It always seemed like the perfect musical marriage, when Phil Lewis of Girl/Torme/LA Guns stepped forward to front the Heavy Metal Kids for a couple of shows earlier this year.  This lo-fi budget film goes to show that that assumption was totally spot on by capturing the whole show from London's Camden Underworld plus selected highlights from another show in Croatia a couple of days earlier.  Throughout both Lewis does a sterling job filling the Wellington boots of Gary Holton and the band sound spot particularly with the accompanying crystal clear soundboard recording from the Camden show, which is full on from the opening chords of 'Hanging On' right through to the dying refrain of 'Delirious'. 

It might well be 2011 but who needs Sky Sports 27 cameras with angles flying at the viewer from anywhere and everywhere when you can have one camera that often wobbles out of focus and zooms in too fast and who doesn't love the two seconds where it falls over and films the floor?  Its actually quite refreshing in 2011 to see a band release a DVD with only one camera angle and here that is slightly left of stage side on, but you know what who cares?  It is what it is and we've all watched bootlegs filmed at shows over the years well this is no different and the quality of performance far outweighs any deficiencies in film quality, and remember the sound is spot on.   The video is intercut with some nice still shots towards the end of the set and the bonus material from the Harley Hog Rally in Croatia is a similarly shot style of film but it does manage to get stage centre somewhere in the crowd and we get half a dozen tracks captured from that show for posterity.

Heavy Metal Kids are a truly great band with some fantastic material and on the strength of this DVD I'd certainly be interested in the band continuing to perform with Phil in the band. Its also credit to the band that this extra special gig has been captured and released for fans (both old and new) to cherish in such a raw format. Anyone with a passing interest in good time rock music will dig this even with its old school charms and single 'Home Video' camera qualities this is definitely worth getting your hands on.

So what are you waiting for? Click on the link below and order one today!

http://www.heavymetalkids.co.uk/dvdcamden2011.htm