HIGH ABOVE THE SUBTERANIA CLUB 2000

Yet another filmed 90's concert performance, this one with a slight twist since both Malherbe and his usual replacement Theo Travis. With the now indispensable Howlett on bass and the stainless team of Daevid and Gilly, this is what the usual concert has been giving in the last decade. Rather different than the filmed performance for the Classic Rock series (see my review on that one) since it comprises the tracks from the Zero To Infinity album, yet still able to display the full lunacy of the group. So the new tracks have been worked into the concert concept, but the plain fact is rather evident if not all too obvious: the new songs do not bring anymore to the ancient classics. So the ultra Gonghead might just get a kick out of discovering the new tracks done live, but the more classic fan or the casual fan might just find this performance less interesting for their tastes. For them I can only suggest them the other DVD , the Classic Rock Presents series. In this one, Daevid is still leading the insane circus with a huge hat with the crazy web address www.[%*!#]off.com and Malherbe is in top form and still blowing some of the weirdest instruments ever including weird whistles and he is simply astoundingly brilliant playing his doudouk solo and Magdalene with their strong Arabian feelings. But the concerts take a definite twist with the Angel's Egg classic suite of Flute Salad to the Outer Temple and the show ending on the crowd pleaser Master Builder.

In the bonus, you can see an ever-youthful and gleeful Daevid chatting for less than 10 mins. Overall, a very pleasant DVD with its share of small surprises even if only in the details, I have a preference for this one over the CRP series one, but strangely do not rate it as high.