Thin Lizzy – Are You Ready? [DVD]
Eagle Rock Entertainment (11/10/09)
Unrated
112 minutes

Another historic concert from the German-based Rockpalast television series, Thin Lizzy’s Are you Ready? is a rousing look back at one of the most significant and exciting hard-rock bands to appear out of the mid-’70s. Being one of the first acts to employ a sonic, dual-lead guitar attack, Ireland’s favorite sons have been credited as a major influence on a great number of popular heavy-metal acts as well.

Recorded in 1981, this footage shows quite an energetic display of showmanship, especially since lead singer/bassist Phil Lynott and guitarist Scott Gorham were known heroin users at this time. Hey, at least they waited until the after party to get their junk on and gave the audience a very memorable show. The group’s “guitar player revolving door” was temporarily closed with Snowy White as the second lead player, matching harmonies and trading solos with Gorham. Brian Downey on drums and Darren Wharton on keyboards round out the line-up.

Opening with a spirited version of “Are You Ready?”, you get a sense of the intensity and swagger for which Thin Lizzy’s live shows were known. “Jailbreak” is an obvious crowd-pleaser, whereas “Trouble Boys” is a tune that I never cared for, also known to be disliked by everyone in the group besides the late Lynott. “Chinatown” and “Hollywood” definitely pull their own weight in Germany, following after the anthem of drug addiction in “Got to Give It Up”. “Cowboy Song”, “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Suicide”—three of the band’s most notable hits—come next without a break in the action, though “Cowboy Song” is played a little too hurriedly, overtaking the dramatic nuances of the twin guitar solos. “Rosalie’ shows up on the set list, executed with more restraint and sounding closer to album-tempo, while “Desaster” and “Emerald” close out the performance as encores that send the crowd home on a high note.

Overall, there are nineteen songs on the DVD, spanning a running time of just about two hours. The hits are all here, backed up by some quality rarities to boot. Even though there are no bonus features, the concert is still a worthwhile buy for Thin Lizzy fans who want to experience what this musically important band’s live shows were all about.

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