Band : White Lion
Album title : Bang Your Head Festival 2005
Label : Frontiers
Distributor : Rough Trade
Release date : 05/12/2008
Release : DVD

In the mind of frontman Mike Tramp, the concert done at 2005’s Bang Your Head festival (which came after the US tour) was the definitive turning point which convinced him to go on with the next chapter of White Lion, the band with which he’d had such nice, say raving, success…especially in the US where the guys were based!

In a way it’s weird that this DVD sees the light of day at this moment only, but perhaps the fans will see equally as much importance in buying the collectable. All of the material played was also featured (as audio material) on the 2005 Frontiers release Rocking The USA, a double disc CD, which held even more tracks. Then of course, in Europe the (now completely Danish) band hadn’t been doin’ as well as in the States, and their appearance was planned earlier on the day, meaning they only had a good 55 mnutes’ time to play. Well…towards the end of the show they hear they can go ahead and do another song, so they play the Golden Earring cover “Radar Love” (not only was this track a White Lion regular during shows, but they also recorded a studio version for their 3rd album Big Game). If you’re interested what the rest of the show entailed: you get “Lights And Thunder” as only track off WL’s 4th album, 1991’s Mane Attraction”,openingtheshow. After that come “Hungry” and “Lonely Nights” off sophomore album Pride (1987), “Broken Hearts” and the title trackoff debut album Fight To Survive (1985), and off the 3rd album then come “Little Fighter” and “Living On The Edge”. Before goin’ to the encore, the band returns to Pride with “Tell Me” and “Wait”. Including the encore, the band taking their bows and the credits, you get a total of almost 66 minutes’ viewing time.

As bonus material, you get a live version of “Lights And Thunder”, fimed somewhere on tour in the US, a 16-minute interview with Tramp after the Bang Your Head concert, and a 7:39, 91-shot picture slideshow (during which a studio version of “Lady Of The Valley” – original on the Pride album – is being played). In all, that gives you some 32 minutes worth of bonus material. Not exactly a lot, but the fan is almost certain to like! Still, I always say it’s better to receive (as a X-mas or New Year’s present, for instance), than to have to pay for a release like this yourself! Wink, wink…nudge, nudge…we understand each other?

Tony.