Dead End Drive-In: Now Showing – Bush
Written by Rob Watkins
Saturday, 23 March 2013 03:30
Bush – ‘Live!’ (earMUSIC)
English rock outfit Bush enjoyed huge success during their heyday in the mid 1990s, especially in America before splitting in 2002. The group got back together in 2011 fronted, of course, by Mr. Gavin Rossdale and released a new album, ‘The Sea of Memories’, and now, with the reformation fresh in people’s minds, comes the obvious next step: the live DVD release.
With the set opener, ‘Little Things’, comes the immediate domination of the vocal tones and stage persona of the aforementioned Gavin Rossdale, holding fort in this mid-range capacity sized venue, The Roseland Theatre in Portland, Oregon.
The throbbing beats and almost caustic vocal drones on ‘I Believe In You’ and ‘Greedy Fly’ offer no frills, no nonsense, just the songs and incredible live musicianship.
The US audience is probably more in synch with the band and their musical catalogue than, say, the European fans so it was possibly the right decision to record this live performance in the good ol’ US of A.
Rossdale seems to have lost none of his sex appeal judging by the ladies in the front row who he gets close to from time to time on this particular live performance.
The edgy ’90s bite of ‘Everything Zen’ and ‘The Chemicals Between Us’ interweave with the rarely heard mellower, keyboard-grooved side of the band and (at the time of the concert) fairly new tune ‘All Night Doctors’ and, of course, the super infectious hit, ‘Swallowed’. Rossdale wanders throughout the balcony on ‘The Afterlife’ – thank heavens for the invention of radio microphones.
The foursome which accompanies Rossdale includes the six string intelligence of Chris Traynor and Corey Britz on bass duties – both new members to the band – and also returning drummer Robin Goodridge.
The group close their setlist with a flurry of tunes lifted from their multi platinum selling 1994 debut album, ‘Sixteen Stone’ – ‘Machinehead’, ‘Alien’, ‘Glycerine’ and, finally, ‘Comedown’. A wonderfully chosen setlist lifting tracks from all five of the group’s studio releases.
The bonus material on this DVD comprises of an unplugged performance at Tape.TV, a nice touch showing the stripped down elements of the band’s songwriting finesse, including a closing solo rendition of ‘Glycerine’ by Rossdale.
The DVD package is rounded off with the videos of ‘The Sound Of Winter’ and ‘Baby Come Home’.
“Breathe In Breathe Out….Breathe In Breathe Out”…….Oh Yeah.
