Blue Meridian - 2005 UK Tour Documentary

Q's House Review June 2006
I’m a bad fan. I’ve never seen a music tour DVD. I’ve never seen (OMFG!) Spinal Tap. 
So with nothing else to base my review on save having watched the DVD a few times here we go:

If you’re not a fan of Blue Meridian already – start by buying a CD not this DVD.
Otherwise it will be like watching the coolest vacation video but of complete strangers.
For those that have come to know the band the DVD is a nice invitation to come along for the ride.

It was shot mostly on personal cameras and at times can have that “Blair Witch” or
 “Saving Private Ryan” feel to it.  This is forgivable as there is no fear over losing a map
and no one gets shot by a Nazi.  This is not a concert DVD.  Many have voiced their

disappointment at the missing performance footage but this DVD achieves what it
sets out to do.  It is meant to let the fans experience their 1st UK tour. In fact, this was
 the most strenuous tour schedule for Blue Meridian ever with 17 performances in 16
days including London, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Wales, and an appearance on
the BBC Radio.  And U’ll get to be right along side of Donovan, Chadwick, & George:
sleeping in the “Scooby Bus,” driving the “Scooby Bus,” and eventually breaking down
in the “Scooby Bus.” Go back stage at the venues and watch them play various pubs,
music festivals, and traffic jams.

At 1st glance the guys of Blue Meridian can come off as a bit intense but once you pick up
 on the subtle humor its like staring at one of those magic pictures and a whole new image
pops up.  Donovan  Lyman is one cheezy mother fucker. His glares, pregnant pauses, and the
 “slow walk” scene done without special effects transform the video from typical and boring to 
quite amusing as it’s done very tongue-in-cheek. Nudge-Nudge-Wink-Wink-Say-No-More.

Look for the mock commercial for the “Dude Separator.” Who doesn’t need a device to keep
 a space between platonic make friends sharing a bed? Xtras include music videos, outtakes
(we want more!),  and photos.

While viewers appreciate the set jokes we do hope for a more candid and unassuming
 look at the band on their next go round. (They’ve been back once already with a third tour
gearing up.) “How does Chadwick condition his hair with inferior English products?” “Will a bad
batch of Bangers & Mash threaten to cancel a show?” These are the questions we long to have answered
in UK Tour II DVD. :)

The DVD was well made and is a very accurate depiction of a small scale European tour.
 That I do know something about. They could have gone all ‘rock star look at how cool we
 are’ but instead kept it real and true and we thank them for that.  For the hard core fans- it’s just one
 more reason to love ‘em.

Blue Meridian - 2005 UK Tour Documentary
DVD contains a 60 minute documentary of the lads first trip to Blighty in
August 2005, a special Outtakes section featuring bloopers and other side
splitting moments from the tour not featured in the film, a photo gallery
slideshow containing more than 50 still photographs set to music, plus a
special thanks credit section. Also never before available to fans, a bonus
section containing music videos from 1998 - 2001 featuring "Sideways
Silverjet", "So Sexy Avalon" and "Heather & Lace" a rare Blue Meridian
track, not available on any album. Get your copy today before they sell out!
Paypal Raggedstar@aol.com $15 in the U.S. or £11 in the U.K. Prices
include priority and air mail respectively. Email the above address to
make money order arrangements if you do not have a paypal account.

More About The Documentary

Three adventurous musicians with their guitars, three film school students
with their cameras, three tour buses to get through two weeks touring the
United Kingdom with one "cream and crackered" bus driver/tour manager/fan
named Geoff. In August 2005, the band played seventeen shows in sixteen days
 from London, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Wales and back. From Big Ben in
London to Big Hank in Birmingham, from Westminster Abbey to Abbey Road. From
the BBC studios in the West Midlands to Stirling Castle in Scotland. From Pleasure
Beach in Blackpool to The Cavern Club in Liverpool. From Stratford-Upon-Avon to
Stonehenge, from Lickey-End to Charles-Cum-Hardy, this band and crew did it all.
Relive the broken down bus at 3am, the lost luggage, merchandise and instruments,
the raw bacon and butter sandwiches, meat flavoured crisps, £5 cans of Redbull
(that's $8), 10 am pints of Carling & Stella, seven or more people in one hotel room,
more roundabouts and petrol charges than you could imagine, impromptu
performances on the motorway, thousands of sheep, and hundreds of new fans and
friends. Blue Meridian's first UK tour has been documented here: Laugh, love and listen.




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