Search - Siouxsie & the Banshees - Seven Year Itch on DVD

Absolutely Horrible!

Arevee | Orlando, Florida United States | 04/17/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The question I have is WHY? Was it a desperate need for money? A longing for the attention of her fans? Sheer boredom? Why would someone who is so out of voice agree to do a live DVD? From the opening number to the very last painful note, it should be quite obvious to anyone who isn't completely tone deaf that this performance was a sad display of a once cutting edge talent. I am a fan of Siouxsie & the Banshees and that is what made it so much more difficult to watch this. At first I thought it was the guitar that was just out of tune but as Siouxsie began to sing it was pretty clear that not only couldn't she hit the high notes, she couldn't hit Any Notes! I hoped that she would find herself as the show progressed but that was not the case. Every single song was mangled. It was so unpleasent I had to stop the DVD and come back the next day to watch the rest. Unfortunately it was still the same performance as the day before. What bothers me the most is now every time I hear a S&TB song I think of that horrible show. This is one very good example of why bands should never reunite after so many years unless they are still on top of their game."

Siouxsie and the Banshees still a vital music force

P. Manning | St. Louis, MO | 08/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The DVD version of this concert is far superior to the CD. The sound quality is better and it's still fascinating to watch Siouxsie perform. The concert is shot in beautiful color and it's pace becomes almost hyper sometimes because of the multiple camera angles. The band appear after a 7 year hiatus from their break up in 1995. This time around the Banshees get back to being a four piece. Gone are all of the keyboards, cellos and accordians of previous tours. The band shys away from playing a greatest hits show. They stick to mostly early songs, the ones that made them famous in the first place. B-sides like "Lullaby" and "I could be again" and album tracks like the brilliant "Land's End" and "Nightshift" are represented. Just for good measure they throw in crowd pleasers like "Happy House", "Christine" and "Cities in Dust".Siouxsie's hair is a spiky verson of Janets from "Three's Company". She's still the coolest looking woman around and seems to be thrilled to be back on stage. She periodically jokes with the audience and band members. She does start the show off a little stiff and slowly loosens up as time goes by. By the time "Voodoo Dolly" ends Siouxsie has removed her top to reveal a black glittery bra and rolls around the stage like a madwoman. By the end of "Monitor" she's crawling off the stage in sweat soaked exhaustion. Yes, her voice is very hoarse but her cheering fans don't seem to notice or care.Drummer Budgie nearly steals the spotlight from Sioux on several occasions. His drumming is so intricate and he wears gloves since he hits so hard.Althought some of these songs are nearly 25 years old they still hold up and sound refreshing to hear again. This is a must see for anybody interested in a trip down memory lane or someone just discovering the band."

I LOVE THE BANSHEES, BUT....

Ben Wrecked | Cleveland, more or less | 03/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Man, I was excited to see this DVD. The band is great, the filming is superb, and the performance is brilliant. However, even though it pains me to admit it, Siouxsie's voice almost makes this DVD unwatchable. I spent a great portion watching this DVD with a cringe on my face, as it was obvious that live, Siouxsie is completely tone deaf. I can't believe she could be that far off after singing for so long. This is definately for fans only, I would never show this to someone if I was trying to turn them on to the Banshees."

A sad end to a great career

coca-ebola | United Kingdom | 08/09/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I think people who defend the off-key vocals by saying "they're punks, after all" are missing the point.
Siouxsie and the Banshees transcended the musical limitations of punk early in their career - which means most of these songs demand note-for-note accuracy from the singer (where Clash songs, for instance, don't), and unfortunately Siouxsie was far from able to do them justice.
Fans will know that her voice has been deteriorating since 1991 -use of steroids and other dubious quick-fixes being a major factor in this (the biography confirms this). On this evidence, she hit rock-bottom on the Seven Year Itch tour. I found this to be a deeply depressing viewing experience.
Yes, she still looks fantastic, but she sounds like a burnt-out fuse (so to speak!). Morbid curiosity will be the only reason anyone buys this - who really needs to hear songs as great as `Land's End', `Nightshift' and `Cities In Dust' being murdered?"