Live at the Isle of Wight Festival (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel video)

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
Video by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Released 23 May 2005
Recorded 2004
Genre Concert Performance Video
Length 100 minutes (total running time)
Label Direct Video Distribution Limited
Director Matt Askem
Producer Celia Blaker
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel chronology
The Come Back, All is Forgiven Tour: Live
(1989)		 Live at the Isle of Wight Festival
(2005)		 Birmingham (Live with Orchestra & Choir)
(2013)

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival is a live concert video by the British rock band Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, filmed at the 2004 Isle of Wight Festival, and released on DVD in 2005. It is the band's third filmed concert release, and first such release on DVD.

Background

During the summer of 2003, promoter John Giddings offered Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel a slot for the following year's Isle of Wight Festival. An agreement was reached, with the band confirmed to play on the second day of the festival.[1] In his official online website diary entry for 16 June 2004, Harley spoke of the band's performance: "I waited a little apprehensively for the Isle of Wight. I cannot explain it. John Giddings is an old mate. I wanted nothing in the world than to deliver for John on his festival island. The sun shone and we shone; we glowed; we kicked a 45-minute set off in the style of a truly compatible travelling rock band. On stage we felt tingly; I kid you not. The smiles on those big screens were genuine. And I saw the respect in their applause and in their waves."[2]

The band's performance was well received.[3][4] Immediately after the festival, fans of the band expressed interest in having the performance released as a DVD. This interest led Harley to approach the production company CC-Lab about purchasing the rights to the footage. Harley noted in his June 2004 diary: "it won't be cheap - the full 47-minute performance for sale, commercially, on DVD. It's what I want, and, as usual, it's likely to go that way. But don't hold me to it. It will take a little time, a little negotiation, and lot of courage."[2] The initial aim was to get the DVD released in time to be sold on the band's UK autumn tour.[5]

Although the release date was postponed, negotiations were completed during the autumn, and the festival footage, which was filmed using nine cameras, was edited. Harley announced in November that the DVD was likely to be ready for sale in February 2005, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)". Plans were also made to add some further material to the DVD using footage of the band at a concert in Edinburgh during December. Harley revealed: "I've got a crew coming to Edinburgh to film an extra 40-minutes: get-in, set-up, soundcheck, backstage, Green room, dressing-rooms, chats with musicians/crew etc. Even a vox pop where the film crew will go outside, microphone in hand, and chat to the queue."[6] In the end, a three-man crew recorded eight hours of footage.

In February 2005, it was announced that the DVD was to be released in May, and to be followed by a new single release - a re-recorded version of "Make Me Smile" - in June.[7] By April, Harley had numerous upcoming interviews lined up to promote the DVD's release. He had completed approximately 25 by the end of May.[8] The DVD was released in May 2005 across Europe through Direct Video Distribution Limited.[9]

Features

The Isle of Wight footage, lasting 46 minutes in total, is made up of eight songs. The bonus footage lasts 48 minutes.

The first part of the bonus features is a 21-minute behind-the-scenes documentary at Edinburgh. It is shown as a five-hour countdown to the band's performance, and features interviews with band members, crew and some members of the audience.[10] The second feature is an 18-minute interview with Harley, which was conducted by Harley's publicist Wendy Bailey. The interview is notable for Harley's revealing of the meaning behind his 1973 song "Death Trip".[7] The final feature is a near 13 minute performance of the song "Death Trip", which was played by the band at Edinburgh, live for the first time in almost 30 years.[10]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Here Comes the Sun"  George Harrison  
2. "Mr. Soft"  Steve Harley  
3. "Judy Teen"  Harley  
4. "Sling It!"  Harley  
5. "A Friend for Life"  Harley, Jim Cregan  
6. "Riding the Waves"  Harley  
7. "Sebastian"  Harley  
8. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)"  Harley  
9. "Death Trip (Bonus Track)"  Harley  

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
VistaVideo[11]
Record Collector[12]

In the Record Collector magazine of September 2005, Ian Templeton wrote: "On a gorgeous sunny day, the set starts with Harley's other well-known classic, "Here Comes the Sun". The band are clearly having a ball and belt it out for all their worth. Certain elements of the crowd are clearly waiting for The Who, but Harley's pretty successful in winning over most punters. The 50-minute set ends with the obligatory "Make Me Smile". The 'extras' are reasonably interesting. The common theme [of the interviews] being what a thoroughly nice guy Mr Harley is. There's also a stand-alone interview with the man himself and a live rendition of the 10-minute-long "Death Trip". Bit of a dirge if you ask me, but the fans seem to love it."[12]

Paul Higson of VistaVideo summed up the DVD: "In the supporting material there is a performance of the rarely heard Death Trip at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh. Unlike some of the Isle of Wight songs it is a number designed to be magically epic and so it is. Harley and the band sound great, the night, the blue lights, the walls, the professionalism, all suggest that this is what it is normally like at a Cockney Rebel concert. Going to DVD with a concert because of the history and the footage is not necessarily the most rewarding gig you can sell to us. They should have ditched it and given us the cosier affair at Queen's Hall in its entirety instead. It would have clearly been far more impressive."[11]

Personnel

Cockney Rebel

Selected concert crew and video production team

References

  1. ↑ "Steve Harley - 2003 Diary Archive". Web.archive.org. 2005-12-12. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  2. 1 2 "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Steve Harley's Online Diary Archive 2004". Web.archive.org. 2006-12-15. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  3. ↑ "Isle of Wight". Harleyfanzone.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool - Entertainment - Philharmonic Hall New Season Autumn/Winter 2005". BBC. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  5. ↑ "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Steve Harley's Online Diary Archive 2004". Web.archive.org. 2006-12-15. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  6. ↑ "Steve Harley - 2004 Diary Archive". Web.archive.org. 2005-04-07. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  7. 1 2 "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Steve Harley's Online Diary Archive 2005". Web.archive.org. 2006-12-15. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  8. ↑ "Official Steve Harley Website UK - Steve Harley's Online Diary Archive 2005". Web.archive.org. 2006-12-15. Archived from the original on December 15, 2006. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  9. ↑ "DVD - Steve Harley And Cockney Rebel: Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival - Direct - Europe". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  10. 1 2 "Harley". Members.home.nl. 2005-05-23. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  11. 1 2 "steve harley and cockney rebel - review at videovista". Videovista.net. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  12. 1 2 Record Collector magazine - September 2005 issue
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