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Happy Mondays
Call The Cops (Eagle Vision)
By Jason Keller

For anybody cultish about director -Michael Winterbottom’s 24 Hour Party People, this makes a great companion piece. The Happy Mondays bring Madchester to America (and Toronto) in 1990, the year they released their career-defining Pills ’N’ Thrills And Bellyaches. Actually, if you watch closely, Tony Wilson and Keith Allen briefly appear, looking suitably anguished.

Considering the band’s legendary debauchery, this DVD is pretty G-rated. It’s mostly ecstasy-fuelled performance footage, in which Shaun Ryder’s goofy grin and baggy, vacant eyes tells us everything about their substance-abuse exploits.

In retrospect, the Mondays’ appeal is confusing. Ryder is absolutely tuneless live; the group is sloppy at the best of times; Bez (dance motivator/drug provider) remains an anomaly; and it’s unclear how Rowetta could stand being in the same room as these thugs. A total disaster as a group, though certainly never dull.

Happy Mondays play Kool Haus Oct 14.

NOW | August 12-19, 2009 | VOL 28 NO 50
Copyright 2010 NOW Communications
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