Screamers – Live In San
Francisco: September 2nd 1978
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Concert: C+
Music Video Distributors has once again issued another key
piece of Punk Rock history from the Target Video archives, as they had with The
Cramps. Screamers – Live In San
Francisco: September 2nd 1978 offers a concert that runs about a
half-hour, followed by over 15 minutes of rare Music Video clips in a
supplemental section. This was one of
Los Angeles first and best Punk bands and the performances here are great. It is fair to say some of this is early New
Wave and sometimes reminds one of the more experimental side of Split Enz.
The main concert is a simple color taping with two cameras
that offers plenty of video streaking and haziness being that the taping was
dark and artificially lit by necessity.
This is a great band, though form the box and what I have heard, they
did not last or hit big like they should have.
As a matter of fact, this program’s only real problem is that it is
simply too short and I wish it was 90 minutes long. The songs are as follows:
1) 122
Hours Of Fear
2) Vertigo
3) Last 4
Digits
4) Magazine
Love
5) [And
The] Beat Goes On (yes, the Sonny & Cher classic is part of
this)
6) Punish
Or Be Damned
7) In A
Better World
The full frame 1.33 X 1 video image is a surviving NTSC
tape that is in fairly good image, but has survived well enough and is actually
shot well by focusing on the band and capturing as much as possible. The remastering for this DVD is good enough
to make the VHS copies around worth trading away, unless you are really
obsessed. The original stereo has been
made available here in Dolby Digital 2.0 and a slightly better 5.1 remix, but
this cannot hide the age of the recording or its dated fidelity. I still wish this were in DTS just the
same. Extras include a 24:57 promo reel
for Target that is packed with great bands and these five videos:
1) 122
Hours Of Fear
2) Vertigo
(Version One – red shirt/long tie)
3) Vertigo
(Version Two – striped shirt/short tie)
4) Magazine
Love
5) Punish
Or Be Damned
Even with the fancy use of monochromatic video images,
these are all live performance clips, but in all cases, lead singer Tomata du
Plenty (what a name) is one of Punk’s great vocalists. Especially considering this was the classic
era of punk, that says a great deal about his talent and distinction. If you have never seen or heard of this
band, you must get this DVD!
- Nicholas Sheffo
