Your reviews of Live At Barrowland 83
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Please feel free to place your reviews below.
There are parcels flying, training and being driven to you right now.
Comments: 49
From: Bram Van Aarle Date: Saturday, 19 September 2009, at 11:37 am
Will it be in the mailbox today!? Oh please let it be there!
From: Carolyn Chalton Date: Saturday, 19 September 2009, at 11:39 am
How long till it reaches Australia? oh, I leave for England from Melbourne this Tuesday - can I meet it at Singapore airport ?!!
From: Robert Laversuch Date: Saturday, 19 September 2009, at 7:54 pm
Don´t want to sound too obsequious but no matter when it gets there It will be awesome. Have the King Biscuit CD and the video, this package will be an improvement as it will be on DVD and will also have the Peppermint Lounge footage, again I already have that on video. Hopefully the sale o this will generate funds for future projects like the BBC recordings or the Moscow/New York footage. It will keep one of the best bands ever alive and kicking in a lot of people´s minds which is for me the most important thing.
Your name will never die!
Stay alive Robert
From: Tuomas Tuomi-nikula Date: Saturday, 19 September 2009, at 8:31 pm
Touché Robert!
From: Ted Kolman Date: Sunday, 20 September 2009, at 1:58 am
Agree with Tuomas, Robert's comments are spot on...
From: Chris Bullard Date: Sunday, 20 September 2009, at 9:37 am
what has happened to the Live at
Barrowlands dvd, I ordered it nearly seven weeks ago and have still not received it.The money has been taken but still no dvd. Could you please enlighten me. chris
From: Paul Gallagher Date: Sunday, 20 September 2009, at 1:10 pm
Chris, I asked the same question last week & somebody kindly pointed to the messages section. This is the latest update:-
Ian Grant - Friday, 18 September 2009, at 11:08 am
The discs have arrived here. Waiting for t - shirts.Then there will be much stuffing of jiffy's before the post office will be visited with your orders that are being sent worldwide. I hope the postal strike or threat of one won't delay your prized new possession anymore than it has been already.
Thanks to one and all for your patience. I hope you will think it worth the wait. I enjoy reading the memories of Tony, Mark, Bruce, Chris Briggs, Steve Lillywhite, John Giddings, Les King, Welder and other fans. The night sure left its mark on folk.
Biggest relief as always is, that on viewing the first copy, it all worked.
From: Julie Inglis Date: Monday, 21 September 2009, at 2:38 pm
Mine has arrived! Absolutely pure brilliance - this is fantastic! Thank you so much Ian for making it happen.
It's years since I watched the whole concert and this has brought back so many good memories. I can almost feel that unique excitement of seeing them live again!!
There are so many fans' names listed! Thought mine wasn't going to be there for a minute but phew it's there!
Ian you are so right - on viewing it certainly does work!
From: Phill Mather Date: Monday, 21 September 2009, at 4:02 pm
Man I'm jealous! Where's my post??!!
From: Paul Macgregor Date: Monday, 21 September 2009, at 5:41 pm
Just listened to the whole cd in the car ,, had it up full blast and had shivers thru my when the intro to fields of fire came on , excellent quality i think and it will be in the cd player for weeks to come i thinks ... well worth the wait and will watch the dvd later as i not seen it for years as the old video was played till it could take no more
From: Paul Macgregor Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2009, at 12:30 am
Now watched the dvd .. good to see names on the roll call :) makes it all the more special and just emphasise the bond that the band had with the fans even now to this day. Like the peppermint lounge extra as i had never seen it before apart from the odd clip here and there so a nice bonus. as for the concert itself what can be said ... best band in the world (and they were at that time ) and still are , glasgow barras and hogmany !!! what a recipe could only end up being outstanding. watched it twice now and everyone in for a real treat :) All that needs to be said now is thanks to Ian and everyone involved for the hard work they do , we all appreciate it and are lucky he still has the passion to keep it all going :)
From: Wayne Sadlier Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2009, at 11:47 am
Big Country, Barrowland and Hogmany, what more could you ask for? This DVD/CD captures the emotional intensity of Big Country in their spiritual home. Combined with a fervent crowd you can feel the heat, sweat, love and emotion flow out of your TV and speakers, giving you a truly immersive experience. As you watch you can almost feel that you are part of the crowd,music pounding, sweat pouring, escaping to a world that only Big Country could bring to life.
A highlight for me, not so much a musical ones, Stuart wishing Sandra a happy new year, and Mark towards the end of the gig, watch any close up and you will see he is soaked in sweat, and looking totally knackered giving it his all.
What do we get as extras? Only The Peppermint Lounge gig from 1982! Long available on video but here fro the first time on DVD. Not the greatest visual or audio experiences, but a superb document of a band setting out on their journey.
Press clippings are great to read along with the photo galler. For us fans lucky enough our mnames scrolling through on the fan roll call. Also put the disc in your computer, then "explore" the disc and there are two PDF files, a short biography from that era and a copy Country Club 6 Feb 1984, which does speak about this gig coming out on vinyl!!!
All in all a superb DVD/CD set it's been a long time coming, but well worth the wait.
Wayne S
From: Doug Mitchell Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2009, at 6:42 pm
Great DVD/Audio CD Package, transferred direct from the original Master Tapes, the quality is excellent, crisp visuals, or as crisp as a 26 yr old tape can be, audio is immense, the atmosphere, the heat, the crowd, the band, the Pipe Band for the Bells. ALL of the actual Concert is immense, and with just that itself, full value would have been had.
BUT
You also get the gig on an Audio CD, a 1982 live gig, which i think is certainly one of the first live gigs they did film, unsure, fresh, eager, a few mistakes, and some falling down/falling off of Mark's drum seat, it shows a band starting out, learning what works where, in an embryionic state, you see parts that later blossom into well loved and well known "flourishes" in later Gigs.
The roll call, the extras, the pics, the computer only goodies, the anecdotes, the thoughts of the band about the venue and the day, and the Words for Bruce's Tribute to his Friend Stuart, a song called Go Now.
Is it a good buy? of course,
Is it a snapshot of a band riding the crest of their own particular "Popularity" wave, in tune, alive, you will also enjoy watching a symbiotic relationship blossom between band and fans.
The Barrowlands, (or Barras) IS the spiritual Home of this band, I know, i have been there, seen the cloud of steam/sweat rise above the first ten rows, i have had drink(s) bounced out of my hand here, listening, watching and joining in as 2000 people embrace the music, the atmosphere, and the beautiful thing that is Big Country Live in their temple.
This DVD released something in me that i last felt nearly a decade ago, on leaving the same venue after the "Final Fling" gig. The euphoria of leaving a Big Country Gig at the Barras, energised, shivering (from Adrenalin or Cold, who knows), all came back last night watching it again.
Big Hi Fives to Ian and the rest of the team who laboured to get this out.
Watch it, Enjoy it. And see why this band mean so much to me and to many, many, many others.
From: Eugenio Bindi Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2009, at 11:52 pm
Dear Doug,there's nothing left to do,you're a poet.........
Eugenio '66
From: Bram Van Aarle Date: Wednesday, 23 September 2009, at 4:11 pm
Europe already posted???
From: Yin Cheong Yee Date: Thursday, 24 September 2009, at 7:02 pm
Thank you Ian and company for the quick delivery to Singapore. The concert was amazing especially Angle Park. I first heard this song from Barrowlands performance and BC showed their raw energy in the concert. Stuart/Bruce/Mark and Tony were in fine form and the crowd were fantastic. To me, this is the best BC concert and it captures their peak.
As for the extras, it was good to see the fanzine and newspaper articles and not forgetting the fans roll call. Overall, the DVD/CD is value for money, 2 thumbs up. Bring on The Seer/Moscow concerts DVD!
From: Clive Ford Date: Friday, 25 September 2009, at 7:03 am
Mine arrived today, I still have the video on pal, which is no use in the US
Great to watch & listen to a band as fresh sounding now as it was 25 years ago.
I loved Les Kings story.
I'm going to watch it again, especially The Storm & Porrohman, my personal faves.
Clive
From: John Porter Date: Friday, 25 September 2009, at 11:28 am
Just got my copy today .Down here in Melbourne .Thank you
Ian And Debbie
Magic
John
From: Wullie Whitton Date: Friday, 25 September 2009, at 4:36 pm
i can now put my vhs to dvd transfer to rest now i have this:) a rollercoaster of emotions as i watched it this morning, made me feel 15 again lol, from the great launch of 100 stars it is sheer joy to watch, then my own particular favs "lost patrol" "the storm" and "porrohman" its all a treat to my eyes and ears from start to finish, i love the extras too, particularly the "anecdotes", thanks to all involved and i look forward to future cd/dvd releases with great impatience (just as i did many years ago for the next 12" single)
From: Liam Eaton Date: Friday, 25 September 2009, at 5:15 pm
Got mine today. WOW! Big Country were this awesome, 7 YEARS before I was even born. The very first track 1000 Stars absolutely ROCKED! Only as far as listening to Wonderland on the CD so far. Still got the DVD to watch. Oh, and a lovely T-Shirt too.
Thanks to everyone that made it possible :)
PS Oooooh, The Storm!
VIVABIGCOUNTRY
From: Allan Kerr Date: Friday, 25 September 2009, at 6:57 pm
Received today - delighted to have my name in lights!!!
What memories of a classic time when the band were just fantastic.
From: Darren Walker Date: Saturday, 26 September 2009, at 2:56 pm
I'm thirteen all over again!Simply awesome!Many thanks to Ian and Debbie for putting this together.It brings back great memories.I was like a kid when it arrived this morning have already got my kids rocking to the dvd and there only 6,4 and 2!
Still missing Stuart.
From: Kirsteen Carr Date: Saturday, 26 September 2009, at 5:04 pm
Huge, Huge thanks to Ian and Debbie. I was only 14 in 1983 when they played at Barrowlands, managed to persuade my parents to let me go the the afternoon gig the band did. I can promise you it was just as good as the one they played a few hours later. The DVD is phenomonal. I was not sure what the quality would be like. It is amazing. I love the teeshirt as well, however I think it will be going on the wall. It has logos of the two most important icons of my lifetime, BC and Barrowlands, want to keep it forever. Love it, love it love it! Thankyou for bring back so many fantastic memories, that is just pure iconic Barrowlands, and just underlining the fact that Big Country are one of the best and most underated bands that have ever stepped on stage.
From: Philip Cohen Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 1:02 am
I had already owned(and still do own) this programme on Japanese Laserdisc, and while the new DVD has excellent picture quality, I am stunned that the audio on this DVD has been rendered(possibly by mastering error) in MONO SOUND. I just checked my old Japanese Laserdisc,playing the audio through headphones, and confirmed that the Laserdisc has the music in stereo.
From: Philip Cohen Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 1:57 am
To further elaborate on what I previously said about the DVD's sound being(inexplicably) in mono, I should note that the Compact Disc is in stereo. Then it clearly IS a mastering fault rendering the DVD's sound in mono.
From: John Porter Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 8:18 am
Have played the CD/DVD all weekend. Again I would like to thank Ian and Debbie .I didnt think my memories would
make the DVD .That day means so much to me I cant thank
you enough for your efforts
We are having a BC Gathering on the 3rd OCT In Melbourne with Andrew and Michelle organising the big night.
Cheers
John
From: Ian Grant Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 12:33 pm
Philip - just played CD with Bruce on my home system telling him or your post and he said "this is definitely stereo but its not wide". Why would there be a mono mix anyway?
From: Philip Cohen Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 12:54 pm
Ian, The CD IS Stereo. It's the DVD that is mono. Please go listen to the DVD!!!!
From: Ian Grant Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 1:44 pm
We mastered from original master. We decided not to remix, remaster or touch the original this time. It is what it is. Merely copied from Neumatic to digi beta then again to NTSC. I always report to manufacturer anything that purports to be a glitch but they will say they mastered from the master. Will let you know of any comment they do make though as I will investigate.
Doesn't appear to have caused a big problem with most fans though as the comments are brilliant.
From: Michelle Taylor Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009, at 2:23 pm
Got all bases covered with the DVD in the house and the CD in the car :) It's awesome to hear and see so much passion and energy from a wonderful band at the start of their journey. Thank you to all who made it possible :)
From: Paul Gallagher Date: Monday, 28 September 2009, at 10:23 am
Mine arrived Saturday morning. The quality of both the CD & DVD is fantastic. Well Done Ian & Debbie & thank you both. It would be nice to have the 1984 New Year's eve concert, which was transmitted live by the BBC, on DVD one day too. Would this be possible do you think Ian?
From: Liam Eaton Date: Monday, 28 September 2009, at 4:30 pm
I basically just wanted to express my absolute LOVE for this Gig/DVD/CD. I listened to it once and thought a few songs were good, ones I'd not heard this good live before i.e 1000 Stars and Close Action. But the more I listen to it, and the louder I listen to it, the better it gets! Pure brilliance if I'm being honest
Also, this was recorded 7 years before I was even born! :O (Just to make some of you feel old) And Yet I listen to Without The Aid Of A Safety Net and Final Fling and those 3 live performances are each as exceptional as the next. Over such a large amount of time, Big Country NEVER seemed to fail in prouducing the goods live
*Favourite part of the Album, has to be 3:25 into Inwards. Stuarts voice and improvisation blows me away every time. Always has to be fair.
Everyone seems to be on top form, not just Stuart, Tony, Bruce and Mark too. And of course, you lot! Anyone that went to this Gig please write down your experience here, I'd love to hear all about it, YOU LUCKY BUGGERS!
That's enough rambling from me now anyway, nearly forgot, BIG thank you to Ian and Debbie Grant for making it possible to get this Big Country Merchandise. Where would we be without you!
VIVABIGCOUNTRY
From: Philip Cohen Date: Tuesday, 29 September 2009, at 12:06 am
I've become aware(elsewhere on the internet) that the authoring firm that mastered the DVD caused the fault which rendered the audio in mono sound, and that this authoring firm is now concerned that all DVD titles that they've authored recently have this fault. Obviously, Ian Grant & the 3 surviving Big Country members should not have to incur a monetary loss to put things right. The authoring firm should take whatever losses will be incured. They've owned up that it's their fault.
From: Ian Grant Date: Tuesday, 29 September 2009, at 10:00 am
I will be speaking to the technical director this morning and will post new news story with the plan to resolve this.
No-one will need to send their disc back.
Not our fault as you say but apologies anyway for the inconvenience.
From: Anthony Walsh Date: Wednesday, 30 September 2009, at 6:10 pm
Quality of the DVD is out of this world compared to my old video sound and picture wise......buzzin.
Is it just me or does anyone else think the t-shirt is shite,with that thick vinyl strip on the front ?The big country shirts of the past and the repros are awesome.Don't know what happened with this one
From: John Gordon Date: Thursday, 1 October 2009, at 12:20 pm
Just got my parcel from the post office - wasn't in to receive it, and couldn't work out what it was - until I opened it!! Was disappointed to see that my DVD player couldn't handle the NTSC formt......however, my PS3 can - more justification for buying it!!! Will watch it through this weekend, as I don;t have a VCR to watch my video on - will be a blast from the past!!
Like Anthony Walsh above, I have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed with the quality of the front prnt on the T-shirt, at first I though it was a sticker!!! I've bought many Big Country T shirts over the years and this is the first one I've been disapointed with....to the extent that I doubt I would feel good wearing it!!!
From: Bram Van Aarle Date: Thursday, 1 October 2009, at 1:12 pm
Yesterday the postman delivered the package. The T-shirt is just right for my purpose. I will put it behind glass and hang it in the hallway. So sticker or not I am happy. The DVD is brilliant to watch! The intro is exactly what it is all about. Watching them a the top of their performance. The shirts are a bit outdated but hey in 1984 it was the fashion! Stuart looking young and eager playing and singing very good. Love his curly hair. The red shoes! Bruce as always perfect! But the moment that Mark and Tony are playing together is for me still the best memorie. What a combo! Tony with the shirt that only a few people in Holland were able to wear because we couldn't order it on the internet because we hadn't internet at that time. And of course the bagpipe player smiling in the camera. The intro of Fields of Fire is great. The fans are great. The sound is not good but when you are sitting in front of the TV and switch the volume on high it is great to be part of this fantastic show. Remember it was 1983/1984. The King Biscuit cd of the concert and this DVD/CD complete the memories of this concert in an era without internet. So thx for the effort and maybe another interesting DVD of 1994 would be great. The complete without the aid of a safety net would be another option in the future I hope. I wish you all the best. cheers Bram.
From: Anthony Walsh Date: Monday, 5 October 2009, at 3:02 pm
Regarding a previous post could somebody confirm,is the new DVD in mono or stereo,i'm a bit slow on the uptake here
From: Philip Cohen Date: Monday, 5 October 2009, at 3:13 pm
The DVD does have mono sound, due to an error at the "authoring" stage.
From: Ian Grant Date: Monday, 5 October 2009, at 5:50 pm
BUT, we are sending stereo discs to everyone who has purchased it to date and all new orders that have not been mailed will have the stereo disc.
From: Philip Cohen Date: Monday, 5 October 2009, at 7:34 pm
Thank you Ian for putting things right. The reason that I noticed the fault, was because when playing the DVD via HDMi digital connection into my "A/V Processor"(I.E. surround sound preamplifier), no matter which Dolby mode I selected(including Dolby stereo & modes intended to create simulated surround from Dolby stereo sources) sound would only come out of the centre channel speaker. At fist, I thought that there was something wrong with my equipment, until I confirmed(by listening through headphones and comparing to my vintage Japanese Laserdisc) that the DVD's sound was mono.
By the way, I'm aware of your intent to eventually issue a DVD of the "Peace in Our Time" concert, and that Universal Music has mislaid the video master for the "River of Hope" documentary that was exclusive to the Uk Laserdisc. If you can't find a copy of the UK Laserdisc to dub from, I'd let you have access to my copy of the UK Laserdisc. Granted, Laserdiscs from PDO's Blackburn plant were mediocre and quite noisy(as far as video noise is concerned), but it's better than nothing. The Japanese Laserdisc(which I've also got) doesn't include the documentary, but it would be interesting to research to see if a tape dub of the documentary was ever supplied to the label who issued the Japanese Laserdisc("VideoArts Japan") or if it was ever aired by some television station somewhere in the world.
From: Ian Grant Date: Monday, 5 October 2009, at 9:47 pm
The tapes were located same time as Barrowlands and were converted to digibeta already, thanks.
From: John Gordon Date: Wednesday, 7 October 2009, at 1:16 pm
Hi Ian,
That's great news about new stereo discs being sent out!! Thanks
From: Bruce Brewer Date: Sunday, 11 October 2009, at 7:45 am
This is one of the greatest concerts ever. I was 13 years old when I first saw this concert on MTV and it inspired me to save up my money and buy The Crossing, the first LP I ever bought. Are there any plans to release The Seer concert in NYC from 1986 on DVD?
From: Wayne Sadlier Date: Tuesday, 13 October 2009, at 8:37 pm
Thanks Ian and Debbie the "proper" disc arrived today. Now I would like to add this to my review.
AWESOME what a musical treat, Big Country in top gear and the crowd giving it large! Steve Lillywhites live mix is superb. All in all a must buy DVD from one of rock musics unsung treasures
From: Dale Tomaselli Date: Thursday, 15 October 2009, at 10:12 pm
Awesome dvd/cd. Nothing better than turning the volume up and basking in the moment. Hairs on back of neck stand up when the pipes come on too!.
From: Teemu Eskelinen Date: Friday, 16 October 2009, at 12:45 pm
The Barrowland package arrived today along with the Rockpalast DVD. I had borrowed the 1983 gig on VHS from my local library back in 1992 and never seen it since. I have to admit I didn't remember wrong... Without a doubt one of the greatest performances I've ever seen! The band is in superb form, the sound and picture are good, and the extras... Oh my! Thanks a lot, mates!
From: Philip Cohen Date: Thursday, 22 October 2009, at 3:54 am
I've now received the corrected DVD, and this time, the main programme is stereo, as intended. I have two questions. As for the brief sound/picture disruption at 18:21-18:22 in the Peppermint Lounge material, is this a fault in the source material? Is it correct that the Peppermint Lounge material has mono sound? I'm assuming that the answer to both these questions is "Yes".
From: Dean Measor Date: Sunday, 25 April 2010, at 10:12 pm
Facinating to see the band "begin their journey" at THE PEPPERMINT LOUNGE and then quickly evolve into one of the greatest live acts of all time. Thank you.
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