Released
earlier this year this DVD is a joyful
celebration of the tenth anniversary
of this band that heads straight to
the golden halls of legend. Arena
need to introduction to the aware,
but for those few (I hope) who do
not know their existence, then look
no further for the right demonstration.
This DVD was recorded live in Katowice,
Poland, in the same theater with the
one of the recent prog-rock and metal
releases by Metal Mind (see for example
Galahad). As it’s a DVD with
a cause, it features all great tracks
from their ten year career, enhanced
by the live exceptional performance
of these five British wizards of neo-prog.
Now, either you like this term, either
not, this is a fact. Arena are responsible
to a great extend for the re-flowering
of the prog-rock idiom. They forward
it even further by adding the metal
element and by raising bridges between
two worlds with similar perspectives,
yet all those years none of them dared
to move forward and stretch the hand.
The neo-prog idiom may be criticized,
but surely not due to its inefficiency
of its bands, but -perhaps- due to
the constraints of the label itself.
Enough with these
thoughts. Arena were in superb form
that night. Their theatrical opening
gave the signal for an unforgettable
night. Although they’ld like
to send their message for the release
of their latest album, "Pepper’s
Ghost", they didn’t. This
DVD covers in almost equal parts their
whole career. Take a look at the tracklist
abova and you’ll get the picture.
It’s quite remarkable that the
band stays in godly calmness throughout
the whole night. Rob Sowden is faultless
in his mysterious costume (despite
this sort of funny wig). Mick Pointer
is the steady basis and the cornerstone
of this band, while Ian Salmon is
the quiet power. Clive Nolan is so
"usual", like your small
brother or your best friend, that
you don’t realize that we are
talking about one of the most prolific
figures in modern prog-rock. I left
a few words for the end for John Mitchell.
To my opinion this guy is the best
guitar player in our days and I am
looking forward listening to some
of It Bites tunes. Let’s hope
the intermission for Kino will not
take too long; we know already that
the Arena intermission comes to end.
In his case it’s not the technique
that makes the difference. It’s
the feeling. Simply as that.
You want extras?
You have them. The reunion concert
in Zoetermeer, Holland, will give
you some rare moments that few mortals
enjoyed, such as the performance by
Paul Wrightson and Rob Sowden in "Cry
for Help VII". As for the rest,
you know what you get. An interview,
a biography, a discography, a photo
gallery, desktop images and so on.
This region free DVD runs above two
and half hours and if you ask me if
I got my present this Christmas, then
you know the answer.
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