DVD reviews

PINK – LIVE FROM WEMBLEY ARENA (Sony BMG)

She’s a lesbian icon, and at times her new burlesque-inspired production resembles a unique style of soft porn. After her tour of Australia, this concert DVD is the perfect piece of memorabilia for the budding fan.

The show easily demonstrates why Pink has sold millions of albums, with standout performances being U + Ur Hand and Mr President. Although the show seems like an imitation of Cirque du Soleil, Pink leaves the audience speechless, spinning over the crowd in a revealing one-piece.

At times it’s hard to say if she is actually singing live – it must be hard to carry a tune while doing somersaults. Despite the stunts the concert comes to many standstills, with the myriad of costume changes giving Cher a run for her money. This high energy show will put you in the mood for clubbing or, even better, a night at a strip joint.

Review: Sunny Burns

20 YEARS OF RAGE (ABC Music)

For 20 years ABC TV’s Rage has been a music video staple for house parties, music lovers and insomniacs on Friday and Saturday nights. Where else could you see cutting edge clips without the restrictions imposed on other channels’ music shows by PG timeslots and limited playlists? However, Saturday mornings seem to have the same songs in the same order for weeks on end, with no more top 50 countdown, but guest programmers keep Rage’s nights fresh and quirky.

To celebrate its two-decade history, ABC Music has released a four-CD set plus a DVD sampling highlights over the years. The CD’s 75 tracks are a bit of a boys’ club – mostly groups, fewer than 10 solo acts, with Kylie and Lily Allen the only women. The DVD is a single disc, 40 tracks, not widescreen, not remastered for surround sound, but 160 minutes is still good value.

Review: Brian Watson