Customer Reviews

SEEN EM LIVE AND COMPARED TO THIS DVD - By: Mr. G. J. Smith, 03 Nov 2008
Well, after seeing them live I can safely say that this DVD is a missed opportunity, but only just.

Tinariwen gigs start off slow like their music but build up to a point where they really come alive & sparks fly.

But this DVD doesnt really know what to do with them. The band members start to dance but instead of showing what is the one of the best things about them live, the camera often cuts away, usually to the audience who are all over 40 & hardly move. This can give you the impression that the band are falling flat. Also o nthe first few songs the directors show little clips & soundbites to reinforce their desert rebel credentials, as though they have no faithin the music. On the first track this is not too bad as it serves to distract that the band haven't quite warmed up but by the 3rd trackin its inexcusable.

The music does start to fly though & the band really start to impress (as they do live) but a mixture of the direction needing to justify tinariwens presence with their mythology & the director cutting away when things seems to get interesting scuppers this dvd from being a classic. The extra features are great & this cements the desert rebels status more than any interuptions on the main feature.

So three stars because tinariwen are excellent live & this does capture some of the energy quite well, its just a shame they dont have conviction enoughin the performances & the music to let them speak for themselves