This Film Should Be Played Loud! - Pt. 4

Here's the fourth installment in our ongoing series This Film Should Be Played Loud!, in which we recommend five great concert films. As you may know, the name is taken from a title shown at the beginning of Martin Scorsese's movie The Last Waltz.

Full disclosure: if you buy the movies featured here through one of the links we provide, we get a (very) small commission. So treat yo'selves!

Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation Live - Amsterdam 07/11/22

This epic performance is a great reminder of what a fantastic band Porcupine Tree is (was?). They've been hastily categorized as a Neo-prog band, and there is an element of that obviously but their scope is so much wider than that limiting label, somewhere between Pink Floyd, Muse, Radiohead, Hawkwind and the more esoteric moments of King Crimson. This visually stunning concert film encapsulates all that and more. Make sure you have your TV hooked up to a good sound system because the sound is spectacular.

The Cure - Trilogy (Pornography/Disintegration/Bloodflowers Live In Berlin)

This 2002 concert film is an absolute treat for fans of The Cure: their legendary albums Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers are performed in their entirety and in sequence. Post-punk, gothic pop, psychedelia... The rich tapestry of sounds and styles woven by the band will mesmerize and hypnotize you. The apocalyptic version of "100 years" alone is worth the price of this excellent concert film.

The Pogues - In Paris: 30th Anniversary Concert at the Olympia

In 2012, the Pogues returned to the live stage with Shane McGowan to celebrate 30 years of music and chaos. Recorded over two nights at the Olympia, the band went through all of their hits and classics, aided and abetted by an absolutely frantic crowd. We attended night one of the festivities and can attest to the absolute madness that reigned in the venerable theatre. On stage, Shane was his usual intoxicated self, but managed to deliver an impassioned performance of his most beloved songs, backed by one of the best bands to ever come out of the Irish punk scene. This concert has now taken a new dimension since McGowan's passing last November: eleven years later, three of the musicians on that stage are now gone... But the performance remains, forever preserved in this great concert film.

Halestorm: Live in Philly 2010

Filmes in their hometown of Philadelphia right as their career was taking off, Halestorm's 2010 concert is a great document of how a young, hungry band can turn their ambitions and enthusiasm into pure energy. Their performance is one for the ages. Lzzy Hale, the ultimate rock chick, is a mesmerizing frontwoman and her voice is just ridiculously strong. It's especially interesting to watch now that the band has become one of the genre's most popular ambassador on the world stage, because it proves one thing: success is never an accident.

Genesis - Three Sides Live

A great document of Genesis in the infancy of their "trio" period, right before their plunge into pop superstardom. The energy is absolutely off the hook, and of course the musicianship is astounding. You can see Phil Collins starting to ease into his role as rock's unlikeliest frontman. Some of the interludes in this movie (the interviews, the backstage footage) unfortunately distracts from the stellar performances but un the absence of a decent full-length film from the Peter Gabriel era or even from the Seconds Out period, this is the best Genesis concert movie in circulation.

You can check out the previous installments of our "This Film Should Be Played Loud" series here:

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

There are also some great concert movies and music documentaries available on Paramount +. A few Springsteen titles, some Metallica, Oasis, Madonna... check it out HERE.