LIVE IN JAPAN 2002

Having already got the 2 disc CD version buying this DVD was a bit of a luxury. However I enjoyed the Piazza Del Campo DVD so much I thought I'd add this to my collection. Pardon me if I make some comparisons between the two performances.

So, my thoughts.

The sound is excellent (better than Piazza I think, particularly Franco's guitar being higher in the mix). The musicianship is just stunning. I love watching these guys play!

In general I think they feed off an audience's energy and the Japanese seemed a little restrained. So maybe it's just a little less energetic than the Piazza show.

Franz Di Coccio is more prominent in front of the drums in this collection, but actually does a really good job. None of the slightly embarassing audience participation stuff that mars the Piazza show.

The set selection is great. A mix of material from their back catalogue, including "Chocolate Kings" and "Jet Lag"

If I remember rightly I gave Piazza Del Campo 4 stars and balancing the pros v cons of each I have to give this slightly higher because of the audiovisual quality plus the strength and length of the set.

Round it up to 5 stars