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Samhain – Live 1984 DVD

Samhain:Live 1984 Stardust Ballroom - click me to order


Samhain – Live 1984 DVD

Music Video Distributors

While there is plenty of Misfits and Samhain related “product”, the one thing there is a definite lack of on both fronts is any kind of official live videos. I guess you can chalk it up to being in the 1980s and video cameras were a rather pricey luxury. Lucky for the world of punk rock that people like Target Video and Flipside had the good sense to invest in some video equipment and document some of these great bands.

This is one of only two officially released Samhain videos (the other being included in the Samhain box set) and while it isn’t without its faults, it is a pretty nice little document of the band in their earlier years. This was recorded by the Flipside crew in 1984 at the long-gone Stardust Ballroom in Hollywood, CA. At this time the band had only the Initium album out and were in the process of making the Unholy Passion EP (a couple of the songs that would end up on that record were played at this show). The lineup was Glenn Danzig, Steve Zing, Eerie Von and Damien (I believe). The show was 47 minutes in length and featured most of the Initium album, a couple Misfits songs, and the aforementioned tracks from Unholy Passion. It was a pretty energetic set and the crowd were into it. On one of the final songs, “Archangel” Glenn actually plays guitar which is something I have never witnessed him do either live or on any video I had seen before from any of his bands.

The video was shot on a few different cameras all from different parts of the stage so most of the footage is of different side views. At various points in the show the view is through a fish-eye lens which makes for a somewhat neat little effect. The video quality is basic VHS quality, the footage hasn’t aged terribly, but there are some weird lines and glitches on occasion that was a fault with the source material, not a manufacturing error. The audio here is the big issue. It has its fair share of distortion/clipping in certain songs which is again a result of how it was recorded and the limitations of the equipment used. The overall quality is like a pro-bootleg, its better than what you’d get on the tape trading circuit, but not by much. Since there isn’t a lot of Samhain footage floating around out there, despite the quality issues at times, it is a cool document of a time long gone (which is now 21 years ago!). Die-hard Samhain fans and collectors are going to want to have this for completion. I don’t think I’d recommend it for a casual fan or someone who was just curious of what the band was all about just because of how rough the sound/footage is at times.

There are no extras on this disc, which was kind of a shame but I chalk that up to the lack of anything around from the band to add to the disc. It does come with a cool Samhain vinyl sticker which I thought was a nice touch. The relatively low price tag will make it an easy purchase for the hardcore Samhain collector (of which there are many) but the casual fan or someone not needing to own it all might want to pass on this one.

Buy the DVD from Amazon






8 comments

  • This blog has turned into a spam-fest! I hope MVD and Ipod are paying you for all the press you give them…whore.

  • I don’t know how reviewing DVDs and CDs that get sent to me makes this a “Spam Blog” but I guess you are the expert pal. And for the record, NO ONE is paying me for anything these days, let alone financing the bandwith for this site and all the mp3s everyone downloads from it. The least I can do is try and earn a free Ipod out of the deal.

    Later this week when I review some Warning Label Records CDs that got sent to me, will that be wrong in your eyes too?

  • Whatever dude, I guess having your girl dump you and getting fired from your job will turn anyone into a whore. I wouldn’t waste your food stamps on bandwidth, there are about 30 way better sites posting quality punk mp3’s without the fucking spam forced down your throat here.

  • You really ought to look up the definition of spam because I’m quite sure what I’m doing doesn’t come anywhere close to meeting the criteria.

    And to be a whore, one has TO GET PAID for putting out, which I don’t. I’m sorry you don’t like the fact that I review DVDs and CDs that come in my mailbox, perhaps you are just jealous that you don’t get free shit in the mail.

    And if there is so many other “better sights out there” feel free to stop reading this one and go leave your childish comments on them. There are plenty of people who read this site and appreciate what I do, losing you isn’t going to cost me any sleep.

    And Mr. Know-it-all, I didn’t get fired from my job, the company closed down, thus the entire place was laid off. Apparently reading comprehension isn’t one of your strong suits, but what should I expect from someone who isn’t even brave enough to leave their real name and calls me a whore because I review some DVDs and am trying to get a free Ipod by asking people to partake of the gimmick that doesn’t even cost them any money?

    I imagine you are the same guy who rips on the other sites because they download their mp3s from Soulseek and don’t own the records they are writing about. I’m sorry we all don’t fit the perfect mold of what you think our sites should be, if you don’t like it, go start your own.

  • I can not believe some of the jackass’s that post comments on here insulting you for posting FREE mp3’s from pieces of vinyl long out of print that would cost them thousands of $ to get original copies of. This guy must be one of the assholes from that emo band with the fans that wear the bandanas and female pants.

  • I just happened upon this site ‘googling’ for Misfits & SamHain videos, but I have to put my 2 cents in by saying Dirty G is probably one of those kids you might see outside of the mall that you happen to be passing by, unfortunately, wearing his over sized slipknot shirt and huge, baggy black pants with the buckles on them, and a beany with the flames on it, necking with his pimply faced 13 year old girlfriend, and the 3rd wheel of a sorry fuck so called friend who is also sitting on the bench pretending not to watch, waiting for your parents to pick you guys up, so you can go home and listen to the new shitty CD you just picked up at HotTopic. God damn it Dirty G, you fuckin twat.

  • Dirty G. gets dropped off on sat. night at the arcade by his mom’s tweaker boyfriend who happens to molest him frequently,which is cool with Dirty cuz he likes that shit!Then he sneaks off down the block so he can go get some cock up his cornthrower by some 65 year old man.The sad dick dog even paints his fingernails & jacks himself off to give him the effect that some chick is beating him off! …oh …and he gets a banana squeezes out the filling inside & fills it up with warm water for that “velvet glove” feeling!cuz you see,Dirty G. is one ugly mongaloid lookin’ sumbitch,who just don’t seem to have any luck gettin his 32 year old ass some tail.hee! hee! ain’t it true you RAT BASTARD SON OF A BITCH! ASSHOLE! …I HATE YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD DIRTY I WANT TO KILL YOU SO FUCKING BAD! C’MON,TELL ME SOMETHIN YOU FUCK! ..I’LL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL! I’LL SWALLOW YOUR 2 BIT SOUL I WILL!!

    DIRTY G’s worst nightmare

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