Review of 'To The Devil His Due' DVD
Diamond Head - To The Devil His Due DVD (Snapper Music) review by Chris Kee

Having enjoyed the CD recorded at this show at London's Astoria on November 4th last year ('It's Electric') it's nice to have the chance to take a look at the companion DVD. Now I can't tell you anything about the packaging that accompanies this disc, as my promo comes wrapped in a clear plastic sleeve, but the stuff that matters most - the music - is great. A teasing 'Am I Evil?' gives way to a blistering 'It's Electric' and the band never look back. A lot of people may bewail the loss of original vocalist Sean Harris, but new man Nick Tart does a great job throughout and proves himself to be a real asset to the band. In fact Nick could do with a little more help from the rest of his band cajoling the rather reserved London audience into giving Diamond Head more of the vocal support that their performance deserves. Despite some cunning camera work it's obvious that the Astoria was far from full on the night of this show and, as I've mentioned, those in
attendance seem happy to stand back and watch (apart from the long-haired dude head-banging for all he's worth in the front row) and this does lead to a real lack of atmosphere. Another problem with this DVD is that the show's lighting is very dark, which may have been effective on the night but it really doesn't translate well to the TV screen.
While things aren't too hot visually there's really nothing to complain about from a musical point of view. 'The Prince' is excellent, with Brian Tatler proving he's lost none of his highly impressive guitar skills. Other highlights include 'Helpless', 'Lightning To The Nations', Am I Evil? - which inevitably gets the biggest response of the night - the dynamic encore of 'In The Heat Of The Night' and new song 'Mine All Mine' which shows that the band still have plenty to offer beyond a nostalgia trip. Overall though, I'd have to say that the CD version of this live set provides a far more successful document of the evening. DVD extras include interesting interviews with Brian Tatler and drummer Karl Wilcox and some pretty dull 'in the studio' footage. A timely reminder of what great songs Diamond Head a capable of producing but, sadly, not a great DVD. www.diamond-head.net