In the year of IV (2006) the members of the New Orleans band Down (Phil Anselmo, Jimmy Bower, Pepper Keenan, Rex Brown, and Kirk Windstein) reactivated the not so much side project after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and a 4 year hiatus since 2002’s “Down II,” picked up their instruments and went on their first ever European tour as a band. Fortunately for them, and for the Brotherhood of Eternal Sleep (Down’s worldwide fan base for those of you not familiar with it), they brought cameras and additional recording equipment. The result? “Diary of a Mad Band” a 2 CD + DVD documentary of the tour and the shenanigans that ensued.
As a long time Down fan, I had been waiting for this to come out for a long time. The rumors had been circulating that this project was in the works and then came the news of legal issues that were holding the project back from being released. Through various interviews with members of the band, Pepper was hard at work going through hours upon hours of footage to create the ultimate Down DVD. It is nearly everything I had hoped it would be.
The DVD captures the intensity of Down’s live performance from small clubs to major festivals. With song selections from nearly every night of the tour, and concentrating on material from their only 2 albums at the time, this touches on Down’s worldwide legacy, and their ability to sell out a tour with no label or promotion, but simply by word of mouth (paraphrased from the DVD intro). The sound quality is superb and the videography gives fans an up close and personal look at the band on stage. There is a slight issue with the sync between the audio and video on the first few songs but that’s corrected and is barely noticeable. Aside from the performances on the DVD, the backstage video interludes provide a window into the band’s attitudes and friendship off the stage. With pranks, heartfelt speeches and general mischief, the legends show what it means to be friends on as well as off the stage and not just members of a band.
Switching to the audio component of the package, the 2 CD recording features a full concert recorded in London, England. With as much fortitude as the DVD performances, this 2 disc set allows fans to take Down’s mastery of the stage wherever they go, when a DVD player isn’t available.
If you’re a hardcore Down fan and haven’t picked this up yet, you’re making a huge mistake. If you’ve seen the band live you know how they deliver and this release captures that in full. If you haven’t had the chance to catch them live, this will give you every reason and more to do so and prove why their legions of fans are as true as they come.