The Official DVD Concert Thread

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Obviously, the topic of discussion here is concert DVDs, which have lately become a necessity for just about any professional band. For the past couple years I've become addicted to concert DVDs, and especially the 5.1 surround sound that comes with them. It's almost difficult to put a cd player into my home theatre system because it's ONLY IN STEREO! Sounds strange to me too, but once you get used to hearing rear speakers, two channel sound is kind of boring.

DVD concerts are great for parties too, as people seated in the living room often stare at the television whether it's on or not. This way, you're playing music for everyone at the party, but folks can also watch the music being performed.

I spend most of my evenings (and all my home "music listening" time) watching concerts, hence this thread. So, enough of an introduction, let's get to the guts of the thread....what some of my favorite DVDs are.

EAGLES - FAREWELL TOUR 1 - This one is my fave DVD just because of the sound. This is the greatest DVD concert I've heard and is the measure of all DVD concerts I hear...how close to the Eagles is it? Just plain awesome mix of instruments in this one, especially in 5.1 surround.

DEEP PURPLE - Live at Montreaux - Another excellent sounding concert, filmed just a few years ago, this shows just how excellent and rockin' DP is, even with gray hair and pot-bellies.

NIGHTWISH - END OF AN ERA - I'm a Nightwish junkie, especially Tarja. This is the final show with Tarja before she was axed and what an awesome concert it is. Has a bit of the annoying MTV-style super-fast editing, but still one of my favorites.

GODSMACK - CHANGES - I'm not a big fan of modern "mainstream" metal, but Godsmack is one of the few bands I do like. Despite this not being my favorite form of music, Godsmack makes this list based simply on the production. This is ONE LOUD DISC! A buddy of mine blew a speaker playing this for me last winter. This one will really piss off the neighbors!

HEAVEN AND HELL - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL - I came out of concert retirement and attended a show here in Phoenix two weeks after this was filmed. It's an exact match to what I saw live and still hold in recent memory, therefore this one scores really high on my list. First, because it's Sabbath with Dio! Second, it's an excellent sounding DVD with awesome video quality.

I'll list more later, tell me about your favorite DVD concerts!

 

[sixxswine]

Here's some that I consider essential:

MSG - Worldwide Live
UFO - Showtime
Motley Crue - Carnival Of Sins
Heaven And Hell - Radio City Music Hall
ZZ Top - Live In Texas
Billy Idol - VH-1 Storytellers
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Austin City Limits
Whitesnake - Live In The Still Of The Night
Scorpions - Live At Wacken
Motorhead - 25 & Alive: Boneshaker
Motorhead - Stage Fright

 

[poundingmetal74]

I'll give this a go:

Priest - Rising in the East
Dream Evil - Gold Medal in Metal (AMAZING sounding concert)
Queensryche - Live Evolution (I enjoy it more than Livecrime or MC@TM, although they are better DVDs)
Metallica - Live Shit
H&H - Radio City (consensus that this is a great DVD)
Rush - R30
Fates Warning - Athens '05
Crue - Carnival of Sins
Rock Star - The Movie

Most of my favorite live concerts I watch are either taped off TV or bootleg's. I could list several dozens of those, but won't.

 

[METALDUDE]

NIGHTWISH - END OF AN ERA - I'm a Nightwish junkie, especially Tarja. This is the final show with Tarja before she was axed and what an awesome concert it is. Has a bit of the annoying MTV-style super-fast editing, but still one of my favorites.



HEAVEN AND HELL - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL - I came out of concert retirement and attended a show here in Phoenix two weeks after this was filmed. It's an exact match to what I saw live and still hold in recent memory, therefore this one scores really high on my list. First, because it's Sabbath with Dio! Second, it's an excellent sounding DVD with awesome video quality.

I watch these two ALOT!!!

I've got TOOOO many to list but my newest is Paul Stanley One Live Kiss..pretty good as far as deep cuts are concerned.

 

[tsorl]

Good topic, if it weren't for concert dvds I probably wouldn't bother with live albums at all.

My all-time favorite is probably Rage - From The Cradle To The Stage. This was filmed on the Soundchaser tour which, as I mentioned in the disappointment thread, was IMO the band's absolute peak. A high energy performance all around and really shows just how incredibly talented musicians these three gentlemen are (Wagner/Smolski/Terrana). Some people might consider the editing a bit too busy but I feel it suits this show perfectly. Diverse camera angles, pans, I love it. It's filmed at a small-ish venue which just adds to the intensity.
The second disc has all of Rage's promo videos plus more.



Evergrey - A Night To Remember is very good too. Very pro in every aspect. The only downside is Tom's swearing, I mean I don't mind that in inter-song banter but he flings those f-words into the lyrics as well which just doesn't suit a band like Evergrey very well. Minor issue though.

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Here's some that I consider essential:

MSG - Worldwide Live
UFO - Showtime
Motley Crue - Carnival Of Sins
Heaven And Hell - Radio City Music Hall
ZZ Top - Live In Texas
Billy Idol - VH-1 Storytellers
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Austin City Limits
Whitesnake - Live In The Still Of The Night
Scorpions - Live At Wacken
Motorhead - 25 & Alive: Boneshaker
Motorhead - Stage Fright

Got all of those except for Billy Idol and Motorhead 25 & Alive (one Motorhead DVD is enough for me as I'm not much of a fan). That new ZZ Top concert is SLICK! I've been watching that one a lot. I actually prefer the MSG concert to the UFO concert...many of the same songs, but Schenker's group is a lot more energetic. The Scorps concert at Wacken and the Whitesnake are also mainstays for me, getting played on a regular basis. I especially like the Uli Jon Roth portion of the Scorps show!

Good topic, if it weren't for concert dvds I probably wouldn't bother with live albums at all.

My all-time favorite is probably Rage - From The Cradle To The Stage. This was filmed on the Soundchaser tour which, as I mentioned in the disappointment thread, was IMO the band's absolute peak. A high energy performance all around and really shows just how incredibly talented musicians these three gentlemen are (Wagner/Smolski/Terrana). Some people might consider the editing a bit too busy but I feel it suits this show perfectly. Diverse camera angles, pans, I love it. It's filmed at a small-ish venue which just adds to the intensity.
The second disc has all of Rage's promo videos plus more.



Evergrey - A Night To Remember is very good too. Very pro in every aspect. The only downside is Tom's swearing, I mean I don't mind that in inter-song banter but he flings those f-words into the lyrics as well which just doesn't suit a band like Evergrey very well. Minor issue though.

Kudos on the RAGE mention! That one almost made my first list as the sound and video are awesome, as well as the performance. This one gets played alot late at night when I'm really buzzed and just want to headbang. There is one major drawback to this concert though, and you briefly mentioned it. The video editing is beyond annoying. I can't just watch it, I have to look away or simply leave the room every so often so I don't go into seizures. This is a pet peeve of mine and has ruined a lot of killer concerts for me.

As for the Evergrey, I've had that for almost two years, but I'm just now starting to watch it regularly. My copy is one of those screwed up discs that has the wrong aspect ratio on it. So the video was stretched vertically, making everyone tall and skinny. This always annoyed me, but I recently got a high quality DVD player that actually plays the concert in the proper aspect ratio. Really good show for sure, and I agree about the F bombs. I love the F word, but there's a place and time for it. Just doesn't fit in with Evergrey's intelligent approach to music.

 

[sixxswine]

Most of my favorite live concerts I watch are either taped off TV or bootleg's. I could list several dozens of those, but won't.

Same here I have a binder with 150 of them in there. I love bootlegs.
I also have several CD's as well....

 

[sixxswine]

That new ZZ Top concert is SLICK! I've been watching that one a lot. I actually prefer the MSG concert to the UFO concert...many of the same songs, but Schenker's group is a lot more energetic. The Scorps concert at Wacken and the Whitesnake are also mainstays for me, getting played on a regular basis. I especially like the Uli Jon Roth portion of the Scorps show!

The ZZ Top DVD is slick, they put out an audio version of that one as well...

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Same here I have a binder with 150 of them in there. I love bootlegs.
I also have several CD's as well....

There is where I differ from you and Brandon. No bootlegs for me. I am VERY picky about production, and most bootlegs have both shitty audio and video. While I can deal with sub-par video (if it's at least shot with multiple cameras), the sound is the key thing for me. A buddy of mine gave me several bootlegs for bands like Led Zep, Sabbath, Frank Marino, and BOC, but I just never watch them. I've got better produced concerts I can watch instead. And the better the production, the more it's gonna get viewed.

Prime example: I just got a Lana Lane DVD called Storybook over the weekend. I'm really enjoying it, despite it being shot from various concerts spanning 6 years with varying degree of video quality (some of it quite bad). But the key with this DVD is the sound production. They took great pains to make sure all the various locales that were recorded have virtually the same audio quality and volume level. And it's a very good mix, not excellent, but sounds more than adequate on my 5.1 surround system with just a little tweaking on subwoofer and rear speaker levels.

Most of the bootlegs I've seen can't be helped by ANY amount of tweaking on the tone controls. They just sound flat and muddy.

 

[poundingmetal74]

There is where I differ from you and Brandon. No bootlegs for me. I am VERY picky about production, and most bootlegs have both shitty audio and video.

There are a lot of great sounding concerts aired on TV and non-commercially released concerts. MTV Unplugged is a prime example, as are the concerts aired by VH1 Classic.

A number of the bootlegs I watch are by bands that otherwise have no live DVDs in which to watch.

And TSO, as you know, I'm a merticulous bastard about production, but in terms of bootlegs I can overlook it if the recording is half decent. If it sounds like crap, obviously I ain't gonna pay attention.

5.1 to me has always sounded really thin for music. It sounds great for movies when you have voices, full orchestras, FX, etc. Gimme a great pear of 3 way speakers any day over 5.1

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

There are a lot of great sounding concerts aired on TV and non-commercially released concerts. MTV Unplugged is a prime example, as are the concerts aired by VH1 Classic.

A number of the bootlegs I watch are by bands that otherwise have no live DVDs in which to watch.

And TSO, as you know, I'm a merticulous bastard about production, but in terms of bootlegs I can overlook it if the recording is half decent. If it sounds like crap, obviously I ain't gonna pay attention.

5.1 to me has always sounded really thin for music. It sounds great for movies when you have voices, full orchestras, FX, etc. Gimme a great pear of 3 way speakers any day over 5.1

You must not have your 5.1 system set up properly if you think it sounds thin. On my system, it totally fills the whole room with sound, especially concerts like the new Therion which has a superb 5.1 mix with a lot of separation between front and rear speakers.

In fact, that's my big problem with watching concerts I record off VH1 Classic, like the Unplugged Series or promo concerts like AC/DC No Bull and Maiden's Rock in Rio (both of which I recently recorded on my DVR). I don't have the HD programming from DirecTV, so everything is only broadcast in stereo so the rear speakers don't play unless I select the All Channel Stereo feature on my amplifier. And that's just not the same.

It's okay if I'm just listening as background music while hanging with company or doing housework, but if I'm sat down in front of the TV for a concert session, I've gotta have my surround for optimum enjoyment.

One thing that's really KEY about a surround sound set up is placement of rear speaker. If they aren't placed where you can clearly hear them, it can take away from simply playing in stereo. Most people just put the rear speakers wherever they can with no regard to where they are in relation to front speakers.

 

[sixxswine]

Add the new Paul Stanley DVD to my list. It just arrived last night from Amazon. Fucking kills!!!!

 

[RR3]

:Smokin:

Obviously, the topic of discussion here is concert DVDs, which have lately become a necessity for just about any professional band. For the past couple years I've become addicted to concert DVDs, and especially the 5.1 surround sound that comes with them. It's almost difficult to put a cd player into my home theatre system because it's ONLY IN STEREO! Sounds strange to me too, but once you get used to hearing rear speakers, two channel sound is kind of boring.

DVD concerts are great for parties too, as people seated in the living room often stare at the television whether it's on or not. This way, you're playing music for everyone at the party, but folks can also watch the music being performed.

I spend most of my evenings (and all my home "music listening" time) watching concerts, hence this thread. So, enough of an introduction, let's get to the guts of the thread....what some of my favorite DVDs are.

EAGLES - FAREWELL TOUR 1 - This one is my fave DVD just because of the sound. This is the greatest DVD concert I've heard and is the measure of all DVD concerts I hear...how close to the Eagles is it? Just plain awesome mix of instruments in this one, especially in 5.1 surround.

DEEP PURPLE - Live at Montreaux - Another excellent sounding concert, filmed just a few years ago, this shows just how excellent and rockin' DP is, even with gray hair and pot-bellies.

NIGHTWISH - END OF AN ERA - I'm a Nightwish junkie, especially Tarja. This is the final show with Tarja before she was axed and what an awesome concert it is. Has a bit of the annoying MTV-style super-fast editing, but still one of my favorites.

GODSMACK - CHANGES - I'm not a big fan of modern "mainstream" metal, but Godsmack is one of the few bands I do like. Despite this not being my favorite form of music, Godsmack makes this list based simply on the production. This is ONE LOUD DISC! A buddy of mine blew a speaker playing this for me last winter. This one will really piss off the neighbors!

HEAVEN AND HELL - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL - I came out of concert retirement and attended a show here in Phoenix two weeks after this was filmed. It's an exact match to what I saw live and still hold in recent memory, therefore this one scores really high on my list. First, because it's Sabbath with Dio! Second, it's an excellent sounding DVD with awesome video quality.

I'll list more later, tell me about your favorite DVD concerts!

Motley Crue's "Carnival of Sins" is a great live cd in Detroit, Michigan

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Not the biggest Paul Stanley fan, or KISS for that matter either. Really just like their early stuff. Still, I like to listen when people scream about how good a DVD is. I read countless killer reviews for the Winger DVD but totally dismissed it because I always related Winger to bubble-gum pop rock of the 80s. Boy was I wrong! Finally rented it off Netflix (a request from my best friend's wife) and was blown away at how heavy and totally ROCK it really was.

So, I can't totally dismiss a Paul Stanley DVD if people start ranting and raving about it. BUT, after reading over 50 reviews of the concert, I have my concerns. Although it's widely agreed that the performance and the video editing is SUPERB, I found many complaints about production issues. Namely an out-dated "full screen" 4:3 aspect ratio, not shot with HD cameras, and over compression (the boxy smeary squares like you see on Youtube) of the video.

I am a proud new father of a bouncing baby 42" HDTV and it's quickly turning me away from the older concert videos shot in full screen. So this Paul Stanley DVD already has some strikes against it.

 

[poundingmetal74]

You must not have your 5.1 system set up properly if you think it sounds thin.

That's not it at all, my friend. 5.1 is cool, but when it comes to music, I want it on stereo (and that means TWO subs, not one - or rather two 15' "Woofers"). Nothing more "Old School" than that.

It is kinda neat to have the audience behind you as you listen but it just makes everything sound so thin if everything has it's own speaker. More clarity, but it loses something.

 

[zeppelin]

I'm with you on the Godsmack and Heaven and Hell DVD's both brilliant concerts even though I'm not that much of a Godsmack fan. Another two live DVD's I can defenatly reccomend is AC/DC's Stff Upper Lip and Rammstein's Folker Bal, even if you're not a fan of Rammstein it's still an amazing concert.
Live DVD's I really did not enjoy was WASP's the Sting, Alice Cooper's Brutal Planet and Megadeth's That one night in Buenos Airies.

PS This is my 1000th Post

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

That's not it at all, my friend. 5.1 is cool, but when it comes to music, I want it on stereo (and that means TWO subs, not one - or rather two 15' "Woofers"). Nothing more "Old School" than that.

It is kinda neat to have the audience behind you as you listen but it just makes everything sound so thin if everything has it's own speaker. More clarity, but it loses something.

So you only use old school tower speakers with the big woofers? No subwoofer at all? That is truly old school! I can't live without a sub, I'd rather not listen to music at all. The sub just makes the music sound more live because it's like the bass drum is right in your car or living room, as opposed to a speaker reproducing those frequencies. Plus, now that I'm so comfortable with surround sound, it's just so empty having the sound only coming from one side of the room!

Also, the surround sound mixes are getting a lot more elaborate on many recent DVDs. It's not just the crowd sound in the rear speakers anymore. Often times guitar solos with pan back and forth front to rear, background vocals are often in the rears, and many other sound effects. One great DVD in particular is Pink Floyd's Pulse DVD. Lots of cool surround there!

I'm probably not going to convince you to change your views, at least not over the internet. But I dare you to come visit Arizona and sit in my "sweet spot" and tell me that plain old stereo is better (or that the music sounds "thin").

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

I'm with you on the Godsmack and Heaven and Hell DVD's both brilliant concerts even though I'm not that much of a Godsmack fan. Another two live DVD's I can defenatly reccomend is AC/DC's Stff Upper Lip and Rammstein's Folker Bal, even if you're not a fan of Rammstein it's still an amazing concert.
Live DVD's I really did not enjoy was WASP's the Sting, Alice Cooper's Brutal Planet and Megadeth's That one night in Buenos Airies.

PS This is my 1000th Post

Congrats on 1,000 Zeppie! So you think Stiff Upper Lip is better than the Donington DVD? I've got Donington, and that suffices for me as I'm not a big AC/DC fan. I don't think I like Rammstein at all, but I didn't like Godsmack either until my buddy forced me to watch Changes. I'll have to check into that one.

Also, as for Alice Cooper, the Live in Montreax 2005 DVD is AWESOME. What great sound and pictures it has (not to mention lots of Calico Cooper!). You should check into that one, I've watching it twice in the past week. Matter of fact, I have three modern day Eagle Rock/Montreax concerts (Deep Purple, Cooper, and Jethro Tull) and they are all splendidly produced.

 

[zeppelin]

Congrats on 1,000 Zeppie! So you think Stiff Upper Lip is better than the Donington DVD? I've got Donington, and that suffices for me as I'm not a big AC/DC fan. I don't think I like Rammstein at all, but I didn't like Godsmack either until my buddy forced me to watch Changes. I'll have to check into that one.

Also, as for Alice Cooper, the Live in Montreax 2005 DVD is AWESOME. What great sound and pictures it has (not to mention lots of Calico Cooper!). You should check into that one, I've watching it twice in the past week. Matter of fact, I have three modern day Eagle Rock/Montreax concerts (Deep Purple, Cooper, and Jethro Tull) and they are all splendidly produced.

You can trust me on the Stiff Upper Lip one, even if you're not that much of a fan.
After all this surround talk I think I should hook up my back speakers, since I've moved into the new house I never put them up, too much pt coceiling the wiring, think it's about time.
Pink Floyd's Pulse is indeed a good DVD, another one too look out for is Sentenced - Burried Alive

 

[poundingmetal74]

But I dare you to come visit Arizona and sit in my "sweet spot" and tell me that plain old stereo is better (or that the music sounds "thin").

Well, you're also spoiled with a 42" Plasma.
I'm still going off a 32" tube TV with old school DVDs, none of this fancy modern Blu Ray stuff!

Concerts I do enjoy with with a 5.1 setting, although I always find the vocals to be thin and often undermixed (the same goes with movies when the voices are only in the center speaker).

Like Wyv with his cassettes, Stereo is what I was raised on and what I know. Something just doesn't seem right about listening to Slave to the Grind in 5.1 (although who knows, it may make me appreciate the disc even more).

Maybe on of these days I'll have to check out one of those DVDA discs. Has anyone heard Empire (Ryche) in DVDA?