The mighty Mighty Boosh! (The Mighty Boosh Live (DVD))

Member Name: tinkabubble

Product:	The Mighty Boosh Live (DVD)
Date:	23/05/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fantastic dvd with live show and behind the stage footage which acts like a backstage pass!

Disadvantages: None

Join us now on a journey through time and space in the world of The Mighty Boosh...or you could just let them come to you!

A huge fan of anything Boosh, from the original radio series to the subsequent television series, I was understandably excited, to say the least, when Barratt, Fielding and Co. unleashed their live DVD upon an innocent and unsuspecting world. The two disc bonanza tackles the highs, and the perhaps less expected lows, of being a part of the world of the mighty Mighty Boosh.

Disc one features the entire live show, recorded at Brixton academy, which is quite frankly a God send for fans who missed out on the chance to see the show in the er...flesh. The five amigos return, somehow managing to fill a stage and a three-hour slot with just a few wigs, a tub of lipstick and large quantities of faux fur. Oh yeah, and a few polo mints.

Creators Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding return as Howard Moon and Vince Noir, respectively, along with Noel's brother, Mike Fielding who plays the shaman, Naboo, and Richard Fulcher, a very loud and intrusive but lovable American. The glorious cover work for the DVD was produced by the final member of this exclusive gang, Naboo's long suffering familiar, Bollo the ape (a.k.a. Dave Brown).

I was dubious to begin with as to how such a physical and visual television show would transcend to stage, and had even more reservations about viewing a television series, filmed live on stage on DVD (!?) However, I knew that if anyone could, they could; after all, they did create their own zooniverse.

So, after a tentative start, the show emerged victorious and brilliant like The Mighty Boosh we all [should] know and love, and I was impressed with the copious amounts of audience participation and the way in which the subsequent atmosphere came across from stage to couch.

The show's setting is Naboo's 'Nabootique' from which Vince, electro/retro fan, and Howard, Jazz maverick, set out on their inevitable adventure, recalling character's from the past, such as the Hitcher (popular as ever with his solo polo vision!) and of course one of the show's favourites, the lovable Moon. Each character gets their own time to shine on stage and I thought this live show was amazing for getting to know the characters better!

Disc two is just as exciting, revealing various backstage antics and crazy rituals and there appears to be no area off limits for the camera crew, which makes it hard not to feel like part of the team yourself. Behind the curtain, the DVD reveals a very relaxed and down-to-earth backstage routine where the jokes never stop, and neither does the eating, from walker's ready salted crisps to candy bananas. However, there are also darker and more serious issues exposed, such as an incident where a drunk man heckles from the crowd, and though he is duly dealt with and quickly put back in his place, it is touching to see how affected the comedians are by the event and their concern for their audience, particularly the younger members.

The camera crew spend time with each member of the show's team and effectively span the entire length off the show, including the interval, creating the backstage to the first disc's front stage. Neither is it just the stars of the show who get to put their thoughts across on disc, as virtually everyone from the make up artist to the tea lady is interviewed to expose all the gossip in a real display of camaraderie and affection.

As you can imagine, there are some very amusing interviews, with the viewer flung into the action and shown no mercy as they bear witness to both the thrills and the inevitable spills. The atmosphere back stage is truly electric, leaving you longing to run away to this circus, where famous faces are amongst the audience and amongst the shenanigans backstage, in the form of 80s icon Gary Numan and today's starlets Razorlight.

If you still want more, then you can have it!! Other features include the show's feature on The Culture Show with Melvin Bragg, a performance from The Ralfe Band and a deleted scene (and yes it is just the one scene, which is a credit to the fact that they really have left nothing out of this DVD).
So there you have it, The Mighty Boosh is taking over. It was on radio, it was on terrestrial, it was on stage and now it's on disc, so go and buy it and put it on your TV!!

(I'd just like to add that this dvd is rated a 15 in the UK and there is some bad language featured as well as a couple of scenes with sexual references and therefore parents may want to check it out before sharing with the kids!)

Summary: A great dvd; great for established Boosh fans and a great gateway for new fans