Festival 2005 DVD - My initial thoughts

Started by nausearockpig, December 01, 2006, 13:35:57

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Bloodflower

The visuals of the Festival DVD aren't that great, I agree.... I don't mind the 'effects' as much as others, but then, I tend to listen to the DVD (a friend of mine transferred it into audio) rather than watch it.

I think the performances are substandard, though.... I don't know. There are some that I really like, and some that I really dislike, and some that I think one or two things changed would save it (Push, for instance, is slaughtered by the vocals for me, as is Plainsong).

On the whole, it's an average concert DVD compilation; nothing fantastic, but worthwhile nonetheless.
Another Curefan for The Dark Christmas album.

nausearockpig

I think we've come to expect a certain visual standard via Orange, Show & Trilogy and clearly this video doesn't have the same visual "standard". I personally don't like what they've done. I was hoping for a more "standard" set of visuals. one where i could actually see the band...


Fantac

Hey,

The Cure being on tour got me to "dig in the vaults" (remember that show on MuchMusic back in the days? lol) and so today, I rediscovered the live DVD "Festival 2005"  :smth020

When it was released, I remember I didn't care much for it... It was following the unreal Trilogy DVD and the minute I reached "A Night Like This" and images got blurry (like in the music video), I totally lost interest in it! But since I saw the same 4-piece Cure a couple weeks back in Montreal, I decided to give it another try and this time, I was blown away!

Instead of watching it, I had the bright idea to put it on and go on with my day, just LISTENING to it and my God... There are UNREAL versions of great songs on that DVD!  :shock: I never appreciated how good they were that summer when they played Festivals here and there in Europe.

Robert's voice is strong as ever and Porl's work is really highlighted throughout. Jason and Simon are flawless, as usual. Also, the sound is very high quality. They really seem into the songs, specially Robert. Seriously, I was and still am blown away! If you've made a similar mistake and overlooked that great DVD, go back and watch... no wait... LISTEN to it again!

Highlights: Open, alt.end (surprisingly!), If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, Never Enough, The Figurehead, Push (such an unreal song...), From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea (so powerful!), The Drowning Man, Signal to noise (whereas I never really cared for it before), End, A Forest, Disintegration (despite the messed up lyrics... again!) and Faith.

I know that's a lot of highlights but I clearly missed out on this one! It now ranks up there with Entreat and Trilogy in my heart! I will definitely rip the audio so I can listen to it in the car, on my iPod, at home or in my sleep!

Just felt like sharing this today...  ;)

sues777

Thanks Fantac!!  I must admit I often put Trilogy on and listen to it while I'm just doing stuff around the house, but haven't done that with Festival 2005 for quite some time (Festival 2005 used to be a fave for me to listen to while getting ready to go out but I haven't done that for ages).  So, after reading your post earlier today, I put Festival 2005 in the DVD player, turned it up and went about my day...and you're right - complete bliss!!   :rocker

Now, unlike others, I've actually always thought Festival 2005 was a great DVD - both in sound and vision.  Not as absolutely brilliant as Trilogy granted, but still a great DVD.  For me I think it's the energy the current lineup bring to it.

Unfortunately though, I've found I often forget about this particalr DVD..So thanks for reminding me!!  :smth023



The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know the less we show

DroidAKov

I managed to get a hold of a flac recording of this
so I could listen to it on a CD rather than watch it
This resulted in me loving it! I concur!
Versions of songs such as Figurehead are fantastic

japanesebaby

Quote from: DroidAKov on May 25, 2008, 19:36:35
I managed to get a hold of a flac recording of this

it's not difficult to rip the audio from the dvd for one's own purposes. but to my knowledge this is not worth the trouble with the festival dvd, because the festival dvd has compressed audio (AC3!), and not lossless PCM audio (like for instance on 'trilogy').

are you sure your flac copy isn't actually lossy? because every festival dvd rip would be lossy... or you received your flac copy from some secret, hidden source?
:?:
Ay, in the very temple of Delight
Veil'd Melancholy has her sovran shrine

Steve

It's no biggy really though, as Festival is actually a really bad dvd anyway (audio & video).
Waste of money IMO.
:smth011
Cheers
Steve
I know tomorrow's going to taste like cake
http://www.balatonfured.hu/en_index.php

carycameron

Quote from: Steve on May 25, 2008, 21:07:55
It's no biggy really though, as Festival is actually a really bad dvd anyway (audio & video).
Waste of money IMO.
:smth011

Well, I don't think its a great dvd  but not really bad either.  Sound perhaps isn't stellar but certainly very listenable.  It would have liked it better if was one entire concert but it does have a good mix of songs.  Definitely worth the ten bucks i paid for it... 

Steve

Mine was a gift.
I wouldn't have paid money for it TBH.
Aspect ratio?.....hello....?
Very mediocre performances. :roll:
What on earth were they thinking?
Cheers
Steve
I know tomorrow's going to taste like cake
http://www.balatonfured.hu/en_index.php

Bloodflower

I'm an old Festival 2005 apologist. I liked it when I first got it and I like it still. I thought Plainsong was daring and brilliant when people were calling it the worst thing The Cure had ever released.

It's definitely inferior (and by quite some margin) to Trilogy, but that applies to a lot of great things. Consider Festival 2005 as simply a soundboard recording and it stands better than the only other soundboard recording we have from the festival tour.

By no means brilliant, by no means their best live release, but you rubbish it like it's Wendy Time chopped into bits and played backward underwater, Steve.

(Actually, that might sound interesting. Something Wendy Time on its own does not.)
Another Curefan for The Dark Christmas album.

rodney

I've never had a problem with it.  I think it's good, though not great.  Never really understood why people are so hard on it.

sillyboob

Quote from: Bloodflower on May 26, 2008, 00:23:13
By no means brilliant, by no means their best live release, but you rubbish it like it's Wendy Time chopped into bits and played backward underwater, Steve.

(Actually, that might sound interesting. Something Wendy Time on its own does not.)

Now that's is one hell of a comparison!

scaredPrincess

Well I'm about half way through and wishing I saw this thread when I started...  right now I will just say about Festival - Simon OWNS! 

Shake Dog Shake seemed kind of week but The Figurehead is inspired!!

The Figurehead

In my opinion they should have just reissued Show or Orange on DVD. Instead of bombarding us with this mediocre DVD. They're past their prime as a live act.

scaredPrincess

Quote from: The Figurehead on June 13, 2008, 23:18:57
In my opinion they should have just reissued Show or Orange on DVD.

Orange on DVD would be awesome!!  They can send me the masters, I'll do it for them for free!  :D