Dead End Drive-In: Now Showing – Nazareth – ‘No Means Of Escape’
Written by Gaz Tidey
Sunday, 18 October 2015 04:00
Nazareth – ‘No Means Of Escape’ (Eagle Vision)
In November 2014 legendary Scottish rockers Nazareth played an intimate show at London’s Metropolis Studios for 125 die-hard fans of the band and select members of the press. The gig was filmed and now features on new DVD/Blu-ray release, ‘No Means Of Escape’.
With the line-up of bassist Pete Agnew, guitarist Jimmy Murrison, drummer Lee Agnew and vocalist Linton Osborne, the show captures a band learning to fly once again after having its wings clipped when original vocalist Dan McCafferty was forced to retire due to ill health. Dunfermline newcomer Linton Osborne replaced the iconic McCafferty and, with his sudden departure in February of this year (to be replaced by Persian Risk man Carl Sentance), this concert footage has a certain novelty value at the very least.
The thirteen-track concert is presented in a very workmanlike manner, the venue’s lights not exactly perfect for hi-def capture, but is as spirited an affair as possible given that the voice of Nazareth had departed with much sadness just over a year earlier. Osborne’s performance was solid and appeared to be generally accepted by the fans.
The meat in this digital sandwich, however, is a fine fifty-minute documentary, ‘Made In Scotland’, which tells the story of the band via vintage footage and photographs and new interviews. Dan McCafferty is, happily, present throughout – sat in the studio in front of a couple of Sideshow’s Spinal Tap dolls, fellow nerds – speaking candidly about the most difficult decision to retire from the band, and breaking down when talking of the death of Nazareth’s co-founder, drummer Darrell Sweet.
It isn’t all doom and gloom, you’ll be glad to know; Pete Agnew takes the viewer through the memorable history of the band, detailing how a choice Joni Mitchell cover version guaranteed them never-ending success in Canada, while McCafferty reminisces fondly of some young band called Guns N’ Roses who, themselves, would select a choice cover version, guaranteeing Nazareth a significant shift in PRS monies.
‘Made In Scotland’, not the concert footage, is the big draw here.
Additional interviews with Pete and Dan pad out the Bonus Features, completed by a short film dedicated to the band’s superfans, and the track, ‘Sunshine’, taken from an acoustic session.
That’s not all; legendary fantasy artist Rodney Matthews has updated the character that he created for the band’s 1979 album, ‘No Mean City’, and splashed him across some wraparound cover art, available without text on the reverse of the DVD sleeve.
