Films > Film Reviews

Pet Shop Boys - Discovery: Live In Rio

28/04/21

Way back when in 1994, The Pet Shop Boys filmed a night in Brazil. Discovery: Live in Rio was released on VHS (wtf is that, right?). For the first time, the entire show has been digitally remastered, and will be available on DVD and a double CD album.

For those not familiar with PSB, they’re an electronic pop band, and their height of success was during the late eighties and early nineties. For someone such as myself, approaching my half century, there is a certain amount of nostalgia and it’s quite possible that I watched the concert through rose-tinted glasses.

The DVD (or at least my version of it) is in the original 4:3 format, rather than widescreen, but that’s understandable as the 16:9 wasn’t widely used in those days. The CD version has exactly the same track listing (naturally) so you can listen in the car too, which is a good thing as watching a DVD while driving is generally frowned upon.

The setlist focuses primarily on their most energetic tracks, playing to their live audiences worldwide, making for a party atmosphere. I will say that some of the image quality is a little pixelated (again, in my version, which was pre-release), but once more, this can be forgiven due to the limited technology available when the original was recorded.

What we get, when all is said and done, is a slice of nostalgia from a time where electronic pop was at the height of popularity, and PSB were right at the top of the tree. Is it worth buying both the DVD and the CD though? After all, it is exactly the same concert. Personally, I would say yes, and why not? You can watch the concert film in the comfort of your living room, or you can listen to the CD on the go, so you get the best of both worlds. Of course, anyone who might have owned the VHS originally, can go back in time and watch it over again. Who doesn’t want to relive a few good memories, right?

9/10