Rather Be Dead?
This DVD has been a long time coming, it's 8 years now since Sweden's premier hardcore exponents breathed their last amidst internal wranglings and police intervention. This DVD comes in two parts and features a documentary exploring the last tour and the bands ultimate demise followed by live footage from around that time.
The documentary (38 minutes) is exceedingly well put together, quite arty in terms of the shots and angles used but very well done. Each member of the band is interviewed, interspersed with live clips and whilst it captures the immense energy and intensity that Refused had it also captures the despair of the band as they realise half way through their last tour that they just can't continue. Whilst it's a fascinating insight into what was happening at the time (particularly when the cops shut down the last show), it may come as a surprise that what's presented here is a very personal account, there is little or no evidence of their political stance that has always been so prominent throughout their lyrics and press releases.
The live footage is a mixed affair, the majority of it is taken from audience recordings and is of average bootleg quality. The sound is so bad on some of the tracks that the vocals are inaudible and on other occasions the camera work is jerky. If you're new to the band it's unlikely that this will win you over, you'd do far better to check out one of the bands albums first, what it does capture perfectly though is the unbridled energy that Refused had when playing live. The performances are fantastic and it's a real shame that the sound quality doesn't meet the same standard. The highlight is definitely 'The Shape Of Punk To Come', which begins with footage of the band backstage before following them from the dressing room onto the stage where they literally explode into action!
If you've never heard Refused then you're missing out, think Million Dead (named after a Refused lyric) with a dose of Fugazi and a hint of Crass and you won't be far away. It should quickly become evident that Refused have left their mark on many of todays hardcore bands and that this DVD has been met with such interest from all quarters is further testament to that. For long time fans this release is pretty much essential but even for the most ardent fan it's not the kind of DVD that you instantly want to watch again. Extras come in the form of two videos 'Rather Be Dead' and the excellent 'New Noise'.