Human League – Live At The Dome

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C     Concert: B-

 

 

The Human League were one of the great early New Wave bands thanks to MTV, their phenomenally successful Video for Don’t You Want Me and the fact that at first, they played all their music on electronic instruments.  That was something unheard of, shocking and even offended some people who thought this was a path towards plasticness or even totalitarianism!  However, the music had Soul influence and they were New Romantics as much as ABC, Adam Ant, Heaven 17 or any of the other hot British acts of the time.  Live At The Dome is a recent concert over two decades later.

 

They cover that hit and later gems like Mirror Man, Human, (Keep Feeling) Fascination and the daring The Lebanon.  Even if they are not at the peak of their power and the energy and pace are not at the top power of their early glory days, the vocal performances are not bad and their showmanship is top notch.  The three members of the hit years, Philip Oakley, Susan Anne Sulley and Joanne Catherall, are still together after all these years and the chemistry remains.  The concert lasts about 85 minutes, but is not bad for its length.  Fans will not be too disappointed and it proves the band was not just good for a few singles.  They were often as great and fun as their reputation and popularity promised.  Now can we get their early albums remastered?

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was hot in digital High Definition video and it is colorful and shot decently, but has just a few too many detail issues in this trade-down.  Maybe an HD version would play better, but this will still do.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is not bad, is well recorded, but a DTS mix would have been nice.  The band was shortchanged recently on the two-channel only Super Audio CD of the Dare album when the better DSD (Direct Stream Digital) tracks did not sound much better than a better CD.  Maybe an HD version of this disc could have better sound.  Extras include an interview, stills, text biographies and all access areas segment behind the scenes.  Be sure to read more about them and the great documentary Made In Sheffield at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2832/Made+In+Sheffield+-+The+Birth+Of+Electronic+Pop

 

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo