Fairport@Forty DVD

[Waterloo Wonderer]

I was suprised to read that even the largest bands sell only 50-60,000 DVDs.  Given the expense involved in filming, editing, packaging etc, it hardly seems worth issuing these live DVDs!  If U2 are selling the figure quoted above, that suggests that smaller acts like FC must be selling around 5-10,000 at the very most.  I have some difficulty believing that DVDs sell such miniscule quantities..

A question for me is what is the impact of piracy on the DVD market. OK Fairport's market will be smaller than U2's but U2's will be at a level that means that illegal copies will be lucrative and there are also copies that get done for friends etc.

Time Will Show The Wiser was the most pwerful musical moment of the Fairport performance at Cropredy. Its energy stood above the rest of the weekend.

If they have any left when they get to Southport I will buy one.

[Mindwarper]

I'm just curious if anyone actually likes interviews on music dvds? I don't and don't know anyone who does. But they keep selling em. Does it mean that I am in minority or is it something that filmmakers/bandmembers want to do? Is it like a new illustrator and the graduate tool? To be a film maker, you need to add a interview to the dvd? To me, it is the music that matters.

I am more interested in the rerelease of the maidstone dvd.

[Mr Cat (Lewis)]

I'm just curious if anyone actually likes interviews on music dvds? I don't and don't know anyone who does. But they keep selling em. Does it mean that I am in minority or is it something that filmmakers/bandmembers want to do? Is it like a new illustrator and the graduate tool? To be a film maker, you need to add a interview to the dvd? To me, it is the music that matters.

I am more interested in the rerelease of the maidstone dvd.

I don't, unless the DVD is a straight documentary!  Some of the dullest hours wasted have been watching bonus DVds with Cds, showing bands recording material and discussing recording material.

Incidentally, apparently the Robbie Williams Knebworth DVD sold 46,000 copies in the Uk in its first week of release, so I'm guessing the bigger acts are probably shifting around 150,000 plus..

[Linkster]

Any chance of an reissue in blu-ray format down the road?  I think we are in the waning days of a format that's been around for 10 years and is time to move on.  Oh well, at least it's a wide screen (anamorphic) version!!

[Bob Barrows]

I will usually watch the interviews once, just in case they let slip a tidbit of knowledge that was not available elsewhere. But subsequent views are for the music only, with frequent usage of the fast-forward button, because typically these things are not properly chaptered to enable the use of the Next button. I really wish they would push the talking-head stuff into the bonus features.

I love DVDs that provide a "music-only" special feature.

[Chris]

All that is needed would be to 'chapter' both music tracks & interviews, which would allow you to skip whatever you want....that can't add much to the production, can it?

[jaypeter (Peter)]

I wonder why I've got an exclamation mark after my name...

D'you suppose I was unexpected?

Jude You're obviously the highlight of the night!!

"Judy Dyble! I can understand why they put
that particular high point almost at the end."

I must say the most telling remark, and one major reason to buy this DVD is from Dave Meehan;

"Nobody will be buying themselves an Aston Martin out of this. Get behind the band you all love. There are many bands out there who wouldn't even attempt anything like this, luckily for you (& me) Fairport will & do. Nuff said!"

If they don't sell many of these they won't try it again.

[Bob Barrows]

All that is needed would be to 'chapter' both music tracks & interviews, which would allow you to skip whatever you want....that can't add much to the production, can it?

I know - it makes me wonder why any dvd (music dvds in particular) is released without proper chaptering.

[Waterloo Wonderer]

Wonder if there will be any Easter Eggs.

[MarkC]

I'm just curious if anyone actually likes interviews on music dvds? I don't and don't know anyone who does. But they keep selling em. Does it mean that I am in minority or is it something that filmmakers/bandmembers want to do? Is it like a new illustrator and the graduate tool? To be a film maker, you need to add a interview to the dvd? To me, it is the music that matters.

I am more interested in the rerelease of the maidstone dvd.

I like the interviews. Different strokes.

[Simon Withers]

Thanks for the review of the new Fairport DVD. For those of us who were at last years Cropredy may find this offering sadly lacking. I admit so much Fairport & Fairport family material has been issued over the past six months or more I simply can not afford to rush out and purchase this product just to show my support for the band. I admit It would be a nice thing to do and I am sure Fairport would view the DVD as a roaring success if a significant number of units were sold with in the first month. It may even surprise several (or one) music executives.

I always hope that at some point a general cropredy festival DVD (S) will become available reflecting past Propriety's going back to the early 80's. More a kind of archive package than a product which looks toward the present incarnation of the band. All lives of the band, previous and present are important and one day I am sure I shall be nostalgic about this new offering and I will go out and buy it if it is still available. I am pleased as has been acknowledged on this board that it is indeed great that Fairport has taken the initiative to document the event.

Hopefully any contractual difficulties that may or may not be outstanding with ex-Fairport members may be resolved for any future use of this footage and past footage.

[GubGub (Al)]

I think the review was useful for me in as much as it has confirmed that this DVD is not something I will be busting a gut to get hold of and that is unusual with Fairport product. I will, no doubt, get a copy in the fullness of time but it no longer gives me the frisson of excitement that I had hoped for, engendered no doubt by having been at that very special Cropredy last year.

Ultimately I will probably enjoy the disc but for the time being it will just have to join the queue on the "would like" list, rather than jump to the top of the "must have" list.

[Mindwarper]

Preaching to the choir here. I always wonder why they don't add more chapter points to make this issue moot. Or have a music only option.

All that is needed would be to 'chapter' both music tracks & interviews, which would allow you to skip whatever you want....that can't add much to the production, can it?

I know - it makes me wonder why any dvd (music dvds in particular) is released without proper chaptering.

[NevBull]

Having a vested interest in the DVD, I was keen to have my first viewing this evening after my copy arrived today.

The concert footage is superb quality, sound is excellent and the interviews varied - and yes, you can chapter skip the interviews if you wish to.

There will always be holes in anyone's viewing 'wish list', no-one will ever please everyone. For me, it's a good mix of the footage that was available to the editors.

Thanks to Mike Rowbottom and all of the people involved in getting this put together - it looks great!

Nev.

[Jim]

 i do hope that the interviews are of a higher calibre than those weve suffered on past vids, the cropredy '86 springs to mind

[Andy]

Having a vested interest in the DVD, I was keen to have my first viewing this evening after my copy arrived today.

The concert footage is superb quality, sound is excellent and the interviews varied - and yes, you can chapter skip the interviews if you wish to.

There will always be holes in anyone's viewing 'wish list', no-one will ever please everyone. For me, it's a good mix of the footage that was available to the editors.

Thanks to Mike Rowbottom and all of the people involved in getting this put together - it looks great!

Nev.

thanks for the videos last year Nev, especially Lego Matty!

I look forward to seeing it again.

[spooley (Simon)]

My copy arrived yesterday and I've watched it through tonight.  I agree with what several people have said about 'obvious' omissions, particularly Mr Swarbrick and, perhaps most obviously, "Meet on the Ledge".  BUT the dvd is still a terrific momento of Cropredy'07 and will make a great sales pitch to encourage others along for future Fairport Festivals.  The video quality is pretty good, and I've really enjoyed the very clean, punchy and dynamic sound.  Audio/Video synchronisation on the dvd seems a bit wobbly at times ... but I suppose that does neatly replicate my Cropredy experience, where I'm usually to be found well back from the sound tower, with binoclars for close-ups of the performers :-)

The highlight for me (as a confirmed RT fan) is "Time will show the wiser" ... a terrific capture of a great performance (and a huge "thank you", in passing, to Keith Farnish for his YouTube uploads of both "Time..." and "Sloth" - oh! how I'd have *loved* the latter to be included in the dvd).

This is a good DVD.  It's worth £20.  Thank you to all involved in its creation!

Simon.

[John From Austin]

U.S. purchaser here - Can anyone advise me of the technical specifications of the new DVD?

Is it NTSC or PAL?

Is it Region 1, 2, 0?

These should be noted on the packaging.  Thanks in advance!

[frogcrutches]

U.S. purchaser here - Can anyone advise me of the technical specifications of the new DVD?

Is it NTSC or PAL?

Is it Region 1, 2, 0?

These should be noted on the packaging.  Thanks in advance!

Hi John, and welcome.
Unfortunately, I'm a muppet, and have absolutely no idea, but if you stay around, I'm sure someone who has a brain will be able to help.

 

[Simon Nicol]

Is it NTSC or PAL?

Is it Region 1, 2, 0?


The DVD disc is region-free but I'm mailing PAL copies at the moment, the NTSC ones are on order. These will go to North America and Japan when I get them. Nowadays compatibility in DVD players (and computer drives if that's we're you're watching it) is not an issue as industry protectionism has dried up, but it can matter if the TV you're watching it on is unable to display both PAL and NTSC content. Most modern sets swing both ways but to be on the safe side and obviate the disappointment of returns, I'm holding off sending any to nations who favour the NTSC format.

I suppose you all know that the US adopted NTSC for many reasons: the 60Hz ac current for one and the rush to go into colo(u)r amongst them. There is no truth to the scandalous calumny it's an acronym for "Never The Same Colour"....