This DVD Could F*ck You Up For Life

Last October, Toronto hardcore stalwarts Fucked Up held a three day celebration of righteous volume at Sneaky Dees, Kathedral and the Horseshoe. I know it’s a little late to report about it now, except for the fact that a DVD has just been released documenting all three nights.

Unlike live punk videos from days of yore, which were usually feaured one shaky camera angle and barely distinguishable audio, the Fucked Up Weekend DVD was shot with multiple time-synced camcorders, and the sound was recorded directly from the mixing boards, giving the finished product an ironically almost professional quality.

Sticking to no BS approach hardcore punk, this DVD is all about the music. There’s no time wasted interviewing performers; it’s just a non-stop stream of bands doing what they do best.

For the most part, this stuff is not for the faint of heart. Fucked UP are a far cry from the radio-friendly punk bands you’ll hear on the Edge, and they’re one of the more accessible bands featured on the DVD.

The disc plays out in chronological order, and by night three the bands are more mainstream-ish and the audio quality is greatly improved. The whole things wraps up with an intense performance of Fucked Up’s epic jazz odyssey, “Year of the Pig.”

I screened the video on a 40″ Sony Bravia W Series, which revealed some shortcomings in the original signal, and I personally would’ve preferred watching widescreen over fullscreen, but the editing is much tighter than I expected. Let’s face it; if you’re a true hardcore fan, the picture quality will be irrelevant.

Throughout the disc the performances are impassioned, even if they are a little abrasive at times, and the sound is relatively well-balanced. Since the audio’s coming right from the mixing boards, there are some moments where it’s obvious the sound engineer is tweaking the mix, but these are the risks involved with low-budget live recording.

Given the limitations involved in trying to capture the rawness of punk rock in its native environment on a shoestring budget, this DVD does a commendable job.

You can get your very own copy of Fucked Up Weekend DVD at:
stuckinthecity.wordpress.com/fucked-up-dvd/.

Photo from The Dirt is Temporary

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