A DVD from rock showman, master of horror and satanic circus leader Rob Zombie means much in the way of monsters, pyro and fans dressed as the cast of Zombie’s films. All footage is culled from enormous open air show in Texas the atmosphere of which is palpable. Zombie’s vocals may differ wildly in sound from the way they do on his albums but that hardly matters when you consider he has never been a spectacular vocalist to begin with. Indeed it’s all about the full on gonzo theatrics which we have come to know and love and on that score he does not disappoint.
The set features all the devilman’s greatest hits The Zombie Horror Picture Show (Universal Music) gives us great performances of dancefloor fillers like ‘Living Dead Girl’ and ‘Sick Bubblegum’ as well as White Zombie cuts like ‘Supercharger Heaven’. Giant pseudo pornographic projections and some clever camera work make this a feast for the eyes, particularly where the psychedelic reflective images are cleverly employed.
Yet while the presentation is largely of a high standard which gives you a very real live concert experience, the absence of any extras is pretty disappointing. Save the gallery of images of the band to thumb through there are no interviews, backstage footage, music videos or any other titbits to tempt you into parting with your hard earned cash.
What there is however is lots of shots of bare breasted women which feels unnecessarily tacky. Indeed there is so much footage of topless women in the audience you have to wonder if the roaming cameraman had worked in the glamour industry. At the risk of sounding prudish, there is enough cheap titillation on this DVD without the bare fresh to grope at.
At least the camera work is particularly clever following Zombie as he walks through the audience during John5’s solo break in ‘Thunderkiss `65’. The Zombie Horror Picture Show was never going to be a high art concert experience granted but you get the feeling that a guy like Zombie who is famous for his attention to detail and presentation has allowed standards to slip just a little.
7/10
ROSS BAKER