Chickenfoot – ‘Get Your Buzz On Live’ DVD (Eagle Vision)
Written by David Whistance
Thursday, 13 May 2010 05:00
What do you do if you are a rock star with multi platinum album sales to your name and you have some spare time on your hands? Travel the World in your personal yacht? Fill up your luxury swimming pool with cocaine before driving your brand new $100,000 Ferrari into it or maybe you just get together with a few musician pals and jam together.
Which is exactly what happened with Sammy Hagar when he teamed up with Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith and former band mate, ex-Van Halen bassist, Michael Anthony, soon discovering that the music they were creating was far too good to be left unheard in some rehearsal studio, cue guitar legend Joe Satriani who is welcomed aboard and Chickenfoot (a name originally created as a bit of joke, that the band eventually decided to keep) was born.
Was the rock world ready for another supergroup? Sorry Sammy, I forgot for a moment that you are not a supergroup, just four friends jamming together.
When Chickenfoot released their debut album, I was inundated with messages from friends advising me to purchase the album; they believed it was that great, ashamedly I have to admit that I’ve yet to purchase the album, so I was pleasantly surprised when asked to review ‘Get Your Buzz Off Live’, the new DVD from Chickenfoot.
The first thing I observe from the DVD is the chemistry displayed on stage at the Dodge Theater, Phoenix, Arizona – this is band playing as much for their enjoyment as the enjoyment of the fans. The members of Chickenfoot, more used to playing large cavernous soulless arenas across the globe, seem to relish in the glory of playing a theatre sized venue. Sammy Hagar bounds across the stage, occasionally doing the embarrassing dad dance, proving why he was the only worthy successor to David Lee Roth in his previous band, these days resembling Kurt Russell’s character The Dude from the Coen Brothers classic ‘The Big Lebowski’.
The perma fixed smile across Chad Smith’s face proves he is back where he belongs, playing drums in a kick ass rock band as apposed to his day job in the Chili Peppers where these days they appear to more than happy to toe the line of middle of the road mediocrity. Michael Anthony also proves he is back where he belongs on the stage, next to his former band mate, playing probably the best bass guitar ever created (a bass guitar shaped like a bottle of Jack Daniels that even contains a hidden compartment for his miniatures) – now if only I could play the bass.
Any fans of Chickenfoot’s debut album will simply adore this live DVD as they rock through the songs from the album; ‘My Kinda Girl’, ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘Turnin’ Left’ all played with precise decision, along with the blues driven hit (not featured on the CD) ‘Bitten By The Wolf’.
Anybody expecting a multi-million dollar rock show ala Kiss, Rammstein and AC/DC will be disappointed with the DVD as this is simply a no thrills affair featuring four friends, no pyro, no gimmicks (unless you include the guitar wizardry of Joe Satriani) just four great musicians playing great songs like they were made to play, finalising in a raucous cover of The Who classic ‘My Generation.’
If you enjoyed the live show you will love the 52 minute documentary that follows the band on the road, proving the band are having the time of their lives, particularly Will Ferrell lookalike Chad Smith, a self confessed drinker who has steered clear of the drug antics that have dogged his other band, so whilst his Chili Pepper band members have finally given up on their hedonistic lifestyles insteading choosing yoga and Buddhism, Chad is left to party hard with his new band mates particularly tequila swigging frontman Sammy Hagar. The documentary also features some hilarious moments including surprise interviews with Bob Weir, Adam Corolla and particularly Spinal Tap legend Nigel Tufnell.
If you want to see why Chickenfoot were voted Best New Band of 2009 at the Classic Rock Magazine awards, go buy the DVD – you won’t be disappointed.