Dead Boys – Live! At CBGB 1977 (DVD)

Isn’t punk rock dead? If it wasn’t dead years ago, it certainly must be by now. It’s kind of funny how people used to complain about Epitaph, Fat Wreck Chords and the So-Cal movement as being an insult to punk rock, because in comparison to bands like Blink 182 and Sum 41, who have since completely turned the genre into a Teen Beat magazine centrefold, most of those bands really were “keeping it real”. And maybe it’s just because I didn’t grow up in that era, but the original late 70’s punk movement never really appealed to me even after the fact. There were a few stand out bands like The Clash who really did have an effect and who innovated with their music, but most of the bands just seemed silly and childish. Much like the music of the 80’s, all this stuff now looks cartoony and laughable in retrospect.

The Dead Boys were a part of the New York CBGB punk rock scene in the late 70’s, and although some may argue this, they were essentially second or third stringers as far as punk rock goes. Their most well-known song was probably “Sonic Reducer”, but aside from that they only released 2 albums and failed to make a major impact. “Dead Boys Live! At CBGB 1977″ features what is probably the only official released live footage of the band on stage. It is a show from back when they were “in their prime”, so to speak, and as such will probably be a valuable treasure to hardcore punk fans. To the rest of us though, this DVD is probably not worth more than a passing glance.

The performance features 10 songs in total at a running length of 29 minutes — a damn short set by most standards, even for a punk band. Opening with “Sonic Reducer” and ending with “Search & Destroy”, the show is, for the most part, a blur of grainy video, guitar feedback and snotty punk rock antics. Lead singer Stiv Bators writhes on the ground, spits on the camera, pours beer down his pants, and wipes his nose with a piece of bologna before eating it. How’s that for social commentary?

The sound and video are piss poor quality (I don’t understand why they bothered including a 5.1 surround mix considering the source material), but I guess it’s forgivable considering that it’s from 1977… and this is punk rock after all. It’s definitely makes the DVD feel authentically shitty. Surprisingly, the audience is pretty tame throughout the show as well, which makes the band seem even more ridiculous. You get the impression that it’s the first time a lot of these people are seeing the Dead Boys, and maybe the show was recorded prior to the release of their debut album. By the end of the show, they do seem a little more worked up though.

The DVD also includes some band interviews and a funny promotional clip for the band, as well as bonus live footage of The Steel Tips, and a short commentary from the director talking about his thoughts on the band. Dead Boys Live! At CBGB 1977 is something that old school punk rock fans will probably drool over. If you’re a fan of the band, this is probably the best chance you’ll have to see what their shows were really like back in the day. For anyone else though, this is a pretty uninteresting and budget DVD and I can’t say it did much to convert me into a “Deadhead”. — Sean

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