Band: Pansy Division
Album title: Life In A Gay Rock Band
Label: Alternative Tentacles
Distributor: Sonic Rendezvous
Release date: 31/03/2009
Release: DVD

It’s hard to talk about this band without using terminology like “ground-breaking” or “unique”, and that not for their musical prowess, but rather for their significance… “Wait a sécond! Those are the same words he started the review of the new Pansy Division CD with,” I hear you respond! And you would be right, because I intentionally copy-pasted it, didn’t I!!!??

How’s that for an attention catcher? I don’t intend to tell you too much about the content of the main disc in this 2-DVD package, as it’s a documentary about the band’s history. Through interviews with all current band members and guitarist Patrich Goodwin (who’s been with ‘em from 1997 to 2004) and historic footage, you’re presented with a very well-coordinated 83-minute movie made during 2008 chronicling the birth of the band, the highs, the lows, aand the evolution to current day (also featuring sneak-preview audio material of the then upcoming album) of this highly influencial band, and already presented at several gay/lesbian festivals, resulting in the flick getting a “Best Documentary Adience Award” at the Chicago Lesbian And Gay Film Festival and “Official Selection” citations at Washington (DC)’s Reel Affirmations, Liverpool’s Outsiders, Seattle’s Lesbian And Gay, and Southwest’s Gay And Lesbian film festivals!

“2-disc?” I heard you wonder!? Yeah, because as a bonus you also get a collection of footage, as recorded live at the Verdun Auditorium in Montréal (Canada) on Oct. 30 in 1994 (thus, on the Green Day tour, and I’m afraid that’s only two songs), recorded on June 1, 1996 in a tv studio at San Fransisco Sound (an acoustic set with Jon & Chris bringing a total of 6 classics byy the band), and 4 tracks recorded at Sudsy Malone’s in Cincinnati on March 29, 1997. These first reels from a trio band. What follows is footage with Goodwin added to the line-up. The 7 tracks recorded at the June 1997 San Diego Gay Pride are not of optimal quality, and therefore represent the sore spot in the midst of this material! A lot however is made up by the last set, no less than 17 songs recorded on September 11 (mind the date), 1998 at Los Angeles’ Spaceland. In all, that gives you no less than 36 tracks…some 7 of which only are repeaters…for a total playing time of one hour and nearly 54 minutes! Not too bad at all!

In fact (even if I don’t rate DVDs as a general policy), taken as a whole, you may count Life In A Gay Rock Band among my favourite DVDs for this year!

Tony.