BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

On tour in Europe, with their latest album released to mixed reviews and Nick Jago on his way out the door (again), Live documents the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club channeling the weird vibes around the Baby 81 tour to return to the languid and raw sound that brought them to prominence in the first place. As a concert film, {=Live looks and sounds exactly the way the BRMC ought to. The band is sparingly lit and mostly filmed in black and white, giving the whole thing a kind of stygian ambience. Where this film (and accompanying CD) earn its keep is the sound. The BRMC really shine outside of the studio; the guitars are raw and fuzzy, the band is loose, and the atmosphere is gritty and dark. The older material on the album stands up like you'd expect it to, with the slower songs from Howl seizing upon the moody live setting, but the surprise treats are the songs from Baby 81. The live versions of "Weapon of Choice" and "666 Conducer" feel more at home in a live and unpolished setting. The sound is midrangy and grimy, as if these were some kind of mythical Jim Diamond versions. At times it feels as if this was the way that the album was meant to be experienced, with no frills or editing, just raw rock & roll. While live albums typically fall into the province of fan service, Live should be able to convince anyone on the fence after Baby 81 that the band still has some rock left in it. Gregory Heaney.

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