DVDs: Metric
Issue #35
Live at Metropolis (Last Gang)
By Laura Leebove
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 3:00pm
Watching a concert rehashed on film will never be as fulfilling as seeing the live show. True, the sound quality is better on DVD, and it's worth seeing if you were at the show or haven't seen the band live. But more often than not, watching a recording — especially one that’s light on the crowd banter and heavy on the cheesy camera effects — usually doesn't cut it. And even without seeing Metric live in person, this stays true on the band’s Live at Metropolis DVD.
The concert itself — recorded in fall 2006 at Metropolis in Montreal during the band's tour for 2005’s Live it Out (Last Gang) — will make any Metric fan wish they were in the crowd. The show kicks off appropriately with “Live it Out,” followed by high-pitched piano trills in “Glass Ceiling” and the high-energy punch of “Wet Blanket.” Dressed in a short white dress, powerhouse frontlady Emily Haines’ throaty alto voice and robotic dance moves carry the show.
But when the band takes a breather with “Too Little Too Late,” the double- and triple-vision frames of Haines hint at what’s to come in the way of visual effects. Though sporadic at first, the inconsistent camerawork becomes cheesier, trippier, and more frequent as the show progresses. Instead of redeeming itself in the end, the encore — an extremely lengthy rendition of “Dead Disco” — culminates in rapid flashes of color mixed with slides of slow motion that are so unbearable it’s hard to stay focused on the screen.
But despite the poor visuals, a real-life performance is bound to be better — so you can bet I'll be first in line next time Metric comes to town.
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