The Springbok Nude Girls – Live at the Astoria (DVD)

I am officially in heaven. My cat, however, may never be the same again. Which is probably not such a bad thing since she was pretty twisted to start off with. The vision of her beloved owner dancing around the lounge and singing to the TV at the top of my lungs may have finally sent her over the edge. But I have always wished there was a live Nudies DVD on the market and when it finally arrived at my local post office thanks to the kind people at Kalahari, I was there before they could even send me the slippy thing to tell me it had landed. Not even the torrential downpour was going to keep me away from this much coveted and anticipated item.

Springbok Nude Girls – Live at the Astoria was filmed, as the name suggests, at the famed London Astoria on 20th May this year. And it is a masterpiece. The set list is a perfect combination of old and new songs, and they are performed with characteristic style and energy. The show opens with the stomach-clenching, adrenalin-fuelling Gang Gang and it is evident right from the start that the boys mean business. There’s not too much in the way of fancy filming on this DVD – it’s straight up footage of an astonishingly good band performing before a capacity crowd of adoring fans. I had to watch it twice in a row and the only thing that prevented a third viewing was the thought of an early morning start and the cat crying piteously in the corner. She likes her routine that one. The live performance itself contains 19 songs, about 90 minutes of pure bliss for a fan like me. There is no denying that Theo Crous is a god on that stage and he wields his guitar with almost frightening ferocity. It’s also really great to note that in this recording, his vocals come out quite clearly and it adds an extra dimension to a stellar performance. There is a synergy amongst the members of this band which tells the tale of their many years together and creates an atmosphere on stage which even via the television, raised the little hairs on the back of my neck. There are moments when you watch a band and simply know that this is the way music should be performed, and this DVD is packed to overflowing with such moments. Something else which makes this one special is that for once Arno Carstens is quite chatty on stage and jokes and laughs with his audience. His performance is as always unparalleled and the aura which surrounded SNG when they smashed their way onto the SA music scene in the 90’s is back in full force. Arno C undulates those hips while delivering the voice that made him an SA brand, Theo whips his guitar and his hair into a rock n roll frenzy, Adriaan shows us yet again just how multi-talented he his and proves that men can multi-task, even breaking into an air-guitar on the trumpet moment, Arno B is as ever the calm in the eye of the storm while he grinds that bass, and Francois is a crazed drumming demon. And all the while, the London crowd, many of whom may arguably have been in SA when this phenomenon was born, are going absolutely berserk. This is the only complaint I have about an otherwise incredible DVD – the crowd are patently going off….and you can’t really hear them. There is nothing quite like hearing a massive crowd sing along with the band they love but the audio on this DVD does not really seem to allow it. Nonetheless, from the writhing mass of people and the wealth of outstretched hands, it’s evident that that this band could do no wrong in the eyes of their audience. And when they wrapped up with that old moshpit favourite Bubblegum on my Boots, sheer mayhem broke out. There was even a guy in the front who I think may be my soul mate….he looked the way I feel at SNG gigs….as if he had been transported to some otherwordly place that was quite simply all about the sound of the Nudies.

As if 19 outstanding songs weren’t enough, there are also a few extras on the DVD. Two music videos for tracks from the band’s latest album are included, namely for Fallen and Illuminate. The former was surrounded by some controversy because it features scantily clad strippers performing the song in the place of the Nudies – a tongue in cheek dig at the fact that the band’s name often inspires false hope in the unknowing. It’s a funny concept and it’s carried off well. Personally, I prefer the video for Illuminate and not just because there’s only so many times I want to watch a bunch of girls in g-strings gyrating around a pole (the boys may feel otherwise of course). The video shows SNG rocking out the way they do best, but in an eerily atmospheric old building. Not exactly a novel concept but it suits the song and I’d rather watch the band give it horns than a bunch of strippers. Both videos are well produced and are a nice addition to the live performance. The other bonus feature on the DVD is a mini-documentary, lasting about 10 minutes, entitled The Build up to the Astoria. It’s a candid piece, including footage of the band being interviewed by various radio and television presenters, warming up for the show, and doing a spot of shopping in Camden. At this stage the guys appear pretty comfortable with a camera around, and we get to see their slightly strange senses of humour as well as getting a bit more insight into their hiatus (a very dark period in my life – I prefer not to talk about it…). It’s a lovely way to let fans feel they have a connection with the band.

All in all, with a total running time of 108 minutes, this little gem is definitely well worth the purchase. It eases the fact that we don’t get to see SNG in concert that often (well certainly not in Durbs anyway) and unfortunately for my neighbours and my cat means that from now onwards there’ll be a gig in my lounge every night.

Full tracklisting:
1. Gang Gang
2. Looking for Master
3. Spaceman
4. Supergirl
5. Illuminate
6. Fallen
7. Managing Mula
8. Peace Breaker
9. Baby Murdered Me
10. Pack the Punches
11. I Love You
12. 1 More Time
13. Giant Love Affair
14. Wolfmen
15. Little
16. Totally Committed
17. Genie
18. Blue Eyes
19. Bubblegum on my Boots