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Written by Tyson Blanquart Wednesday, 30 November 2005 14:34

THE BELLRAYS: AT THE BARFLY (Music Video Distributors/Punkervision)

Recorded at London’s Camden Barfly club in April 2005, the concert has been committed to high-quality video, complete with multiple cameras and 5.1 Surround sound. The result is a concert film that does indeed make you feel like you’re there. The music is visceral and guaranteed to make you move your body. Lisa Kekaula’s soulful and velvety voice pierces Tony Fate’s guitar assault, while bassist Bob Vennum and drummer Craig Waters keep a solid backbeat. The band plows through a good portion of its known material and unleashes several new songs over the hour-long show.

The set opens with “Voodoo Train” and flows right into “Pay the Cobra.” Kekaula keeps the crowd’s attention between the songs by constantly asking how they are doing, declaring the Bellrays’ purpose is to make them feel good. The electrifying set kees the intensity and fiery passion from beginning to end, and really makes one wonder why the Bellrays aren’t more of a household name. I mean, these guys seriously kick some ass. Watching this DVD is almost like watching a performance from a bygone era—like some artist from the ’60s or ’70s—you know, when there was true passion in music. There’s something that’s so real, so intense, and so connective about this show that it’s hard to put into tangible words.

Other standouts include “Sister Disaster” and “Revolution Get Down,” both hard-rocking songs that clearly pump up the audience. The band does mellow a tad when they bust out the funk halfway through the show. “Making Up for Lost Time” and “Tell a Lie” sling a nice, sleazy beat that would seem right at home in any Blaxploitation film. Even at moments such as these when the Bellrays follow a less vicious tangent, they still pack a wallop. They pick things right back up with “Fire on the Moon,” then finish with “Startime,” a fitting end to the energetic show.

Creating a sound like no one else, the Bellrays produce music that can really only be defined as soul-punk. You have the blistering three-chord arrangements accompanied by a voice that would make Janis Joplin envious. This DVD is the perfect snapshot of this wonderful genre; few others could even come close to reaching such a level of raw intensity. While musically the Bellrays bear a resemblance to the likes of MC5, the Stooges, and Black Flag, their sound is also wholly their own.

Also on the DVD is an 18-minute interview with the band; while only slightly revealing, it’s a welcome addition to the film. For those of you who don’t care for concert films, this one may be the exception. For those who dig them, you’ll really be happy to sink your teeth into At the Barfly. | Tyson Blanquart