A very tidy little package of a great band.
Anyone with a passing interest in American Hard Rock back in the mid to late eighties should be more than familiar with the name Kix, a Hard Rocking five-piece out of Maryland who hit the (fairly) big time with some cracking no nonsense albums such as 'Midnite Dynamite' and 'Blow My Fuse'. With the onset of Grunge in the nineties, the band, like so many others of their particular ilk, fell out of favour with the record buying public. Kix made a successful return in 2014 with the excellent 'Rock Your Face off' album and have now followed that up by delivering a very smart DVD/CD combo.
The documentary made by filmmakers Stephen Nerangis and Dale Jackson, with input from the band themselves, features the making of the aforementioned album out of bassist Mark Schenker's home studio and includes interviews from all band members as well as input from producer Taylor Rhodes (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, and the bands very own 'Hot Wire'). It also takes a closer look at the band in the live setting where they really excel. Alongside this, there's cameo appearances and glowing testimonials from such music figures as Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt, Lzzy Hale and US Rock Jock Eddie Trunk which all makes this entertaining viewing.
As a fan of the band from way back, I thought this was a very watchable piece. The interviews are informative and the behind the scenes footage seems well thought out and not just thrown together pieces, they are always engaging and held my attention from start to finish. At seventy-one minutes in length, it certainly doesn't over stay it's welcome and I found it fascinating as to how the band went about the process of creating their first new material in some twenty years. What is also remarkable is that the band don't seem to have aged either, all are still in good shape and sounding energised, focused and with very much a youthful exuberance. The DVD extras feature music videos, live footage and extended guest interviews which again are nicely put together.
The live disc alone is worth the price of admission, with a raucous run through of some of their best known songs. It's a no frills experience and shows that time has not dimmed the bands energy with classic cuts such as 'Cold Blood' and 'Girl Money' mixed in with newer material such as 'Wheels In Motion' and 'Can't Stop The Show'. The whole thing is held together with a crisp production and some excellent performances, in particular vocalist Steve Whiteman who can still cut the mustard. It's refreshing to see a band still enjoying life on the road and in the studio and this is a very tidy little package of a great band.
Malcolm Smith
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