Gogol Bordello - Live From Axis Mundi
Rating
RIYL
Man ManDeVotchKa
J.U.F.
Release Date
10/06/2009
Label
SideOneDummyTracklist
DVD1. Ultimate
2. Sally
3. Not a Crime
4. Dogs Were Barking
5. Wonderlust King
6. Mishto
7. Forces of Victory
8. Tribal Connection
9. 60 Revolutions
10. Start Wearing Purple
11. Think Locally, Fuck Globally
12. Punk Rock Parranda
13. Illumination
14. Baro Foro
CD
1. Ultimate (BBC Sessions)
2. Wonderlust King (BBC Sessions)
3. Mishto (BBC Sessions)
4. Alcohol (BBC Sessions)
5. American Wedding (BBC Sessions)
6. You Gave Up (Roumania) (BBC Sessions)
7. Stivali E Colbacco (Super Taranta Sessions)
8. Troubled Friends (Gypsy Punk Sessions)
9. 60 Revolutions (Demo)
10. Immigrant Punk (Demo)
11. Immigrant Punk (Instrumental)
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Take one part punk rock, mix it with a little bit of dub-step, sprinkle in a bit of eastern European gypsy spirit, then fuse all of that with the events of a carnival, and you’ll get an idea of the madness that ensues at a Gogol Bordello show. Now, with a DVD entitled Live From Axis Mundi, there is video recording of the band's insanity, documenting the band's second night of their two night run in their hometown of New York City at Irving Plaza, so you know the band is giving a little something extra.
Eugene Hutz, born in the Ukraine, is an absolute beast on stage. His energy cannot be matched by most, especially for his consistency from night to night that can be seen in videos online. Through professional recording, we are able to see his antics captured on video properly. During the recording of this DVD, as stated by Hutz in the liner notes, he was performing with an injured foot stemming from the Warped Tour, as well as a previously dislocated shoulder. Still, the man was able to dance, swing, and climb all over Irving Plaza, as well as put the crowd in a frenzy in songs like the manic “Dogs Were Barking.”
Every member of the band took on their own character during the show, though, with probably the most impressive being Sergey Ryabestev, an immigrant from Russia, who is a violinist and background vocalist. His energy closely matches that of Hutz, donning a traditional trans-siberian ceremonial dress. There are then dancers Pamela Jintana Racine and Elizabeth Sun, who keep up the crowd's energy by dancing, and they also crowd surf on top of a large drum towards the end of the show. Unfortunately, the group shows one crack in their live show which is represented by their pesky hype-man, Pedro Erazo, whose purpose is more annoying than it is entertaining in songs like “Not a Crime” and “Forces of Victory.”
Live, the band plays perfectly, if not better than what can be heard on an album. While through just a simple recording you can hear the lunacy, their live performance only intensifies the chaos. This is showcased in highlights such as “Mishto”, the punk fueled “Forces of Victory” where Hutz displays his chops on the guitar, and the anthemic “State Wearing Purple” where the crowd visibly loses their minds. The band is able to slow things down as well with a very impressive rendition of “Tribal Connection”, which has a distinct reggae, slow jam characteristic. By the end of the set, Hutz is somewhere in the balcony, flailing all over the place, draping himself over fans, and embracing them with a kiss on the cheek.
Visually, there is nothing to complain about. Nearly everyone in the band gets their face time, and the angles are able to properly capture the bedlam that occurs when they tear through crowd favorites like “Think Locally, Fuck Globally”, and “Punk Rock Parranda.” Each band member gets a fair amount of face time. While most would focus only on the lead singer, each member’s performance contributes to the show that it’s hard to steer your focus to just one person. The one upsetting part is if you go to the “Xtra Tracks” section of the DVD, it alludes to the fact that there was an encore, but it is never seen.
The special features of the DVD show extra live tracks from the first night, which can be found in the previously mentioned section, all of the music videos ever created by the band, and what is referred to as “Bonus Chronicles.” The most interesting feature is the “Creative People Must Be Stopped” which gives insight into how the band writes and records an album. Hutz explains the background of the entire band, along with allowing you to see him in the recording booth for vocals. The other videos are mainly a montage of earlier performances of the band, the most entertaining being the videos of when they mainly performed at Russian weddings, showing an obviously drunk Hutz wildly throwing himself all over the stage. A CD accompanies the DVD, featuring a live set from the band’s BBC performance, as well as demo versions of “Immigrant Punk” and “60 Revolutions.”
To say that this DVD is mainly for the hardcore Gogol Bordello fan would be an outrageous lie. What this film should do, is get people who may not particularly like their music to attend one of their shows. It’s the same in a way to how may view Gwar - no one actually likes Gwar’s music, but no one can ignore how ridiculous and fun their shows are. What a Gogol Bordello show is is a celebration, and no one wants to miss out on a gypsy party.
--Andrew Beam
Comments
I've only listened to the cd portion. While I'm a huge Gogol fan, I found myself only listening once or twice... I'd rather have a new studio album honestly. My cents. Good but no staying power for me.
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
Minnesota
I have a hard time enjoying live albums in general. Unless they include a unique take on a song or something like that, what's the point? You have some crowd noise overlaid on the songs, which are often of a lower fidelity when played live. I'd rather listen to the studio album version.
Sunshine Coast, Australia
huge fan of live albums, shows whether the band can actually play their songs... and if they can they're often so much more in to it on a live recording. take Ben Harper Live from Mars or any of the live at wireless sets on triplej.com.au... I don't know Gogol Bordello but I'm pretty interested.
"If you want something done right, get a fucking Australian band to do it" - Chris Cheney
Jersey / Raleigh
its still mind blowing that this band hasn't gone top 40.