Bono or Bust?

As everyone knows, Bono is John the Baptist to Bob Geldof's new messiah, so its clearly not enough for U2 to simply shoot a concert film, oh no, they have to film it in 3D. (Presumably to create a big enough canvas for Bono's giant head.)

The concert film is an honourable tradition. Once something that would just get a polite release on DVD, aimed squarely at fans, or maybe simply be shown on T4, recently concert films have been hitting our cinema screens with increasing frequency. But are they worth seeing, or simply a way of swelling the band's already enormous coffers, while reminding us how wonderful they are?

The novelty concert film:

The Beastie Boys eschewed a director and professional camera crew and instead made their fans the crew. In 'Awesome! I Fucking Shot That!" the Beasties were filmed, in true democratic style, by 50 of their fans, and then edited together. Consequently, it features as much footage of fans dancing about as of the band themselves, and is grainy, amateurish, raw, and like no other concert film you've ever seen.

The political concert film:

Recent examples include The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up And Sing, exploring the reaction to the band after lead singer Natalie Maines dared to criticize the Bush administration and the war in Iraq. The film exposed the American media's trivialising of dissent about the Iraq war; the Dixie Chicks were ahead of some of their audience in recognizing the disastrous nature of the war but many in that audience have now caught up with those sentiments, as films like In The Valley Of Elah, and the success of Barak Obama, show.

On a lighter note, comedian Dave Chapelle hosted a joyful Block Party which showed all the cosmopolitan, multicultural delights of New York and spread some positivity. Which makes a pleasant change.

The intimate portrait:

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind's Michel Gondry directed Dave Chapelle's Block Party and Jonathan Demme turned his hand to the concert film with Neil Young: Heart of Gold. Shot over two nights, the filmmaker was granted unprecedented access to the legendary singer as he prepared for to perform at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. But head and shoulders above the rest was Sigur Ros' Heima. The absolute antithesis of U2's bloated billionaires, the Icelandic quartet finished off their world tour by hanging out happily in Iceland doing free concerts in town halls and on the sides of hills. Unlike U2, who seek to impress with their innovative technology and seek to immerse you in a stadium concert - why would you want to? - Sigur Ros are as modest and lovely as Iceland itself, stripping back their music to perform acoustic gigs in the great oudoors, against the dramatic backdrop of the Icelandic landscape, and making gentle, but pointed, remarks about the destruction of the environment and traditional industries.