield albums, the band embarked on a short European and U.S. tour to show off the goods. Blackfield Live In New York City was recorded during the Blackfield II tour, on March 16th, 2007, at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. The touring version of the band features three talented Israeli musicians, Eran Mitelman (keyboards), Seffy Efrati (bass), and Tomer Z (drums), joining Geffen and Wilson onstage.
The video cuts right to the chase, focusing in on Tomer Z, as he kicks off the opening drum riff to "Once". Being the only one onstage at this point, he extends the riff an extra minute while Wilson casually walks out onstage, straps on his Paul Reed Smith, and launches into the song's crunchy opening guitar riff. Moments later the rest of the band joins in on this intense opening number, and you immediately get the sense that this show is going to be something very special.
- Music DVD Review: Blackfield - NYC (Live In New York City)
- Published: December 31, 2007
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Video, Music: Rock, Music: Progressive Rock, Music: Pop, Review, Video: Music
- Writer: Paul Roy
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Also, there is no other concert DVD out there looking so amazing as this one! Just you remember that! Amazing editing and the so called effects supplement the overall atmosphere very well indeed!
I clearly said that I thought THIS DVD was edited perfectly. Your first comment is the first I have heard about "bad camera work and a ton of technical problems" being the main reason behind all of Lasse Hoile's artistic liberties with the editing of Porpupine Tree's Arriving Somewhere... DVD. Watching the two properly edited performances from the bonus disc just made we wish the main show had been edited the same way.
Jasper's misdirected anger aside, I think it's a bit ridiculous to have to grade a release based on the difficulty the artists had in putting it out. That doesn't and shouldn't matter to us, the buyers and fans. If it was so bad, they shouldn't have released it.
This is also the first I've seen mention of these problems, and, frankly, I'm not sure how "bad exposure" is possible on a multi-camera shoot. To me, the problem is simply, and unfortunately, a dull band to watch on video - which is the way it often is with highly technical bands. Porcupine Tree are an amazing band but they just don't DO much on stage that most people would need to see, hence the need for the over-editing to liven things up.
Regardless, we won't have to worry about shoddy editing as we won't be getting a DVD anyway - it'll be a live album instead, sometime this year. Cool with me - I really only get the DVDs to rip the audio for listening anyway!
Tom, I don't really buy the technical difficulties explanation either. The editor is notorious for that style of editing. The PT video did not capture the excitement of being at one of their shows, which are not at all dull. Steve Wilson indicated in a recent interview at www.dprp.net that the new live album may also be accompanied by a DVD.
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I am sure you didn't know the troubles they had in editing the video for Arriving Somewhere... They had bad camera work and a ton of technical problems like very bad exposure etc. which resulted in what you see! So, you can't blame Lasse for that buddy !