2007 has turned out to be a great year for studio albums, but a vintage year for live performance albums. Two of the best have been released on DVD and this is one of them. Icelandic band Sigur Ros decided it was time to give something back to the people of Iceland and embarked on a two-week free tour of the country. The band played in community halls, fields, disused fish processing plants and whatever was available as they toured the whole country. The film’s backdrop is therefore the desolate Icelandic landscape which ties in perfectly with the band’s ethereal music. But even more important and relevant was the nature of the people that turned out in their droves to witness the band play. Whole communities gathered including the aged and the very young. In the lead-up to a concert held in a field people could be seen coming out of nowhere, walking along winding roads and paths, in cold weather, until they eventually arrived at the field. Huge campfires and clear, starlit skies added to the amazing atmosphere, while the band played a selection of songs from all its albums - beautifully.

The Icelandic female group Amiina, long-time collaborators, contributed their wonderful viola and cello playing skills. During the film individual band members reflected on their music and the tour which obviously had enriched their playing experience. The quality of the performances and sound recording are outstanding, and it seemed to me that the climatic conditions in which they played added something very special to the band’s music. Perhaps the most vivid example was the concert held in the disused fishery where the effects of the eerie acoustic ambience were tangible. There are many special moments in the film including a wonderful sequence where a camera is pointing backwards as a vehicle speeds along a long, straight road and one sees a symmetrical landscape retreating. Another is a sequence where clouds, mist and water are seen to move backwards during one of the songs played, and the local community sitting at tables enjoying various meaty snacks before a performance in a community hall. But the crowning glory is the last song performed in front of a huge crowd in Reykjavik on the band’s return home. The band is playing the last song and around the middle of the performance a curtain slides along so that only silhouettes of the players are visible. Then spot lights lay on the band members projecting them against the white curtain (with the lead man looking like a giant) while the music begins to build slowly, led by the drummer, into the most exciting rocky climax, and one that you have to see to believe. The end result is a most entertaining and moving live performance film which also features Iceland and its people.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift idea for a music-loving friend or relative, you must seriously consider this double DVD. Essential.

5/5