Captain Everything! / Divit / Belvedere

Live At The Camden Underworld DVD (2004)

Scott

Kung Fu Records isn't the only imprint putting out quality DVDs. Those swell guys from the UK over at Punkervision.com have encompassed an entire evening of punk rock at the Camden Underworld in 16:9 widescreen digital format. Captain Everything!, Divit, and Belvedere all put on exhilarating sets composed of melodic hardcore punk.

The 106 minute disc is put together competently, there are options available to select watching one band's performance or choose a specific song to view. Four camera angles breathe fresh air into the production, one from each side of the stage, the middle, and one focusing on the drummer. I noticed one section during Captain Everything!'s set that the screen went completely black for a second, aside from that slight mishap the editing is extremely tight between shots of the band and some flashes of the crowd. The camera work is a tad shaky at moments, but unlike some of their contemporaries, not a single cameraman is picked up in the lenses of another sniper – kudos for that!

The audio quality is outstanding for a release of this nature and it's beaming through 5.1 surround sound! At first it appears a little dry, but once the 33 tracks begin to soak in it feels like you're at the show with the speakers pounding you ear drums in.

Each of the three bands thrust powerfully into their set lists, rarely stopping as they give the kids a reason to dance. None of the groups put on outstanding live performances, no gimmicks, no choreographed stage antics, and time is not wasted by talking either – just a straight up punk rock show the way it should be done.

The menus are a little fuzzy and the lack of ability to play the entire show are the only real faults behind the DVD. If you're a fan any of these bands or just looking for a quality show on DVD then I highly recommend adding this production to your DVD collection.

Click here to view sample clips from the disc of each band.

*note: The DVD is available in both PAL and NTSC formats.