Search - Sidekicks The Movie: Live in Liverpool on DVD

80's Concerts on a Budget

Turtle502 | Pitman, NJ USA | 09/26/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is an early look at a complete live concert by the Thompson Twins during the 80's. This was filmed before their mid-80's peak popularity with "Hold Me Now" and "Doctor Doctor", but you'll hear familiar hits from the "Sidekicks" album, such as "Love on Your Side" and "Lies". In general, you'll hear nearly every song from "Sidekicks", and a few from their previous album release "In the Name of Love".

In terms of production, this is an example of early-80's concerts "on a budget". Video-recorded concerts were extremely popular during the early-to-mid 80's, regardless of the concert production value or fanbase. The bright white stage lights will often wash-out the image. There is very little to the stage set -- a backlit screen serves as the only prop, onto which shadows are cast. There are no theatrics, and no fancy lighting. The sound quality is overly bright, lacking deep bass and punch. Vocals, however, are well-recorded and clear.

From an entertainment perspective, fans will enjoy reliving who the Thompson Twins were during the early 80's. The three primary members show little excitement during their performances, and there's virtually no interaction among them on stage. This concert is, perhaps, an example of what they did best -- create and perform great music without any distractions on an intimate stage. 25 years later, however, this concert will appear quite dated and has very little "replay value" after the first or second "nostalgic viewing".

This is for diehard fans only."