Neil Arun didn’t want to miss a rare but risky opportunity to embed with an Iraqi police unit, hunting members of al Qaeda. But his employers -- responsible for Neil’s security -- weren’t happy. This film by Richard Pendry nvestigates how a frontline journalist balances risk and reward.
Just in case you didn't see it in the U.M.M. mag and you feel it might be worth looking at, here's The Killers' Live From The Royal Albert Hall review, rather than Day & Age, Becci :P.
The Killers – Live From The Royal Albert Hall – DVD & CD
The Royal Albert Hall was once associated more for hosting grandiose orchestral scores during The Proms or elder rock statesman like Dire Straits’ Mark Knoplfer, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
But recently a new wave of popular music artists, including The Killers, entertained the arts hall officially opened in 1871, named after Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, by playing a thundering live show with strobe lighting anchored by charismatic lead singer/keyboardist, Brandon Flowers.
Flowers’group, consisting of rhythm guitarist Dave Keuning, bassist Mark Stoemer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci, performed at The Royal Albert Hall for two nights during the 5th and 6th July this year showcasing last year’s UK #1 hit album, Day & Age, alongside best
hits from their debut record Hot Fuss and follow-ups Sam’s Town and Sawdust.
This is compiled on to the comprehensive live DVD and live CD release, Live From The Royal Albert Hall.
From the opening synthesizer-driven euphoria of UK #3 2008 hit Human to the pounding raucous riffs of the 2004 UK #3 anthem Somebody Told Me, The Killers open spectacularly with Flowers sweating copiously while maintaining his versatile vocal range and alluring
showmanship.
The group triumphs throughout, even on slower numbers like the brilliant A Dustland Fairytale, while Flowers’ likeability and the band’s enthusiasm resoundingly engages the crowd.
With this being a live concert there is a necessity for replacing electronics with raw instrumentation, enhancing the appeal of the Joy Divison cover, Shadowplay with its nagging deadpan guitar hook and the crowd-pleasing exuberance of Mr Brightside.
But there are downsides. If you disliked Day & Age, you will be disappointed with the opening swamping of tracks including Joy Ride and I Can’t Stay, inferior to the raw emotion of Smile Like You Mean It and Read My Mind which understandably, but disappointingly, feature later in the set.
Also, despite featuring some tracks from Sawdust, omissions of the brilliant Dire Straits’ cover, Romeo & Juliet and only including the Lou Reed collaboration for Tranquilize on the bonus material are irritatingly puzzling. The superb Bones, although on the DVD, is also curiously missing from the CD.
However with 22 tracks on the DVD including Day & Age’s best track Spaceman –performed wonderfully live – and 17 tracks on the live CD, and five live bonus festival performances from 2009, this is an electric compilation from a band rivalling Coldplay, The Editors and Muse as intelligent and accomplished modern rock musicians.
