Take That - Beautiful World Tour - Live - By James Ellaby

Given how many sold-out shows they played all over Europe late last year, there's clearly the demand for another new Take That live DVD, but is there the justification? Bearing in mind that there were plenty of videos released from their first 'life', with Live At Wembley, Live In Berlin and Live At The G-MEX all released within the space of two years, the Take That live experience has already been well-documented, and The Ultimate Tour only came out on DVD in November 2006. Does anyone really need ANOTHER one to add to their collection? That's a silly question really, because any Take That fan would probably kill to get their hands on this, let alone splash out the price of a new DVD. And while you can accuse the band and their management of cashing in, you can't accuse them of not providing value for money. The Beautiful World Tour was certainly different enough from The Ultimate Tour to be worth watching in concert and again and again on DVD. From the drama of the podiums on Reach Out to the clever gimmickry of the 'road through the past' on Never Forget, this is a spectacular and well thought-out stage show that never gets dull even when some of the weaker material from the Beautiful World album gets an airing. The fact that they do have to play new tracks rather than just hits means that it is inevitably less consistent than The Ultimate Tour and the sense of urgency and fevered excitement that their comeback brought isn't quite the same the second time around, but this is still an excellent live DVD of a very good tour by an engaging live band, and the 160 minutes of bonus features includes a fun and likeable 'road movie'. It might not be particularly necessary, but no-one who buys it will be disappointed...

Axel Rudi Pell - Live Over Europe - By James Ellaby

German rock guitarist Axel Rudi Pell isn't in the same kind of league (or even sport, really) as Take That, but this double-DVD of live performances will still sell in the bucketloads around Europe. It's his second live DVD, following Knight Treasures (Live And More) in 2002, and largely documents his band's performance at last year's Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen. The curious thing about Pell is that while the band is named after him and he is the focal point, he's not the lead singer, and his band have had several down the years.The current vocalist is American Johnny Gioeli, who gives his role plenty of gusto even if he looks a little too much like Peter Serafinowicz to take seriously. One thing you can guarantee here though is that everything is taken seriously, right down to the drummer's mohican hair and Pell's frequent guitar solos. He's an excellent guitarist of course, which why he is so popular despite being largely in the background because he's not the frontman. With the show coming before last year's covers album Diamonds Unlocked, the emphasis is on Pell's own material and it's a very strong show, with the band and the German crowd clearly up for it on classic tracks like Strong As a Rock and Tear Down The Walls. And the obligatory drum solo of course. DVD 2 contains 'Official Bootleg' live performances from gigs in Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and the UK, making this a pretty complete package for fans. Axel Rudi Pell will never be a household name over here like he is back home in Germany, but rock fans could do a lot worse than to check out this DVD. And turn it way up loud...