In April of this year Hanoi Rocks decided to close the curtain on their reformation years by playing eight shows in six days at the Tavastia Club in Finland,  thus bringing their career path back full circle to a venue they had originally started out from on their quest for fame and fortune in the Eighties.

This 'Buried Alive' DVD captures the final night of that eight gig run and showcases a thirty two song set list that reads like any Hanoi Rocks fans dream come true. The two hour twenty minutes set kicks off at the band's very beginnings with a searing version of 'Tragedy'. As the stage curtain drops a huge neon light backdrop displays the song title and band name just in case you were in any doubt about who you were watching here and the madness commences.

What follows is a complete history lesson in everything cool about rock n roll music. With this final line up (Conny Bloom, Andy Christell and Jolle Atlagic joining Andy and Michael) being ironically possibly the most definitive since Hanoi initially reformed in 2002...Oh well, such is life I guess.

Filmed on twelve cameras using High Definition technology this DVD looks glorious on my television and also sounds glorious on my 5:1 surround system. The effect of which managed to reduce a certain member of my household to jelly during 'Beer And Cigarette'. This really is up close and personal stuff and by mid set you can almost feel the sweat on Michael Monroe's brow as he, ever the effervescent performer, is literally dripping wet. Andy McCoy meanwhile is just too damn cool to even think about beads of sweat emerging from his forehead.

Joining the band for three songs at the end of the main set is one Nasty Suicide taking control of lead vocals on (Creedence Clearwater Revival's) 'Travellin' Band' and hanging around for an awesome run through of 'Taxi Driver' and 'Lost In The City'. 

The encores see Michael returning in the campest pink ensemble you'll see this side of a Danny La Rue Christmas Special. Ever the consummate entertainer he and the band then once again mix up old and new perfectly through to the final home straight when Nasty rejoins the band for an emotional 'Million Miles Away'. As people openly cry in the audience, the resilience and determination to have a good time shown by the band is encapsulated in the swansong of 'Up Around The Bend' (yup, it's Creedence Clearwater Revival time again). Previous drummer Lacu is along for the journey on tambourine making it seven people up on stage by the time Andy announces "its time to put the baby to bed" and the stage literally explodes in torrents of glitter marking an almost perfect ending to the band's reformation years.

The extras on this fantastic DVD are nothing spectacular, but they do complement the main feature perfectly; basically you get a photo gallery and a twelve-minute short film that captures the last week in the band and are rather aptly named 'The Last Week With Hanoi Rocks'.

Having witnessed the classic Hanoi Rocks up close I can honestly say hand on heart that this line up was about as close as they got to capturing that magic once again, don't let it slip through your fingers once again, get this DVD and have a lasting memory of this truly legendary band.

You can get a great deal on this DVD direct from Backstage Alliance who are offering a variety of special deals right now in the lead up to Xmas.  Tell them Über Röck sent you.