First it was screened at a selection of British and European cinemas for one night only in October, and now its gets its national release on DVD in a simple, yet aesthetically pleasing presentation pack, tastefully supporting the band’s elegant yet casual brand of thrashing pop-noir.
Of course, given that the show was filmed ‘to an exceptionally high standard’ by regular Warp director Richard Ayoade (The Mighty Boosh etc), boasts the rock-steady panache of able-bodied cameraman Danny Cohen (This is England, Pierrepoint) and comes edited by BAFTA winning editor, Mick Fenton, ‘At The Apollo’ was hardly going to some shoddy ‘hand-cam’ affair rushed out to feed the hungry masses. It’s a film in every sense of the word (because that is what it’s called when you’re being posh), even down to its lavish retro cover-art, as classic and European as a boxful of Serge Gainsbourg and a packet of Gaulloises. The music is solid too, the band tearing through ‘Classic Monkey’ with the authority and precision of the Third Reich.
Brianstorm, Teddy Picker, I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor, When the Sun Goes Down, Leave Before the Light Come On, A Certain Romance, 505 (featuring Alex’s pal from the Puppets doing a bit of Bert Twang on the semi-acoustic) and the View from The Afternoon – they’re all in there, and all sounding as triumphantly disparaging and amusing as they did the first time we heard them. Only this time we get to see their faces as Alex tosses off his sharp oneliners and Matt Helders thumps his sticks.
Thankfully the 76-minute film rejects the usual shots of the crowd pratting about with lighters and moshing around like twats in front of the stage and focuses on the band themselves. The result is an impossibly elegant, intense and intimate record of the band’s not inconsiderable catalogue to date (although it you may have to occupy the kids with crayons to keep their attention).
A performance so firm and compelling you could accuse it of being brutal.
Filmed (in near darkness) at the Manchester Apollo.
