Review of Simple Plan: A Big Package For You

Introduction

This band from Montreal has been together about four years according to this `home-made` documentary. The disc is a record of their touring and recording activities as they started to hit the big time.
It has a long running time for what is essentially an introduction to the band, a lot of chat and some of their music.

The contents include:

Meet Simple Plan
Recording `No pads no helmets…just balls`
Shooting the album cover
Making our first video
Going on Tour
Filming `I`d do anything`
Guten tag Europe
Hitting the road again
Behind the scenes at the Addicted video shoot
Konichiwa from Japan
Experimenting in Bangkok
SP loves going down under…Australia 2002
Spring Break-SP under the sun
Big Rock Show -SP does arenas
Return to the land of the rising sun
The `Perfect` video
Punk Rock summer camp-Warped Tour 03
Looking back

Video

Jerky hand held cameras and glossy videos this disc has both. Good transfer all round.

Audio

Sound is in Dolby 2.0 and as this seems to be unscripted mention should be made here of the general use of the f word. It is used more or less conversationally and by one particular band member thereby convincing me his first language is not French. There is a warning on the front cover but I feel they may have done themselves a disservice by not censoring themselves slightly. The style of the music is attractive to the children who follow other boy bands who managed to keep their vocabulary within acceptable bounds. In other words I won`t be passing this on to my kids to watch because I don`t want them to think it is ok to speak like that, especially in front of Granny.
I noticed an occasional problem with the sound during one of the interview

Features

Bonus materials

45 minutes of extra footage-
There are four music videos of the songs out so far. I confess to liking these songs but as there are only four, I don`t know how repetitive they become. Eliza Dusku for all you Faith fans out there, features in one of them.

Also included in the package is a bonus Cd of 3 songs. Two of these are live. Again good with the songs but not enough of the music all round.

6 postcards are included featuring band members-did I say woo hoo?

Conclusion

Simple Plan-yep I thought it was the movie when I offered to review it, that will teach me! Surprisingly refreshing music, entertaining videos and sweet cheeky chappie personas fronting this band. They are probably one of many bands that will rise and fall this decade. It`s not for me to say what kind of staying power they might have with the notoriously fickle public. The DVD is strictly for the dedicated fans. It did nothing for me other that prove it is possible to sleep with your eyes open. I would have been much happier knowing less about the band`s stomach bugs and watching more of them playing.


I like the music and enjoyed the music videos but the rest was just filler for me. By the way it says on the package it says it contains `hilarious footage` still waiting to see that guys. There should be a law against describing anything as hilarious. It`s not.